Join NSYS!

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Auditions

Our auditions for the 2026-27 season will be held on September 21st at Bellingham High School from 5:30-8:30 PM, you will be assigned a scheduled time once you register or request an audition (through registering or emailing NSYS@bellinghamsymphony.org).

Audition requirements

‍New musicians will be asked to play the following:

1. 1-minute solo of the student’s choice.  
2. Scales: one major, one minor, and, for winds/brass, one chromatic scale
3. Students may also be asked to sight-read a brief excerpt during their audition.

Additional Auditon Information

• You may play at your own tempo. Our conductors use these playing samples to help plan repertoire for the season that highlights the musicians' strengths. Do your best, but don't worry if your presentation is not completely flawless. Everyone has a slip now and then! More importantly, the conductors want to hear your current playing ability.
• There is no dress code for auditions. Some students choose to wear recital or concert attire, but other choose casual clothes in which they feel most comfortable. Both choices are absolutely fine!
• Not sure which ensemble is right for you? Let both age and skill level guide your thinking. The WMEA/All-Northwest excerpts, while a stretch for many students, are a good indicator of our target ability level for each group.
• We ask all new students and those who are seeking to “move up” from Philharmonia to Symphony to audition in person.

Registration

Registrations for the 2026-2027 season is open. We have a new streamlined registration that includes all forms, scholarship application, and tuition payment options in one process.

Auditions are required for all new and returning musicians.

Please reach out to NSYS@bellinghamsymphony.org with any questions.

Tuition & Scholarships

Tuition will be due at the beginning of each trimester. Tuition can be paid online below, brought to the Youth Symphony Coordinator at rehearsal with your completed registration forms, or mailed to:

NSYS
P.O. Box 4197
Bellingham, WA 98227

The online student registration form required is everyone participating in NSYS. Yearly tuition for Philharmonia and Symphony is $495 per year* with payments made in three installments ($165 per trimester).

NSYS offers the following discounts, and they combine:

• Full-season discount: $25 off per musician for registering for the full year (all three trimesters).
• Early-payment discount: an additional $25 off per musician if your full-year tuition is paid by September 14, 2026 — i.e. pay only $445 for the full year if paid early.
• Sibling discount: $30 off per year ($10 off per trimester) for each additional musician in the same family.

Tuition for additional family members is $465 per year ($155 per trimester), and the full-season and early-payment discounts apply on top of that — so a second child registered for the full year and paid by September 14 pays $415, and a family with two full-year musicians paying early pays $860 total.

This fee reflects approximately seventy percent of the actual costs to operate NSYS. Fundraisers and donations make up the remaining support. We welcome and appreciate your tax-deductible donations.

*Financial assistance is available for students who qualify. Please fill out the scholarship form when you register or email NSYS@bellinghamsymphony.org to apply.

**Tuition is non-refundable except in extenuating circumstances approved by the NSYS President.

Please note: We encourage all NSYS members to make a special effort to invite their friends to join us. The addition of new members will allow us to cover our expenses and to keep tuition increases at a minimum in the future.