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Hey Classical Kids: You Can Audition for NPR's Hit Radio Show FROM THE TOP at WRTI 90.1 on May 20th!

NPR’s From the Top with Host Christopher O’Riley, the hit radio program showcasing America’s best young classical musicians, is seeking local talent—instrumentalists and vocalists ages 8 to 18—for its live recording on September 9, 2018 at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.

Credit Caitlin Cunningham

Pre-collegiate classical instrumentalists and vocalists from the Philadelphia region are invited to audition at WRTI’s Performance Studio on Sunday, May 20th between 10 am to 5 pm.

How Do You Sign Up? Send an email to auditions@fromthetop.org. Include student's name, age, grade level, instrument or voice type, and a contact phone number. A producer will follow up with instructions about selecting a specific time for the audition on May 20th.

From the Top’s primary focus is to present music from the western classical tradition. However, they occasionally present music from other non-pop genres including folk music, world music, spirituals, and acoustic or piano jazz. They're particularly open to music that combines the western classical tradition with other non-classical forms, and to performers who can perform both classical music and other genres at a very high level.

From the Top is heard on WRTI 90.1 FM in Philadelphia, Sundays at 3 pm, and on more than 200 other stations nationwide!  Listen to past shows here.

What’s it like to be on From the Top with Host Christopher O’Riley?

  • It’s a unique and fun opportunity to share music in a positive, non-competitive environment.
  • It’s the chance to reach hundreds of thousands of listeners through a national radio broadcast.
  • It’s an opportunity to join an organization dedicated to celebrating and empowering young classically trained musicians and to discover your own unique leadership path.

Credit Caitlin Cunningham

Who’s Eligible?
Pre-collegiate classical musicians (instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, and ensembles), ages 8-18

LIVE AUDITIONS:
Sunday, May 20, 2018, 10:00 AM– 5:00 PM
WRTI 90.1 Performance Studio, on the campus of Temple University
1509 Cecil B. Moore Ave., 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19121

Accompanists are welcome/optional, but not provided.
Students should come prepared with 1-2 pieces of classical repertoire. Non-concerto repertoire is ideal.

APPLY ONLINE (if you can't schedule an audition)
Interested young musicians who cannot attend the live auditions can also submit recordings and complete an application online hereby Sunday, May 20, 2018. There is a fee for online applications of $70/student.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Applicants with financial need may also be eligible for From the Top’s Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, a scholarship of up to $10,000. Details available at www.fromthetop.org/scholarship.