BECOME PART OF THE GMJO
Dear musician,
welcome to the audition website of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Thank you for your interest in the GMJO!
The GMJO auditions take place annually between October and December in almost 30 European cities. For a smooth and quick registration for the auditions it is important that you read the conditions of participation carefully.
If you have any questions about your eligibility or the audition registration process, we recommend that you read through the audition process or check out the audition FAQs.
For more information about the GMJO, please visit our website and the GMJO FAQs.
The auditions for the 2023 projects are now closed. We thank all candidates for participating in the auditions. The results will be published in the personal audition accounts via our audition portal at the end of January 2023.
Auditions for our 2024 tours will take place in autumn 2023. All information will be published in time.
If you can't find the answer to your question on the above pages, please send us a short e-mail with your request to auditions@gmjo.at.
We wish you good luck with your audition!
GMJO Concertmaster Auditions 2023
The Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester is holding auditions for the position of concertmaster to join the orchestra from the Spring Tour 2023 onwards.
This position is designed for a duration of 2 to 3 years; details will be individually agreed.
Eligible participants must be European citizens, born in 1998 or later. The concertmaster of the GMJO is expected to possess excellent musical and technical skills, substantial orchestral experience, as well as leadership abilities and a high sense of responsibility.
Audition Date and Location: March 27th 2023, Vienna (Austria)
Application Deadline: March 1st 2023
For further information on the conditions of participation and the application procedure, please download the application form below.
We are looking forward to your application!
The GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER succeeded as the first international youth orchestra to hold free auditions in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Since 1986 auditions have been held in the former CSSR, since 1988 in the former GDR and since 1990 also in the former USSR.
Since 1992, the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER has been open to musicians up to the age of 27 from all over Europe. Since then, the orchestra has guaranteed equal conditions and absolute equality of opportunity to over 2,500 candidates each year through auditions in approximately 30 European cities.
Here you will find all the necessary conditions of participation, which you must fulfill for the successful registration for your GMJO audition 2022. Please read the following information very carefully.
- European citizenship
- Advanced level of education
- Born between 1.1.1996 and 1.1.2007
In case of an excessive number of registrations, the GMJO reserves the right to limit the number of participants. There is no right to participate. The legal process is excluded.
For further information please see the audition FAQs.
Here we would like to give you a compact overview of the GMJO audition process from registration to notification of results.
To register for the GMJO auditions, you must:
- Meet the requirements of the conditions of participation
- Be available for the 2023 GMJO projects
- Register in one of the audition cities
- Confirm your participation at a later date under your personal audition access (My GMJO). You will find out more about this after your registration.
The application deadline is 7-10 days before the first audition date in your preferred city.
If you would also like to audition on an additional instrument (e.g. piccolo, bass clarinet, cor anglais, etc.), please select the appropriate option when registering.
Please note that we will only allow more time for your audition if the additional instrument is properly registered. If you did not indicate the additional instrument when registering, it may not be possible for us to schedule the audition on the additional instrument.
All further information about the procedure and organization of your audition can be found after successful registration under your personal audition access (My GMJO) on the audition website.
Please note that registering for the auditions does not guarantee you an audition date. You must reconfirm your participation at a later date in your personal audition account (My GMJO). Only when you are logged in, you can choose an audition date.
The audition dates are limited and will be considered in the order of receipt ("first-come first-serve"). We therefore advise you to reconfirm your registration as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Candidates who do not receive an audition date will be placed on a waiting list.
If there is any change in your availability for one of our 2023 projects, please inform the GMJO office immediately.
If you have to cancel for one of the two tours, the GMJO reserves the right to give your place to someone else for the other tour.
In principle, auditions for all instrument groups take place in all audition cities. Exceptions are percussion (only Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Zurich) and piano/celesta/organ/harmonium (no live auditions).
For the audition you must prepare the following:
- The first movement of a concerto without cadenza (to be selected from a list).
- Orchestral excerpts - you can download them from your personal account.
Detailed information about the concertos and orchestral excerpts to be selected for your instrument can be found on our audition portal.
Special cases:
Percussion: No concerto, but orchestral excerpts. Auditions only in Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna and Zurich.
Piano/Celesta/Organ/Harmonium: No live auditions will be held. Interested keyboard instrumentalists with orchestral experience are asked to send a resume including demo CD or WeTransfer link to the GMJO office:
Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester
Orchestra Management
Goethegasse 1
A-1010 Vienna
Austria
E-mail: auditions@gmjo.at
If you would like to audition with piano accompaniment - which is not obligatory and irrelevant for the result - you have to organize an accompanist yourself. A piano is available at each audition location.
All auditions will be recorded by a member of the jury or an employee of the GMJO. Each candidate agrees to this when registering for the auditions.
All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their audition in January 2023. We ask that you do not contact the GMJO office regarding this before that date.
The result represents the final decision of the jury. Legal recourse is excluded.
Cancellations must be communicated to the GMJO immediately so that your audition slot can be passed on to another applicant.
You can only cancel your audition via your personal audition access (My GMJO) or by email to auditions@gmjo.at.
Unexcused absence will automatically result in exclusion from the next year's auditions.
No. Unfortunately, GMJO-membership is reserved for young musicians holding the nationality of a European country.
Yes. Young musicians from every European country (considered here in a broad geographical perspective) are eligible.
No. Unfortunately, GMJO-membership is reserved for young musicians holding the nationality of a European country.
No. All auditions have to be performed live. The GMJO tries to organise auditions in as many cities as possible, covering all European regions, so that as many musicians as possible have a chance to take part.
No. You may audition in any of the available audition locations. Just register for the city of your choice.
