When applying for a position in a symphony orchestra, it's not enough to have a great CV or a good educational record. You need to be able to give your best at an audition - or audition, where you compete for the position with the other applicants. On Saturday 2 March, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra invited young conservatory students to try out what it feels like to play in front of an adjudication committee of professional musicians. For an entire Saturday, the orchestra's musicians sat ready in the DR Concert Hall's Studio 4 to listen to the young students and give them advice on how to improve their performance when they apply for a position in an orchestra. (Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull)
There was no orchestra position on the line for the young musicians, but a chance to test their nerves - and plenty of feedback from DR's professional musicians who have all competed their way into the orchestra in the same way. Australian violinist Alexander Chiu was one of the first students to play for the Danish National Symphony Orchestra's strings in DR Koncerthuset's Studio 4. He is currently a student at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. (Photo: Agnete Schilchtkrull) He is currently enrolled in the Royal Danish Academy of Music's master's programme.
After completing the first round, which included excerpts of orchestral parts and a violin concerto by Mozart, Mirjam Teresa Petersson took on Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in the second round of the competition. (Photo: Agnete Schilchtkrull)
In the second round of the competition, Christine Emilie Bernsted had chosen to play the first movement of Beethoven's demanding Violin Concerto for the judging panel. She did so well that she ended up winning the competition (Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull © Type 1)
On Thursday 4 April, Christine Emilie Bernsted will be presented with her first prize in the DR Concert Hall at the DR Symphony Orchestra's open rehearsal. Among other things, she will receive an envelope containing DKK 7,000 - donated by Venneforeningen for DR's Kor & Orkestre and Det Kgl. (Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull © Type 1)
The judging panel included a group of Danish National Symphony Orchestra string players who once competed for their permanent place in the orchestra. Here are first violinists Runi Bæk, Anna Zelianodjevo and Sophia Bæk and violist Katarzyna Bugala. Tim Frederiksen, professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, was also present as an observer (Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull)