ontario provincial
honour band
ABOUT
The Ontario Band Association is inviting every high school student to audition for the 21st annual Ontario Provincial Honour Band. 80 of the province's high school musicians will be selected to take part in an intensive four days of music making. The experience includes our rehearsal camp, concerts, and the annual performance at the Ontario Music Educators' Association conference.
Dr. Shelley Axelson, conductor of the 2023 OPHB: "My experience with the OPHB was amazing and one I still think about all the time! The musicians were so prepared and generous and having the time together at camp provided a unique bonding experience that enriched our music making. The fact that we had multiple concerts also gave us a change to practice the skill of performance, which is very rare. Thank you to all the students AND everyone involved in the organization of this great ensemble!"
This sensational four-day event (November 5th–8th, 2025) promises to give participants the experience of a lifetime. Based at the Salvation Army Shoreline Camp in Jackson's Point, Ontario, on the shores of beautiful Lake Simcoe, the 2025 Honour Band will be conducted by Dr. Travis Cross from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. We continue our amazing work with Yamaha Canada Music to provide the OPHB with world-class clarinet soloist, Michele Jacot.
We look forward to hearing your students' auditions. The audition fee for the Ontario Provincial Honour Band is $15. If students are successful in auditioning for the ensemble, a $400 participation fee is required. If you have further questions, please contact Alicia Kennedy (ophb@onband.ca).
AUDITION
REQUIREMENTS & MATERIALS
A $15 audition fee is due at the time of registration. Should your audition be deemed successful, a $400 participation fee is required. The audition submission deadline is May 16, 2025.
ALL AUDITIONS MUST INCLUDE:
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Scales as instructed in the audition package. Please record scales/arpeggios in ONE recording per scale.
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Woodwinds, brass, and string bass: scales as instructed in the package, plus either two of the provided etudes, or one of the etudes and one solo piece of your choice
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Percussion: all scales and etudes provided
AUDITION GUIDELINES:
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Ask your band director and/or private instructor for assistance in selecting and preparing your material.
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Please do not speak on your recording — you do not need to introduce yourself or what you are playing.
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Please do not record the submission in a video format.
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Please include the scales and corresponding arpeggios in a single audio file.
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Thoroughly listen to the audio files before you submit them to ensure there are no mistakes and that the quality of sound is acceptable.
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Your recording should demonstrate tone quality, technical facility, and musicality.
We have updated the unit design for every teacher to include the audition material as part of the curriculum in any music class. You can make it work for your students' specific needs as well! The auditions work very well for the musicality and technical range of any grade eleven student.
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