Applications must be submitted online no later than Saturday 13th September 2025
We accept orchestral instrument players between the ages of 18 and 30.
Please submit materials according to your personal circumstances:
(i) Mainland Residents
① Electronic copy of ID photo
② Scanned copy of Mainland ID card (valid after August 19, 2026)
③ Scanned copy of Hong Kong and Macau Exit-Entry Permit (valid after August 19, 2026)
④ Scanned copy of academic qualification certificate
⑤ Scanned copy of professional certificate
(ii) Taiwan Province Residents
① Electronic copy of ID photo
② Scanned copy of Taiwan Compatriot Permit (valid after August 19, 2026)
③ Scanned copy of valid Taiwan travel document (including personal details, issue date, expiry date, and details of held re-entry visa) (valid after August 19, 2026)
④ Scanned copy of academic qualification certificate
⑤ Scanned copy of professional certificate
⑥ Household Registration Transcript (issued and certified by the Hong Kong Household Registration Office within the last 12 months; must show detailed remarks column. Submit the certified/stamped page simultaneously. Alternatively, the applicant’s latest electronic Household Registration Transcript showing detailed remarks and transcript verification number is accepted. Note: Household registration booklets and abbreviated transcripts are not accepted.)
(iii) Macau Residents & Foreign Nationals
① Electronic copy of ID photo
② Scanned copy of Macau Resident ID Card / Macau Resident Travel Permit to Hong Kong / Passport (valid after August 19, 2026)
③ Scanned copy of academic qualification certificate
④ Scanned copy of professional certificate
(iv) Hong Kong Residents
① Electronic copy of ID photo
② Scanned copy of Hong Kong Resident ID Card or Passport (valid after August 19, 2026)
You should prepare a video of the concerto and excerpts listed for your instrument category. The solo concerto and excerpts can be recorded in separate videos. All excerpts should be recorded on the same video without pausing. Recordings conducted in a mid-sized room would be preferable to a practice room or concert hall. There should be no interruptions or outside disturbances throughout the duration of your recording.
YMCG 2026 is offering bespoke chamber group tuition and chamber concert performances to pre-existing chamber groups made up of successful YMCG applicants. Along with your application, please kindly include a document highlighting if you are part of a chamber group with other YMCG applicants, along with all the names & instruments of the members included in your chamber group. Please also suggest some repertoire that you would like to perform in YMCG 2026.
Please note, the success of your application will not be affected if other members of your chamber group are not accepted as part of YMCG 2026.
It is your responsibility to arrange a piano accompaniment if your audition requirements include one (see below).
We accept online video auditions only. You can send your audition video via your preferred file sharing service (Baidu Netdisk or Google Drive). Each video file must be renamed in English as “Instrument-Name-Repertoire”, for example “Cello-Zhang San-Excerpts”.
A single video file should not exceed 300 MB. After uploading, please paste the network disk link in the corresponding column in the registration form.
Instrument Categories
We will be auditioning for the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute (incl. piccolo), oboe (incl. oboe d’amore & English Horn), clarinets (incl. Eb and bass clarinets), bassoon (incl. contrabassoon), horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (cymbal, triangle orchestra bells & snare drums), harp.
Violin
The division between Violin 1 and 2 will be finalized once the results are shared.
Concerto:
1. First movement of a classical or romantic violin concerto (own choice) – [with or without accompanied piano – own choice]
Orchestra Excerpts (both):
1. STRAUSS – First violin parts of “Don Juan” (Beginning to letter D)
2. MOZART: First violin – Symphony No. 39 KV 543, (last Mvt. exposition)
Concert Master Excerpt
STRAUSS – Ein Heldenleben, Figure 22-31
* All applicants are invited to submit a video (no longer than 5 minutes) of a recent live performance to boost their application regardless of if their audition video includes piano accompaniment or not, although this is not mandatory.
