Hoff-Barthelson Music School

Placement Auditions: HBMS Orchestra Program
2024-05-07 18:00 - 22:00, 2024-05-05 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Hoff-Barthelson Music School invites you to audition for our prestigious Orchestra Program for students in Grades 2-12. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just starting your musical journey, there’s a place for everyone in our orchestral family!
Placement auditions for the Young People’s Symphonette, Chamber Orchestra, and Festival Orchestra will take place on the following dates:

Sunday, May 5: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday, May 7: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday, May 9: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday, May 10: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Sign-up here.
Registration deadline: Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
Audition requirements:

Two pieces of your choice that showcase your technical and musical abilities
Scales and Rolls

Violin and Cello: One 3-octave scale of your choosing (2-octaves for those interested in the Symphonette).
Viola, Bass, and Harp: One 2-octave scale of your choosing
Winds and Brass: One 1-octave scale of your choosing
Timpani: Rolls in crescendo and diminuendo

Short sight reading exercise

View flyer here.

Spanning the Centuries Festival Student Recital
2024-03-16 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-16 14:30 - 15:30
Student recital celebrating music composed from 1750-1950; featuring music of great Germanic composers — Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms — as well as masters from other lands.
View flyer here.
The Spanning the Centuries Festival is made possible, in part, with a grant from the Westchester Community Foundation, a division of The New York Community Foundation.

Volunteer Kick-Off Meeting
2023-10-20 09:00 - 10:00, 2023-10-12 19:00 - 20:00
Learn about volunteer opportunities at Hoff-Barthelson by joining us at one of our Volunteer Kick-Off Meetings!
During the meeting, we will:

Introduce Lori Rothman Kaplan, our 2023-24 Volunteer Chair, and Lucy Rosenberg, Office Manager and volunteer supporter extraordinaire;
Review the School’s 2023-24 schedule of events and associated volunteer opportunities;
Discuss ways in which the volunteer experience at HBMS can be further enriched; and
Enjoy the opportunity to meet and catch up with fellow HBMS volunteers over coffee and delectables!

We will be hosting two meetings to accommodate as many as possible.

The first meeting will be held on Thursday, October 12, at 7:00 pm
The “encore” is scheduled for Friday, October 20, at 9:00 am

We hope you’ll join us at one or the other. To indicate your preference, RSVP here.

Auditions: Festival Orchestra
2023-09-26, 2023-09-19, 2023-09-12, 2023-09-05
Be a part of “one of the finest high school orchestras in the United States!” Audition for the HBMS Festival Orchestra’s 2023-24 Season!
Instruments needed: oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, timpani, viola and bass.
Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra is a full symphonic orchestra for high school students at the highest level of technical ability and musical artistry. Under the direction of conductor Jun Nakabayashi, the Festival Orchestra performs three concerts annually; two are with guest artists of international stature. The orchestra meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:15 – 9:30 pm. Members participate in sectional coachings with members of the New York Philharmonic each spring.
Festival Orchestra auditions are open to all high school students, whether studying at HBMS or elsewhere. Students not yet in high school but who demonstrate exceptional ability and maturity may also audition.
Download audition information here.
Request an audition time here.
