Dear Musician and Parents:

We would like to thank you for your interest in becoming a member of one of our five PACO orchestras.  We are a unique organization in that our focus is on string instruments and each of our orchestras has approximately 25 members.  Every young musician plays an important role in his/her ensemble, and our intimate size creates a close-knit musical community where excellence can be attained.  We learn and perform string orchestra music from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary eras, often supplementing our forces with excellent woodwind players.  PACO offers many opportunities for our young musicians to participate in string quartets and other chamber music ensembles.  The cornerstone of PACO remains our effort to deepen each individual’s awareness of the value of human relationships in a chamber music setting. 

The majority of our openings are in the lower orchestra levels, but placements do occur at all levels. Auditions for the PACO 2010-2011 season will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2010.  To request an audition, please click on the link below 2010 Online Audition Registration to complete the online application.  You will need to print and mail a copy along with the non-refundable $25 fee to the PACO Office by Monday, April 5, 2010.  Candidates will be notified by email of their audition time one week prior to the audition date. 

In the event that a musician is placed directly into one of our top three orchestras (Debut Ensemble, Sinfonia, or PACO), acceptance into PACO is contingent upon being available to attend our annual Chamber Music Workshop in Aptos, Ca.  The dates for this workshop are August 8 to 15, 2010. 

Our music director, Benjamin Simon, and our Director of SuperStrings and Preparatory Ensemble, Kris Yenney, adjudicate all auditions.  Auditions are scheduled every 10 minutes and last approximately 5-8 minutes.  As a result, judges will be able to hear only excerpts from your audition material.  Candidates will be asked to play a scale of their choice (2- or 3- octave) and perform fast and slow sections from a concerto or solo piece of their selection. No accompanists please. 

We strongly suggest that you arrange to attend one of our concerts in order to familiarize yourself with our current string playing levels.  Please refer to our web site for times and locations. You may also arrange to attend an orchestra rehearsal in order to become more familiar with our program by calling the PACO office at (650) 856-3848.   

PACO is a family-based organization and relies heavily on the involvement of its members’ families.  Therefore, we encourage you to discuss together as parent and musician what your individual family’s involvement and support would be with PACO if you should become a member.

Your name will be added to our mailing list, unless you specify otherwise. This will allow you to receive advance notice of PACO performances, events and other season activities. For more information, please visit our website at www.pacomusic.org or call the PACO office at (650) 856-3848.