Viola
Concerto:
1. SCHUBERT: arpeggione 1st Mvt. until bar 72 – [with accompanied piano]
Concerto (choose 1 of 2):
1. WALTON: 1st Mvt. until first beat of bar 69 [with or without accompanied piano – own choice]
2. Bartok 1st Mvt. until bar 76 included [with or without accompanied piano – own choice]
Orchestra Excerpts (both):
1. MOZART: Zauberflöte Ouverture from bar 27 to end of bar 63
2. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben (1 before fig. 94 to 2 after fig.97)
Cello
Concerto:
1. First movement of a classical or romantic cello concerto (own choice) – [with or without accompanied piano – own choice]
Orchestra Excerpts (both):
1. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5 (2nd Mvt., beginning to fig. C)
2. BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 (2nd Mvt., beginning to fig. A)
Double Bass
Concerto:
Exposition of romantic concerto – [without accompanied piano]
Choose between:
1. BOTTESNINI
2. KOUSSEVITSKY
3. ROTA – piano accompanied or not [own choice]
Orchestra Excerpts (all of them):
1. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5 (3rd Mvt., beginning to 5 after fig. A and Trio to 23 after fig. B)
2. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben (4 after fig. 1 to fig.2; fig. 9 to 5 after fig.10;8 before fig.16 to 2 after fig.16;4 before fig.20 to 5 after fig.20;1 before fig.30 to 2 after fig.30;fig.40 to 8 after fig.40;fig.77 to 8 after fig.77;fig.79 to 4 after fig.79)
Flute / Piccolo
Concerto (mandatory for everyone):
1. MOZART: 1st exposition of G major concerto – [with accompanied piano]
Flute
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. MENDELSSOHN – Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream
a. The solo from 2 bars before P until the end of the Mvt.
2. RAVEL – Daphnis
a. Figure 176 – 179
3. MAHLER – Symphony No. 9, 1st Mvt.
a. From Misterioso after figure 16 until the key change
4. STRAUSS – Ein Heldenleben
a. Figure 2- 5
b. Etwas Langsamer 6 bars before figure 14 until 8 bars after figure 15
c. 4 bars before figure 50 until figure 56
Piccolo
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. BEETHOVEN – Symphony No 9 (4th Mvt.)
2. RAVEL – Ma Mère l’Oye Suite, (3rd Mvt., figures 1 – 4, bottom line only)
3. STRAUSS – Ein Heldenleben (Piccolo part: figures 19-23)
* All applicants are invited to submit a video (no longer than 5 minutes) of a recent live performance to boost their application regardless of if their audition video includes piano accompaniment or not, although this is not mandatory.
Oboe
Concerto:
1. MOZART: Oboe Concerto [1st and 2nd Mvt.] – [without accompanied piano]
Orchestra Excerpts:
1. MAHLER: Ich atmet einen linden duft, from big number 2 until 3
Choose one of the two:
1. RAVEL: Le Tombeau de Couperin (Prelude and Menuet)
2. ROSSINI: Overture to La Scala de Seta (beginning to figure 3)
Choose one of the two:
1. BRAHMS: Violin Concerto (2nd Mvt., beginning to bar 32)
2. STRAUSS: Don Juan (figs. L – N)
Oboe d’Amore
Orchestra Excerpt:
1. MAHLER: Um mitternacht, from big number 4 to 5
English Horn
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 (2nd Mvt.)
2. RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G (2nd Mvt., figures 6 – 9)
3. MAHLER: ich bin der welt abanden gekommen,（beginning-fig.1 and Figure 6, 4 bars
and Figure 9 to the end）
Clarinet
Concerto (mandatory for everyone):
1. MOZART: Clarinet Concerto K622 1st Mvt. (exposition only) – [with or without accompanied piano – own choice]
Clarinet (for Bb and A Clarinet)
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6
a. 1st Mvt. – Measure 474 to Measure 492 (in Bb)
b. 2nd Mvt. – Measure 68 to Measure 77 (in Bb)
c. 3rd Mvt. – Measure 114 to Measure 133 (in Bb)
2. KODALY: Dances of Galanta – 31-65 (in A)
3. MAHLER: Symphony No. 1 (play of the excerpts)
a. 1st Mvt. – Measure 4 Bars before big number 17 until big number 19
b. 2nd Mvt. – Big number 8 until 9
c. 3rd Mvt. – 1 bar after big number 13 until big number 17
d. 4th Mvt. – big number 39 for 5 bars
Eb Clarinet
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. BERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique, 5th Mvt. – Reh. #63 to 4 bars before Reh. #65
2. SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5
a. 2nd Mvt. – Reh. #49 to Reh. #54
b. 2nd Mvt. – Reh. #63 to 4 bars before Reh. #64 & Reh. #69 to Reh. #70
3. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben
a. From Reh. #11 to Reh. #13
b. Reh. #14 to 7 bars before Reh. #16
c. 2 bars before Reh. #22 until 2 bars after Reh. #22
Bass Clarinet
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. SHOSTAKOVICH: Violin Concerto No. 1, 2nd Mvt. – Reh. #23 to 13 bars after Reh. #24
2. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben
a. from Reh. #3 to Reh. #5
b. from 8 bars before Reh. #16 to Reh. #17
c. from Reh. #88 until 4 bars before Reh. #89
*Candidates can apply for all the instruments providing all the excerpts and Mozart Clarinet Concerto. In case they want to apply only for Eb or Bass Cl, they must play Mozart Clarinet Concerto Exposition with A clarinet, and they don’t need to play the Clarinet Excerpts.
Bassoon / Contrabassoon
Concerto (Choose one of the two):
1. WEBER Bassoon Concerto in F major, 1st Mvt. mm.39-118 – [with accompanied piano]
2. MOZART Bassoon Concerto Bb Major K.191, 1st Mvt. mm.32-109 – [with accompanied piano]
Concerto:
1. MOZART: Bassoon Concerto Bb Major K.191, 2nd Mvt., mm.6-20 – [with accompanied piano]
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. MOZART: Overture, The Marriage of Figaro (mm.101 – 123, 139 – 171)
2. WAGNER: Overture, Tannhäuser 2nd bassoon (mm. 1-16)
3. RAVEL: Boléro (figs. 2 to 3)
4. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben, 2nd bassoon (4 measures beginning at reh. 15, 1st bassoon Reh. #86-87, Reh. #102-103
Contrabassoon Orchestra Excerpt:
1. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben, 2 beats before Reh. #7 until Reh. #9., 2 measure before Reh. #80 until Reh. #82)
* All applicants are invited to submit a video (no longer than 5 minutes) of a recent live performance to boost their application regardless of if their audition video includes piano accompaniment or not, although this is not mandatory.
Horn
Applicants should choose high horn or low horn
High horn (1,3,5,7,B) – Concerto:
1. STRAUSS: Horn Concerto No.1 – 1st Mvt. – [with or without accompanied piano – own choice]
High horn (1,3,5,7,B) – Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben
a. opening until 5th bar of fig.1
b. Fig.108 until end.
2. BRAHMS: Symphony No. 3, 3rd Mvt. solo figure f-g.
3. MAHLER: Symphony No. 5, 3rd Mvt.: Scherzo bar 3 to bar 26(solo part)
Low horn (2,4,6,8) – Concerto:
1. NEULING: ‘Bagatelle’, Beginning to ‘Tempo 1’ before fig.3
Low horn (2,4,6,8) – Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9,4th horn 3rd Mvt. Upbeat to bar 83 until end of bar 98.
2. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben:
a. 2nd horn Fig. 5, 1st 2 bars.
b. 2nd horn 1 bar before fig. 78 until 2nd bar of fig. 79
c. 5th horn Fig.9 – 5 bars after 10.
3. WAGNER: Das Rheingold – opening. 1st horn bar 36-52.
* All applicants are invited to submit a video (no longer than 5 minutes) of a recent live performance to boost their application regardless of if their audition video includes piano accompaniment or not, although this is not mandatory.
