Orchestral cello auditions in Australia: an assessment of commonly set excerpts

This exegesis aimed to identify, analyse and collate the orchestral excerpts commonly set for orchestral cello auditions held in Australia in recent years. Other than the individual orchestral papers themselves, there are currently no such readily available compendiums directly applicable to Australian cello auditions. Using excerpts from cello auditions held in Australia in recent decades, a catalogue of commonly featured excerpts was created. From there, an analysis of most-requested excerpts was conducted utilising available recordings made by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. All the professional, full-time Australian orchestras were approached by email for participation in this study, and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Queensland Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra responded with the provision of available excerpts and excerpt lists from cello auditions they had held. All these orchestras excepting the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra were able to provide excerpts for auditions held from 2000 onwards, while the MSO had on file excerpts from auditions held since 1974. For this reason and because of the author’s own professional performing base being Melbourne, the study was focused towards comparing commonly selected excerpts overall since 2000 alongside the commonly selected excerpts by the MSO since 1974, and the recordings used in the analysis were made by the MSO. Additional material(s) submitted with thesis.