How to be successful in an orchestral audition - LSO violinist Maxine Kwok

What is a panel looking for primarily from the orchestral excerpts?

The main things I am looking for when I sit on an audition panel are quite simple – good rhythm, technique and intonation, all within a beautiful sound. These are going to be at the crux of a good orchestral musician. The excerpts can feel very disjointed because they are just that, short excerpts! But it is important to know the piece as a whole because chances are you will be playing it at some point in your career so it doesn’t hurt to add some extra preparation.