Orchestra’s at university ( non music degree)

[SunonmyFace]

Hi DD has asked about being able to join an orchestra when she goes to university. She won’t be studying music, but is a talented musician. Do uni’s have orchestras for non music students, is it a thing, and where is good?
She has indicated that this is something she would like to think about when she does look at uni’s

Thank you!

RaraRachael my Dd and her boyfriend are at the same uni, both grade 8 strings, one a music student and one not. Neither got into the university orchestras but they do play in lower level ones. I think the standard at some uni's is phenomenal

@Motherhubbardscupboard

RaraRachael my Dd and her boyfriend are at the same uni, both grade 8 strings, one a music student and one not. Neither got into the university orchestras but they do play in lower level ones. I think the standard at some uni's is phenomenal

Our local university has a prestigious music department. Very few music students make it into the chamber choir or orchestra, so that is a very good thing for the local community music groups and churches.

DD is at Warwick and there is a range of groups, some auditioned some not.
She is in a non auditiion windband which she seems to be enjoying.

hi op. dd is @ york (not studying music). she missed out on the september auditions for the orchestra (wasn't there to actually audition) but is aiming to try this coming september. she says there are practice rooms available for non music studying students. she got a choral scholarship for the york minster chapter house choir & loves it! best of luck

I ended up first of my instrument at Cardiff despite not being a music student and not even having Grade 8. The orchestra was largely populated with music students but if she plays something that's sought after then she should have a chance of getting in.

I was at York. You can audition for the university orchestra though it is difficult to get in as a non-music students. When I was there (admittedly 20 years ago!!) there were 6 non-music students in the whole orchestra. They didn't like us very much either as we were better than quite a lot of the actual music students. I had some amazing experiences though, learned a lot and the standard was fantastic.
However, there was also a non-auditioned orchestra which anyone could join which I played in for a while.
I also played in lots of musicals and shows. Gilbert and Sullivan societies are always looking for people for orchestras.
Also set up my own string quartet and we played at various gigs such as university balls and weddings.
I played in a local church too in their folk group.

I really don't think your DD will end up somewhere with no musical opportunities at all. She might not make it into the university symphony orchestra if the uni has a very good music department but in that case there will be a lot of other really good players who couldn't manage to get a place either and so some of the other groups will also be very rewarding.

And as well as that, you can always look in the local community for groups to join. I lived in Newcastle for several years and played in many orchestras there - we had a constant stream of music students and non-music students from both Newcastle and Northumbria unis turning up and being part of the orchestra for their time in the city.
Sometimes it's nice to do things with non-uni people too!

Just reassure your daughter that there will be lots of opportunities to play and you can look at it in more detail in a couple of years when she has more of an idea where she wants to study for her degree.

DD has a post grade 8 performance diploma but didn't get into the uni orchestra. However she is playing in another orchestra at uni and the commitment level is probably better for her than if she'd been in the main one. It seems that there are generally plenty of opportunities - a friend who has a child at a different uni and who was pretty similar standard to DD is playing first [instrument] in their uni orchestra (so maybe auditioned better or there was less competition for that particular instrument?)