Trumpet
Concerto:
1. HAYDYN: Trumpet Concerto – [with or without accompanied piano – own choice]
a. 1st Mvt., exposition and development, plus cadenza.
b. 2nd Mvt., also exposition and development.
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. BEETHOVEN: Two Leonore signals
2. BIZET: Signal and Prelude to Carmen
3. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben
a. 1st trumpet in B flat, numbers 58-62, numbers 67-69, numbers 80-83;
b. 2nd trumpet in B flat, numbers 58-62;
c. 3rd trumpet in B flat, numbers 58-62 and numbers 67-69.
d. 1st trumpet in E-flat, 6 bars before number 50 – 6 bars after 54.
e. 1st trumpet in E-flat, 10 bars before number 79, as well as numbers 81-82.
f. 2nd trumpet in E-flat, 4 bars before number 59 to 6 bars after number 74.
*Applicants should apply playing on German Trumpet (C or B flat)
Trombone / Bass Trombone
Concerto (mandatory for everyone):
1. DAVID: Trombone Concerto, 1st Mvt. (without cadence) – [without accompanied piano]
Trombone
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. RAVEL: Boléro [Solo First Trombone – 10-11]
2. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben: from 62 to 66 and from 71 to 74
3. MOZART: Requiem (Tuba Mirum)
4. ROSSINI: Overture to William Tell (first entrance to 40 bars after)
Bass Trombone
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. HAYDN: The Creation (No 26) (beginning to fig. C)
2. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben, from 51 to 66
3. RESPIGHI: Pines of Rome: I Pini presso una catacomba
4. SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3 (4th Mvt., beginning to 13 after fig. A)
Tuba
Concerto:
1. VAUGHN WILLIAMS – 1st Mvt.
Orchestra Excerpts (all):
1. MAHLER: Symphony No. 1 – Solo
2. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben: from 62 to 65
Timpani
Solo Piece:
1. KEUNE: Etude 142
Orchestra Excerpts:
1. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No.1 – Menuet
2. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 – 1st mvt: début to bar 72 & Bar 513 to the end
3. MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 1st mvt: bar 316 to 322 & Finale: 760 to the end
4. MARTIN: Concerto for Seven Wind Instruments :6 after fig.18 – 7 after fig.22
5. TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4, 1st Mvt.
Percussion
Excerpts (mandatory for everyone):
Excerpts (Snare):
1. LYLLOFF – Århus etude No. 9 (first 7 lines – please remove music from line 8 onwards)
2. PROKOFIEV- kijé （fig.1-fig.3, there is a 4-bar rest cut down to 2-bar rest to test the ability of keeping time）
3. RIMSKY-KORSAKOW: Scheherazade (A+B)
Excerpts (Orchestra Bells):
1. MOZART: The magic flute
Excerpts (Triangle):
2. ORFF/HUMPERDINK/TCHAIKOVSKY/WAGNER – Etyde
Excerpts (Cymbals):
1. RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto, No. 2 (3rd Mvt., figs. 32-33)
Harp
Orchestra excerpts (all):
1. TCHAIKOVSKY – Nutcracker, cadence
2. STRAUSS – Ein Heldenleben harp 1 – 3 passages:
a. from number 2 until number 12
b. from two bars before number 80 until number 85
c. from number 91 until number 94
3. MAHLER – Symphony No. 5, Adagietto, beginning until figure 2 “Fliessender”
4. BARTOK – Concerto for Orchestra, 4th movement: Intermezzo Interrotto
You can download the exam scores via the following links:
Fees:
Tuition, local accommodation, and meals during the music week will be covered by the event organizers. Participants are responsible for their own round-trip travel expenses between their home city and the host city of the music week.
*From the admitted participants, a select number will be awarded the YMCG Scholarship, which provides partial financial support for round-trip travel between their home city and the host city. We encourage applicants to upload any supplementary materials that may assist in securing the scholarship.
Contact:
If you wish to contact YMCG please email: ymcg@gso.org.cn