Audition repertoire
The standard cello audition excerpts
30 excerpts that recur on professional orchestra audition lists, ordered by difficulty, each with the bow style, trouble spots, and failure modes that decide how they land behind a screen.
Intermediate · University level
Advanced · Conservatory level
Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, III, scherzo
Brahms, Symphony No. 1, II, opening
Brahms, Symphony No. 3, III, cello melody
Brahms, Symphony No. 4, I, second theme
Mendelssohn, Italian Symphony, IV, Saltarello
Tchaikovsky, Rococo Variations, theme
Mahler, Symphony No. 2, V, cello/bass recit.
Boccherini, Cello Concerto in B♭, I, opening
Haydn, Cello Concerto in C, I, opening solo
Haydn, Cello Concerto in D, I, opening solo
Stravinsky, Rite of Spring, Introduction
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5, I, opening
Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra, II, cellos
Audition · Professional standard
Brahms, Symphony No. 2, II, cello opening
Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Scherzo
Dvořák, Cello Concerto, I, opening solo
Strauss, Don Juan, opening
Strauss, Ein Heldenleben, hero theme
Schumann, Cello Concerto, I, opening solo
Elgar, Cello Concerto, I, opening
Saint-Saëns, Cello Concerto No. 1, opening
Shostakovich, Cello Concerto No. 1, I, opening
Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, IV, low-string recit.
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.
Practise them with a method
Use these public excerpt notes with your own authorised score, plus a free metronome and a practice guide for the weeks in between.