No. There is no fee to take part in the GMJO Auditions, nor in any GMJO project.
No. The GMJO tries to organise auditions in as many cities as possible, covering all European regions, so that as many musicians as possible have a chance to take part with little expense.
No.
Auditioning for the GMJO is a very competitive process and you should only do it if you possess an advanced level of proficiency on your instrument (and suitable orchestral experience). If in doubt about this, we advise you to ask your teacher for her/his opinion.
Auditioning for the GMJO usually presupposes that candidates are available for all the projects of the following year. That said, the GMJO understands that the schedule of a young musician can sometimes be unpredictable and that exceptional situations may arise. If something should change about your availability for any of the projects of the GMJO, you must inform the GMJO office immediately.
Yes you can. However, bear in mind that, despite the fact that special circumstances will be considered, organising the audition process requires a considerable investment from the GMJO and therefore we expect candidates to be generally committed to next year’s projects.
Yes, of course. Musicians wishing to audition for second instruments (i.e. piccolo, bass-clarinet, E-flat clarinet, contrabassoon, etc.) need to specify so during the registration phase. If you change your mind later on, please make sure to inform the GMJO ASAP (auditions@gmjo.at).
Registering for the auditions does not guarantee you an audition slot. You will have to re-confirm your audition when asked to do so. You must do this on the specific date indicated on your personal account (My GMJO). We advise you to re-confirm your audition as early as possible on that day, to avoid disappointment. Slots will be attributed on a first come first served basis.
Unfortunately, there are always more musicians registering than audition slots available in every city, so we ask you to reconfirm your audition a few weeks before the date to ensure that you are still committed to auditioning. Please note that you must re-confirm your audition on the specific date indicated on your personal account (My GMJO). We advise you to re-confirm your audition as early as possible on that day, to avoid disappointment. Slots are limited and will be attributed on a first come first served basis. Candidates who are not attributed an audition slot will be placed on a waiting list.
You must cancel your audition on your personal account (My GMJO)! Please bear in mind that if you do not cancel your audition and if you do not show up at the scheduled time, you will be excluded from future GMJO Auditions.
Yes, even if it is not guaranteed. The GMJO always tries to accommodate specific requirements (especially if you have to travel to the audition city and/or if you have professional appointments). Just drop us an e-mail (auditions@gmjo.at) stating which slot you received and when would be the best time for you to audition.
Please note, however, that in order for this to be possible, you must select and be attributed an audition slot during the reconfirmation process. The change can only be done afterwards.
This means that, at this point, you were not attributed an audition slot. As soon as a slot is freed it will automatically be attributed to the first person in the waiting list. Shall this happen in your case, you will receive an e-mail with the information.
The username is the e-mail address you indicated during the registration process.
Yes, but there is no live audition. We welcome piano/celesta players with orchestral experience to send a biography and a demo CD/DVD to the GMJO office.
Yes. The orchestral excerpts for your specific instrument can be downloaded (PDF) on your personal account (My GMJO). Note that these must only be used for the GMJO Auditions and must not be passed on to third parties.
Yes. There are always a certain number of rooms reserved for musicians taking part in the auditions, however the GMJO cannot guarantee availability.
Since unexpected situations arise, and to allow sufficient time for warm-up, we advise you to be there around one hour before your audition slot. You may, of course, arrive earlier if you wish. Please note that, despite the fact that staff members will try accommodate them, latecomers are not guaranteed an audition slot.
Yes, you must bring your own scores.
Usually around 10 minutes. However, this depends greatly on the repertoire, on the instrument(s), and on the jury/staff member present at the audition location.
That will depend on the jury/staff member present at your audition location. You may be asked to do so, but it is not necessarily the case. Therefore, we strongly advise you to prepare all the excerpts thoroughly.
[Harpists are always expected to perform all of the assigned excerpts].
[Percussionists will also be expected to take a sight-reading test].
Usually not. However, in some exceptional circumstances, the member of jury present might decide otherwise. Percussionists will always be expected to take a sight-reading test.
Yes. You may bring your own accompanist if you wish. This is, however, not mandatory and will have no bearing on the result of your audition.
No. If you wish, you may bring your own accompanist. This is, however, not mandatory and will have no bearing on the result of your audition.
No. You may do so, if you wish, but this is not mandatory and will have no bearing on the result of your audition.
No. Musicians wishing to audition for the Harp must bring their own.
No. GMJO Auditions are not open to the public. Only authorised persons are allowed in the audition room.
No. GMJO Auditions are not open to the public.
Due to the fact that the GMJO organizes auditions in over twenty cities around Europe, it is not possible for the Jury members to travel to all the locations. This is the only way to ensure fairness to all candidates.
No. By registering for the GMJO Auditions you implicitly agree that your audition will be filmed/recorded.
No. Audition recordings are used for the sole purpose of assessing the musicians’ abilities and are never made available to third parties.
The results will be published online in the Members Account in January.
It means that you are not automatically invited to the GMJO projects, but that we believe you have potential and are of sufficient proficiency on your instrument to be invited should the opportunity arise. Musicians on the Reserve List will be called upon should any of the accepted musicians be unavailable to take part in a project. The order by which the musicians on the Reserve List are called upon is defined uniquely by the Jury.
No. Only musicians who actually take part in a GMJO project are considered to be GMJO members.
The decision of the Jury is final and not subject to appeal. Due to the very high number of candidates (usually around 2500 registrations) it is, unfortunately, not possible for the Jury to give individual feedback.
Not necessarily. Some musicians will only be invited to one of the projects. This is due to repertoire needs and also to a rotation of musicians that we believe is positive.
No. Except for the concertmaster, every musician must audition every year in order to participate in the following year's GMJO projects.