Join the NPO
Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, Nashville’s premiere community orchestra! Explore the several ways to get involved below, and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when new openings and fellowships are available.
The NPO rehearses Tuesday evenings, typically at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 37205. Our concert pairs are often Sunday afternoons/evenings & Tuesdays at 7:30pm.
Auditions
Current Openings:
none
Although our annual Open Call for all instruments has ended (July 15), we are still accepting auditions for the above instruments; decisions will be made on a rolling basis. If you do not play one of the instruments listed above, please Contact Us and we will let you know when we have an opening on your instrument. Our Open Call for all instruments will occur each year, June 1 - July 15.
To audition, please send your audition recording, attached as a file or a link to a file, as described below, to auditions@nashvillephilharmonic.org.
In the subject line, please include the heading NPO Audition along with your instrument. For example: NPO Audition: Cello.
In the body of your email, please include the following:
Your name, address, email address, phone number
Your instrument
A brief summary of your musical training
A video audition as described below. The video may be sent as an mp4 attachment (Gmail or WeTransfer) or as a link (YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox)
Your audition video should contain**:
Helpful videography angle and distance such that your technique is clearly visible (for example, embouchures, hand positions, etc. unobstructed by music stands)
Your current playing. Namely, please make the video specifically for this audition. While you can feel free to do multiple takes for each selection, please ensure the takes themselves are unedited.
Two scales of your choice covering a reasonable range of your instrument: one scale played slowly, the other scale played at fastest accurate speed
Two to four minutes total of a solo, etude, concerto, or excerpts–or portions thereof–that showcase your musical ability
**NOTE: For percussionists, although we do not currently have open positions, please contact us if you are interested but have questions about what should be included in the audition video.
Fellowships
Tal Benatar
2022-2024 Conducting Fellow
Dr. Tal Benatar is an Israeli-American conductor, arranger, vocalist, and guitarist. He holds a Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan where he also earned his Master of Music. In 2023, Benatar was a semifinalist of the Kodály International Music Competition in Debrecen, Hungary and was the competition winner at the International Conducting Workshop & Competition in Atlanta, GA. Tal has studied with well-known conducting pedagogues including Kenneth Kiesler, Jerry Blackstone, Michael Haithcock, Adrian Gnam, Phillip Greenberg, Kate Tamarkin, and Michael Slon.
Previously, Benatar was the Music Director of the Life Sciences Orchestra and Michigan Pops Orchestra during his time in Ann Arbor. A strong advocate of new music, Benatar has conducted multiple world premieres and prioritizes innovation in the world of classical music through creative programming and multidisciplinary collaboration. In September 2022 he was appointed Conducting Fellow for the Nashville Philharmonic.
Past Conducting Fellows
Nathan Bieber
Esther “Esi” Tupper
Shreyas Patel
Elias Salazar
Jessica Reeves
Fellowship Opportunities
The NPO Conducting Fellow is an opportunity for an emerging conductor to gain experience with the artistic and administrative operations of an orchestra. The position is for one season, but the artistic staff has the option to offer a full year renewal to the Fellow when appropriate.
The application deadline for the 2024-2025 Season has passed! Stay tuned here for more info on the future of this role.