PERCUSSION FELLOWS
The Eastern Festival of Music Percussion Fellow will have the unique opportunity to perform with the Eastern Festival Orchestra (the professional orchestra in residence), to study with EFM faculty, and to participate in additional faculty performances during EFM's five week summer season, June 27 – August, 2026.
Outstanding musicians aged 22 – 33 are eligible to apply, and must be available for the full term of fellowship.
Additional professional experience may also be gained through performances with the festival's two young artist orchestras and the EFM Percussion Ensemble (as required/assigned by percussion faculty/supervisors).
The Eastern Festival Orchestra rehearsal and performance schedule includes five to six services per week (three rehearsals, one dress rehearsal and one or two performances). In addition to the rehearsals, performances and individual practice/preparation identified above, the Percussion Fellow will assist in the management and inventory of percussion equipment, including set-up and take down of equipment for rehearsals and performances.
Fellows are also encouraged to avail themselves of the wide variety of these workshops, seminars and professional development opportunities available at EFM and to expand their understanding of all aspects of the artistic and administrative activities required of professional musicians.
Work includes evening and weekend assignments and no outside (non-EFM) engagements may be accepted during the fellowship period without prior written agreement between the Fellow and EFM.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
Documents
- Statement of Interest
- Artistic Resume
- Repertoire List
- Two letters of recommendation
Music
Record all of the excerpts for each instrument in one video. For example, the video for snare drum should include Delecluse, Rimsky-Korsakov (Movement III and Movement IV excerpts) and Prokofiev.
Snare Drum
- Delecluse - Etude No. 9 from Douze Etudes
- Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
- Movement III
- D to E
- 5 mm. after F to 8 mm. after F
- G to H
- Movement IV
- 1 m. before C to D
- 4 mm. before N to 19 mm. after N
- P to R
- S to U
- 15 mm. after W to the 6/4 time signature
- Prokofiev – Lieutenant Kije
- Rehearsal 1 to 3 inclusive (count through the rests at Rehearsal 2)
Marimba
- Bach (players choice)
Xylophone
- Gershwin - Porgy and Bess
- Main passage only (Goldenberg book)
- Kabalevsky - Overture to Colas Breugnon (Goldenberg book)
- 1 m. after Rehearsal 9 to downbeat of Rehearsal 12
- Pick up to Rehearsal 36, play for 12 measures
- Rehearsal 57 to the end
- Shostakovich - Polka from the Golden Age Ballet (Goldenberg book or real part)
- Beginning through A (or through Rehearsal 46), L to the end (or Rehearsal 55-56)
Glockenspiel
- Mozart - Magic Flute (Goldenberg book)
- Dukas - Sorcerer's Apprentice
- Rehearsal 17 to 20
- Rehearsal 22 to 24
- Rehearsal 26 to 27
- 7 mm. after Rehearsal 52 to 53
- Respighi - Pines of Rome
- Beginning to 21st m. of Rehearsal 2 (count all rests)
- 3rd m. of Rehearsal 3 to trill (play 4 mm. of trill only)
- 13th m. of Rehearsal 7 to the end
Tambourine
- Dvořák - Carnival Overture
- Beginning w/ repeats to 4 mm. before C
- T to the end
Cymbals
- Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2
- Movement III; Rehearsal 32, play for 13 mm.
- Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet
- E to 7 mm. before F
- 18 mm. before U, play for 5 mm.
Bass Drum
- Mahler - Symphony No. 3
- Movement I; 6 mm. before Rehearsal 11 to downbeat of Rehearsal 11
- Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
- Danse de la Terre; Rehearsal 72 to 6 mm. after Rehearsal 78
Triangle
- Brahms - Symphony no. 4
- Movement III; Rehearsal I to the end.
COMPENSATION
$1,000 USD stipend
Room & Board (Guilford College housing & meal plan)
HOW TO APPLY
The deadline for receipt of completed applications and the audition recording is February 20, 2026.
STEP 1
Review the following steps before starting your online application.
All applicants must submit a completed Application for Admission and pay the non-refundable application fee through Acceptd (link is under Step 4). The fee for submitting your application and audition via Acceptd will be $60. Requests for financial assistance will be considered after you have fully completed the application process.
STEP 2
Know your video audition requirements.
Applicants interested in attending Eastern Festival of Music must apply and submit a video audition, following the instructions, before a decision on acceptance and requests for financial assistance can be made. Audio recordings without video are not accepted.
STEP 3
Prepare and submit your files.
Please read these instructions carefully before submitting your audition recording.
Select your music according to the repertoire requirements.
Record your video audition, using quality equipment. Recordings that have been edited or enhanced will not be accepted. Upload your application materials and videos through Acceptd.
Acceptable Media File Types Include:
- Video – MP4, MPEG, MPG, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, FLV, WEBM, M2V
- Documents – PDF, PS, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPS, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, OPT, SXW, ODP, SXI, ODS, SXC, RTF, TXT
- Images – JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF
STEP 4
Prepare to pay the Application Fee.
The fee for submitting your application and audition via Acceptd will be $60.
STEP 5
Begin your online application on Acceptd.
