Membership in the orchestra is by audition, held each autumn. This process provides an opportunity to University of Toronto students, staff, and Hart House senior members to join the orchestra. The skill level required for membership varies from year to year, depending on the field of candidates. All candidates for orchestra membership, including returning member candidates, must audition every year. This ensures that new prospective members are given an opportunity to join the orchestra.
If you’re interested in joining, please sign up for an audition:
New members: please sign up HERE.
Returning members: please sign up HERE.
New member auditions will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2026. Keep in mind that if you miss your audition, our music director has no basis for a decision and you will not be considered.
Audition Requirements
Please see the document below for this season’s audition requirements. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at hho.auditions@gmail.com
Audition repertoire links
Retrieval of individual parts from IMSLP links requires selecting the ‘Parts’ tab in the ‘Sheet Music’ section, and scrolling down to the appropriate edition listed below beside the piece.
- Stravinsky: Rite of Spring
https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Rite_of_Spring,_K015_(Stravinsky,_Igor) Boosey & Hawkes 1947
- Gershwin: American in Paris https://imslp.org/wiki/An_American_in_Paris_(Gershwin,_George) Hume 1987
- Rachmaninoff: Isle of the dead
https://imslp.org/wiki/Isle_of_the_Dead,_Op.29_(Rachmaninoff,_Sergei) Gutheil 1909/Kalmus
- Dukas: Sorcerer’s apprentice https://imslp.org/wiki/L’apprenti_sorcier_(Dukas%2C_Paul) Durand&Fils1897/kalmus
- Rimsky-Kosakov: Sheherezade https://imslp.org/wiki/Scheherazade,_Op.35_(Rimsky-Korsakov,_Nikolay) Muzgiz 1964
Membership Fees
Following a successful audition, membership in the HHO is official upon the receipt of membership fees. Please view the details regarding membership fees [ here ].
Membership Commitments
Members are expected to attend regular rehearsals which are held in the Hart House, Tuesday evenings from 8:00 to 10:15pm. The orchestra performs three home concerts during the school year: A fall concert at the end of November, a winter concert in early February and a spring concert at the beginning of April. Traditionally the winter concert is reprised on a trip to a city in Ontario, Quebec or northeastern USA over a weekend in mid-February. In 2017, the HHO performed in Carnegie Hall, New York City. In 2019, the HHO performed in 3 cities in Germany. Extra rehearsals may take place on Sundays in the weeks leading up to a concert.