# The standard viola audition excerpts

Public reference list, ordered by difficulty. Consult the orchestra’s current audition notice for its required selections and edition.

- [Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet, Dance of the Knights](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/prokofiev-romeo-juliet-viola), Heavy, deliberate, rhythmically exact writing in the middle register. Approachable notes, unforgiving pulse. Intermediate; Modern; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Brahms: Haydn Variations, Variation VI](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/brahms-haydn-variations-viola), A standard Brahms viola excerpt testing rhythmic precision and a full sound in the middle register. Advanced; Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, III, Trio fugato](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/beethoven-5-iii-viola), The low-string fugato of the Trio, which the violas take up after the cellos and basses. Tests clarity and off-string articulation. Advanced; Classical; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture, viola melody](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/berlioz-roman-carnival-viola), The lyrical viola melody near the opening, one of the few moments in the repertoire where the section carries the tune outright. Advanced; Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, I, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/shostakovich-5-i-viola), The angular canonic opening. Exposed, rhythmically strict, and demanding a hard, deliberate sound rather than a warm one. Advanced; Modern; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mozart: Haffner Symphony, IV, Presto](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/mozart-35-iv-viola), Fast classical passagework testing clarity, lightness, and rhythmic discipline at speed. Advanced; Classical; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Strauss: Don Juan, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/strauss-don-juan-viola), The standard opening request at viola auditions. Fast, high, and written in a register where the viola has to project without turning thin. Audition; Late-Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/mendelssohn-midsummer-scherzo-viola), The viola benchmark for a light, fast, even stroke at a quiet dynamic. Appears on almost every audition list. Audition; Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Strauss: Don Quixote, Sancho Panza solo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/strauss-don-quixote-viola), The extended solo viola part representing Sancho Panza. Standard at principal viola auditions and a test of character playing. Audition; Late-Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Smetana: The Bartered Bride, Overture](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/smetana-bartered-bride-viola), Sustained fast fugal string writing at a tempo that leaves no margin. A stamina and clarity test. Audition; Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/ravel-daphnis-viola), Shimmering, divided, colouristic string writing that asks for control at very quiet dynamics and precise ensemble. Audition; Modern; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mahler: Symphony No. 10, Adagio, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/mahler-10-adagio-viola), The unaccompanied viola line that opens the Adagio, the whole section alone, unsupported, at a very slow tempo. Audition; Late-Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.

## Preparing for the audition

### What should I listen for when preparing an orchestral excerpt?

Check rhythm, intonation, articulation, sound and the role of your part in the full score. Listen for a reliable entrance and a steady pulse through the difficult transition. The actual panel and audition notice determine the selection criteria; Arco does not rank those criteria on their behalf.

### How do I know which excerpts and editions to prepare?

Use the current notice from the orchestra or school, including its instrument, round, cuts, bar numbers and edition instructions. This reference library is a starting point for practice, not evidence that a passage appears on your particular audition list.

### How far in advance should I start preparing?

Work backward from the confirmed date with your teacher. Separate unfamiliar notes and fingerings from passages you can already play, then leave time to join sections and rehearse a complete run. The right preparation period depends on your starting point and the actual list; no fixed number of weeks guarantees readiness.

### Should I use the bowings printed in my part?

First follow any instructions and marked parts provided by the organisation. Discuss unmarked bowing and fingering decisions with your teacher, checking the whole phrase and orchestral context. A familiar tradition can be useful, but it does not override the instructions for your audition.

Canonical source: https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/auditions