National High School Honors Orchestra
March 5-7, 2014 • Louisville, Kentucky
Now Announcing: The 2014 Concert Program will be Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, by Dmitri Shostakovich.
2014 Audition Repertoire
Apply Here
Students applying will need to supply basic application information including sponsor's ASTA ID number and upload the required audition repertoire in audio formats: mp3, ogg, m4a, aiff, wma, wav, and aac.
Application fee is $80.00.
Applications due June 15, 2013
The National High School Honors Orchestra will be held March 5-7, 2014 in Louisville, Kentucky. Students in the eleventh and twelfth grades during the 2013/2014 school year may apply for stringed instruments. Percussion and wind students must be in ninth through twelfth grade during the 2013/2014 school year to apply.
Students that are invited to participate in the National High School Honors Orchestra will have to pay a participation fee of $795 that includes hotel and meals during the experience.
What is the National High School Honors Orchestra?
The National High School Honors Orchestra (NHSHO) is a performing group of 100 competitively selected high school musicians who assemble biennially to perform at the ASTA National Conference.
How are the students selected for membership in the NHSHO?
Junior and senior students apply for the orchestra directly to the National level using the new DecisionDesk software ASTA is utilizing. They submit an audition of required literature and three minutes form literature of their own choosing. Separate audition committees for strings, winds, and percussion select the 100 students for the orchestra. The students are required to be members of their school orchestra.
When was the NHSHO established?
In 1986, the first orchestra convened in Anaheim CA, under the direction of James DePriest. Subsequent performances took place in Indianapolis; Washington DC; New Orleans; Cincinnati; Kansas City; and Phoenix. On two occasions the orchestra reassembled to tour and perform in conjunction with international conferences in Helsinki, Finland and Tampa, Florida.
Who conducts the NHSHO?
Such internationally recognized, eminent conductors as Elje Oue, David Gilbert, James DePriest, Jose Serebrier, Jung Ho Pak, Raymond Harvey, and Ryan McAdams have conducted the NHSHO. They work with the orchestra for three days of intense rehearsals in preparation for the final performance.
For more specifc information please contact Libby at Libby@astaweb.com or 703-279-2113 x20.
Important Note
(Effective starting with NHSHO 2010)
Students who have been invited and who have accepted to be part of the National High School Honors Orchestra may not also be a participant in a National Orchestra Festival group, Eclectic Strings Festival program, or the finals of the National Solo Competition in the same national conference year. This participation restriction is due to overlapping event schedules which will cause disruption to the overall experience for all participants of each program. Students may apply for more than one event, but must accept only one if offered multiple event opportunities within the same conference year.