# The standard violin audition excerpts

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

- [Brahms: Symphony No. 1, IV, big tune](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/brahms-1-iv-violin), The broad string melody of the finale. Technically approachable, which puts all the weight on sound and phrasing. Intermediate; Romantic; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mozart: Symphony No. 39, II, Andante](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/mozart-39-ii), The standard classical-style test. Nothing here is technically hard, which is exactly why it is difficult, every choice of bow, note length, and dynamic is audible. Advanced; Classical; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mozart: Haffner Symphony, IV, Presto](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/mozart-35-iv), A fast, light classical finale that tests clarity at speed. The instruction in the score is famously to play it as fast as possible. Advanced; Classical; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Beethoven: Eroica, III, Scherzo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/beethoven-3-iii), Fast, quiet, and relentlessly rhythmic. The scherzo opens sempre pianissimo, which is where most of the difficulty lives. Advanced; Classical; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Brahms: Symphony No. 4, I, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/brahms-4-i-violin), The chain of falling thirds that opens the symphony. Exposed, lyrical, and unforgiving about the shape of each two-note gesture. Advanced; Romantic; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Strauss: Don Juan, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/strauss-don-juan-opening), The most requested violin excerpt in the orchestral repertoire. A headlong ascending gesture that has to sound both brilliant and completely controlled from the first note. Audition; Late-Romantic; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, III, Adagio](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/beethoven-9-iii), A sustained lyrical excerpt with almost nowhere to hide. Tests sound, bow control, and the ability to shape a long line at a very slow tempo. Audition; Classical; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/mendelssohn-midsummer-scherzo-violin), The benchmark test for a light, fast, controlled stroke. Fairy music at speed, played quietly, with total evenness. Audition; Romantic; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Schumann: Symphony No. 2, II, Scherzo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/schumann-2-scherzo), Perpetual-motion sixteenth notes at a fast tempo, sustained far longer than feels comfortable. A stamina and evenness test as much as a technical one. Audition; Romantic; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, violin solo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/strauss-heldenleben-solo), The extended concertmaster solo depicting the hero’s companion. Standard at concertmaster auditions and a test of characterisation as much as technique. Audition; Late-Romantic; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Prokofiev: Classical Symphony, I](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/prokofiev-classical-i), Classical elegance at a modern tempo, with wide leaps and sudden register changes that make it far harder than it sounds. Audition; Modern; Treble clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, fast string writing](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/violin/bartok-concerto-orchestra-violin), Angular, fast, rhythmically irregular string writing that tests counting and articulation as much as the fingers. Audition; Modern; Treble 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/violin/auditions