Parent guide · Audition season
The youth orchestra video prescreen, explained.
Many youth orchestras ask string players to submit a recorded prescreen in August and September. If this is your family's first one, here is how the process works and how to help your child record a take they are proud to send.
The August to September window
Example orchestras and their prescreens.
These orchestras run video prescreens in the late-summer-into-fall window. Dates move every year, so always confirm the current season on each orchestra's own audition page before you plan.
New York Youth Symphony (NYYS)
New York, NY
String prescreens run roughly August 16 to September 6, by video.
Norwalk Youth Symphony
Norwalk, CT
Runs a late-summer-into-fall video prescreen. Confirm this year's window on its site.
Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra
Santa Rosa, CA
Uses a video prescreen ahead of the fall season. Confirm this year's dates on its site.
Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta, GA
Holds a fall video prescreen for placement. Confirm this year's dates on its site.
Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO)
Atlanta, GA
Runs a video prescreen round before live callbacks. Confirm this year's dates on its site.
How to record a strong one
Five steps to a prescreen worth sending.
- 1
Read the prescreen requirements first
Each orchestra publishes exactly what it wants: which excerpts or scales, how many minutes, whether a single unedited take is required, and how the file should be submitted. Print it and check every box before recording anything.
- 2
Pick the room and the camera angle
A quiet room with a little natural sound beats a dead, carpeted closet. Frame the shot so the panel can see your student's hands, bow, and posture. Phone cameras are fine; a stable tripod and good light matter more than the device.
- 3
Rehearse the full take, not just the hard bars
Prescreens are usually judged as a whole performance: intonation, rhythm, tone, and musicality across the entire excerpt. Practice playing start to finish so the recording is steady, not a patchwork of perfect fragments.
- 4
Score a practice take before the real one
Record a mock take and get it scored the way a panel would hear it. Fix the two or three things that cost the most points, then record the take you actually submit.
- 5
Submit early, with margin
Uploads fail, files are too large, portals close at midnight. Record and submit a day or two before the deadline so a technical hiccup does not end the season before it starts.
Where Orchestra Kingdom fits
Rehearse the recording, not just the piece.
Your child records a practice take, and the Judge scores it on the same five qualities a panel grades: intonation, rhythm, tone, articulation, and musicality. It points to the exact measures that cost the most, so the next take is sharper. Three takes are free, no card required, which is enough to rehearse a couple of mock prescreens before the real submission.
To be clear: this is a rehearsal tool. Your child still records and submits the official prescreen through the orchestra's own portal.
Score a practice take freeCommon questions
What parents ask about prescreens.
What is a youth orchestra video prescreen?
A video prescreen is a recorded audition a student submits before, or instead of, playing live for a panel. The orchestra uses it to decide who advances to live callbacks or to place students into ensembles. Many youth orchestras run these in August and September so seating is set before the fall season begins.
Which youth orchestras require a video prescreen?
Many do, and the list grows every year. The New York Youth Symphony runs string prescreens roughly from August 16 to September 6. Norwalk Youth Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra, Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra all run similar late-summer-into-fall video prescreens. Dates shift each year, so always confirm the current window on the orchestra's own website.
When are youth orchestra prescreens, exactly?
Most fall in the August-into-September window, but every orchestra sets its own dates and they change annually. Treat any date you read online, including the NYYS window, as a guide and verify it against the official audition page for the current season before you plan your recording schedule.
How can my child practice for a video prescreen at home?
Have them record the full excerpt and get the take scored on the same qualities a panel grades: intonation, rhythm, tone, articulation, and musicality. Orchestra Kingdom's Judge does exactly this in about a minute and gives measure-level notes, so a student can rehearse the recording, fix the biggest issues, and submit a stronger take. It is a rehearsal tool, not the actual audition.
Does Orchestra Kingdom submit the prescreen for us?
No. Orchestra Kingdom helps a student rehearse and score practice recordings before the real one. The student still records and submits the official prescreen through the orchestra's own portal, following that orchestra's exact requirements.
Is there a free way to try it before the deadline?
Yes. A student can create a free account and get three Judge takes at no cost, no card required. That is enough to score a couple of practice prescreens and see exactly where the recording stands before submitting.
Help your child send a prescreen they are proud of.
Three practice takes free. No card. A panel-style verdict in about a minute.
Score a practice take