Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra Auditions
Are you a professional, semi-professional or advanced amateur musician, capable of rapidly learning and playing classics and cutting edge pieces with a few intensive performances? If so, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra may be the place for you. With approximately 60 professional and semi-professional musicians, the WMP performs varied, complex, and demanding music that can challenge even the most accomplished instrumentalist.
Please see Music Director James' message below to prospective players about what it's like to play with the WMP.
Auditions for Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic are conducted on a rolling basis. We have current openings for talented violinists. We also maintain an active sub list for all sections (winds, brass, percussion and strings).
If interested in stepping up to the challenge, please call 703-799-8229 or email wmpa@earthlink.net for more info and to schedule an audition.
Your resume is not required, but should you choose to submit it, please send it to:
WMPA Music Director Ulysses S. James
Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic
P.O. Box 120
Mount Vernon, VA 22121-0120
Please see Music Director James' message below to prospective players about what it's like to play with the WMP.
Auditions for Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic are conducted on a rolling basis. We have current openings for talented violinists. We also maintain an active sub list for all sections (winds, brass, percussion and strings).
If interested in stepping up to the challenge, please call 703-799-8229 or email wmpa@earthlink.net for more info and to schedule an audition.
Your resume is not required, but should you choose to submit it, please send it to:
WMPA Music Director Ulysses S. James
Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic
P.O. Box 120
Mount Vernon, VA 22121-0120
A Message to Prospective WMP Players from Ul James, Music Director:
There are many fine classical music groups in the DC metropolitan area. It may be difficult for you to determine which group would be best for you. Here is some information that might be of help. Our season offers many tonal 20th century and contemporary works, music that is challenging and exciting to perform. I also relish conducting great gems of the past.
I consider it a duty and a joy to honor and play music of living conductors – thus we have an annual composition competition open to composers from the entire east coast of the United States. I am far more interested in making impactful, deeply emotional and meaningful music with perhaps some flaws, than to have perfect performances of less difficult, less interesting works. I assume that anyone seeking a chair in Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic (WMP) is someone who welcomes the excitement of performing challenging music and that he/she will find time to prepare diligently for performances.
I believe WMP is a place where members can make music with their entire being, where we are stretched to accomplish perhaps more than we thought we could. It is a place that is nourishing and supportive, yet challenging and demanding, where motivation comes from the music itself, not from coercion or competition.
More generally:
WMP’s season schedule, from September to early June, requires a significant commitment. Rehearsals are on Sunday evenings except on concert days, during the December holidays and on Easter Sunday.
Concerts are on Sunday afternoons. We perform each of five concerts two times, usually in Church of the Epiphany in DC and then a week later at Alexandria’s George Washington Masonic National Memorial. Having spent energy and time on significant music, it’s great to perform it twice!
Those who solo with the orchestra are extraordinary professional musicians, sometimes members of our own orchestra.
Because our concert performance space is limited, our size is similarly limited to about 70 members.
Finally:
The orchestra is composed of musicians who are there because of their love of music and the challenge of performance; they conscientiously do their best. I know of no exclusive cabals, no competitive politics or destructive behaviors in this group.
There are many fine classical music groups in the DC metropolitan area. It may be difficult for you to determine which group would be best for you. Here is some information that might be of help. Our season offers many tonal 20th century and contemporary works, music that is challenging and exciting to perform. I also relish conducting great gems of the past.
I consider it a duty and a joy to honor and play music of living conductors – thus we have an annual composition competition open to composers from the entire east coast of the United States. I am far more interested in making impactful, deeply emotional and meaningful music with perhaps some flaws, than to have perfect performances of less difficult, less interesting works. I assume that anyone seeking a chair in Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic (WMP) is someone who welcomes the excitement of performing challenging music and that he/she will find time to prepare diligently for performances.
I believe WMP is a place where members can make music with their entire being, where we are stretched to accomplish perhaps more than we thought we could. It is a place that is nourishing and supportive, yet challenging and demanding, where motivation comes from the music itself, not from coercion or competition.
More generally:
WMP’s season schedule, from September to early June, requires a significant commitment. Rehearsals are on Sunday evenings except on concert days, during the December holidays and on Easter Sunday.
Concerts are on Sunday afternoons. We perform each of five concerts two times, usually in Church of the Epiphany in DC and then a week later at Alexandria’s George Washington Masonic National Memorial. Having spent energy and time on significant music, it’s great to perform it twice!
Those who solo with the orchestra are extraordinary professional musicians, sometimes members of our own orchestra.
Because our concert performance space is limited, our size is similarly limited to about 70 members.
Finally:
The orchestra is composed of musicians who are there because of their love of music and the challenge of performance; they conscientiously do their best. I know of no exclusive cabals, no competitive politics or destructive behaviors in this group.
