I love auditions. No, I do, really. First of all, I like the game of it. Fifty people come to the hall, one leaves victorious. The drama is deeply fun. I love playing auditions. Picture it - you get to walk out onto an unfamiliar but beautiful stage, the home stage of an orchestra better than yours. You have the entire space to yourself. Gazing up into the rows of darkened seats, you can take deep breaths and choose the perfect moment in which to break the silence. You can stand there for up to fifteen minutes, playing all of the BEST and most famous solos for your instrument, to an audience that is listening intently and wanting you to succeed. You can take these solos at the tempo you choose, in the style you like. No conductor is trying to alter your vision of the piece. It’s all for you. I love sitting behind the screen, too. It’s fascinating to listen to other people audition, and ...