Travel & Housing:

For those applicants traveling from a long distance, Bradley International Airport is the closest airport and is about 20 minutes away from Downtown Hartford.  Union Station located at 50 Church Street in Downtown Hartford is the closest train and bus station, with Amtrak and CTrail – Hartford Line train service and CTtransit, Greyhound, and Peter Pan bus service.

We do not have any affiliations with area hotels, however there are several within a short drive.  Additional information regarding hotels can be found by visiting https://hartford.com/hotels/

Audition Procedures:

All Hartford Symphony Orchestra auditions will consist of at least two live rounds.  Candidates may withdraw from the selection pool without penalty or consequence by the dates and times listed for the appropriate instruments.  Cancellations after this date are very disruptive to the audition process; any cancellations after the prescribed dates and times will be documented and the $50.00 audition deposit will not be returned.

The audition committee reserves the right to dismiss anyone during any round should they not meet the desired artistic level of performance.  Auditions must be live.  Finalists may be asked to perform with the orchestra before a winner is named.  The first two years of a musician’s employment are considered probationary.  Due to the prominence of these position, we do not allow auditions for comments only.

Preliminary auditions are screened and a proctor will announce you by number. Remember that you may not talk in the audition room.  Cell phones, iPads, metronomes/tuners, and other electronic devices are not permitted in the audition room.  If you have any questions in the audition room, please silently signal the proctor who will escort you outside of the audition room for discussion.  After your audition, you are welcome to wait on-site in the designated areas. The committee may vote periodically, and we will announce any candidates who advance as decisions are made.

Please keep in mind that auditions could run early or late, based on cancellations and the length of repertoire ultimately selected by the committee. If there are significant changes to projected audition times, we will contact you.

Those who advance will return for one or more rounds. The committee may require ensemble playing of any finalist and/or may invite one or more finalists for a trial period before naming a winner. The committee may name a runner up or no winner.  Please note that this audition may also affect the order of the sublists.  Any interested finalist may opt to be added to this list.

This is very important: We can only allow warming up in the specified warm up areas; warming up outside is not allowed. Should you wander the property and/or communicate with the audition committee, even by accident, you may be disqualified.Under no circumstances may you bring cell phones into the audition room, or attempt to contact anyone who may be a part of the committee. Please avoid social media posts that could compromise the anonymity of the screened rounds. Periodically the audition committee will take a break and we will require you to remain in one place and out of view of the committee.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra tunes to A440.

Audition information is subject to change.

Repertoire Requirements:

Posting excerpts selected prior to the start of any round is at the discretion of the audition committee.  Hartford Symphony Orchestra staff will notify you of any excerpts if and when instructed by the audition committee. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is unable to provide printed copies of the audition repertoire at any time.  Should you have any repertoire questions, please contact our Audition Manager at auditions@hartfordsymphony.org.  Audition repertoire is subject to change.  Applicants will be notified of any changes prior to the audition.

Eligibility Requirements:

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is an equal opportunity employer. We employ only highly qualified musicians, who are legally authorized to work in the United States.  Proper ID and/or authorization must be in place by the audition date.  Hartford Symphony Orchestra employees are required to complete an I-9 and to provide corresponding documentation when they begin work, which could consist of a trial period.  Failure to do so may result in the forfeiture of a position and/or trial period.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will not delay the start date of these positions or any trial periods for the purpose of securing documentation.

We frequently receive questions about student visas and other documents.   Here is a List of Acceptable Documents, for informational purposes only.  This organization cannot assist with Visa petitions, Visa renewals, work authorization or similar documentation.

The State of Connecticut, Connecticut Public Schools, and Hartford Public Schools, with whom we work regularly, have regulations relevant to this position. Consequently, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra does not employ those convicted of a felony, any offense involving the sexual molestation or physical abuse or rape of a child, or a crime of moral turpitude. All employees must confirm that they meet these requirements.

Employment offers are contingent on a job-related criminal background check.