High School Orchestra Festival
Grades 9-12
Spotlighting the young talent of Orange County’s high schools, this festival gives students the rare opportunity to perform in a world-class concert hall, as each orchestra presents a 30-minute concert, demonstrating their hard work and dedication over the course of the school year.
If you are a participating ensemble in the 2025 High School Orchestra Festival, please scroll down for information regarding this year's festival
2025 HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL
Information for participating schools can be found below.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY OF THE FESTIVAL
- The ensemble arrives at their scheduled time and is greeted by a Philharmonic Society Committee docent.
- The music director enters the concert hall lobby through the side entrance and checks in at the check-in table.
Music directors must provide two (2) copies of each of their music scores, a check for printed tickets sold, and any unused printed tickets
- The ensemble is then led to the Samueli Theater lobby, where musicians take out their instruments and leave their cases and belongings on the assigned tables.
Note: There is no tuning or playing instruments in the Samueli Theater lobby.
- The ensemble rehearses for 20 minutes in the Samueli Theater.
- After rehearsal, the ensemble is guided backstage and onto the concert hall stage. A Philharmonic Society representative provides a brief introduction for the school, followed by the performance.
- After the performance, the ensemble is led back to the Samueli Theater to pack up the instruments and retrieve their belongings.
- The ensemble is led to the front of the concert hall where the music director visits the table in the lobby to pick up music scores and adjudicator comments.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Selling and Receiving Festival Tickets
- Online: A school-specific flyer with a unique school promo code will be sent to the school music director to distribute to parents and interested supporters to order tickets online.
- Pre-Sale Printed Tickets: Participating schools will be sent an email outlining the parameters for selling printed tickets at their school. Tickets requested will be delivered directly to the school.
- At the Door: Guests can purchase tickets at the door on the day of the Festival. Make sure they mention your school name to receive 50% of the ticket sale.
- Tickets will be mailed from the Philharmonic Society box office once the order is received. You cannot print your tickets at home.
- Tickets ordered after the mail deadline will be held at the concert hall will call on the day of the Festival.
- On the day of the Festival, will call will have a list of all tickets ordered online and can provide your tickets.
- If you encounter problems ordering tickets online, please call the Philharmonic Society Box Office at (949) 553-2422 for assistance.
- Request a reasonable number of tickets from the Festival Ticket Chair.
- Printed tickets can then be sold at face value of $20 each.
- On the day of the Festival, submit payment via check for all sold tickets and return all unsold tickets to the check-in table.
- The check should be made to the Philharmonic Society Committees with HSOF Tickets in the memo.
- All tickets you received should be accounted for, including lost tickets.
- Note: Keep careful records, as you are responsible for paying for both sold and lost tickets.
- Yes, the Festival Ticket Chair can provide additional tickets on request and will deliver them to your school.
- There are no discounted tickets for school-age children.
- Babies under the age of 2 do not need a ticket.
- Following the Festival, a check will be mailed to your school with your school’s allocation.
Festival Stage Plot and Percussion
- No, music directors may not use their own stage plot
- All schools are required to use the provided Festival stage plot.
- Please submit only one stage plot per school for approval by February 1, 2025.
- Please make any notes for your ensemble set-up directly on the 90-seat provided Festival stage plot
- As a reminder, large percussion instruments on stage cannot be moved.
- Timpani (4)
- Bass Drum
- Snare Drum
- Glockenspiel (2.5 octaves)
- Gong/Tam Tam
- Xylophone
- Concert Chimes/Tubular Bells
- Suspended Cymbal
- Medium Light Piatti
- Vibraphone
- Marimba
- Piano
- NOTE: You are required to provide your own mallets, etc. for all percussion.
- Small percussion instruments may be moved, but large percussion instruments must stay in place.
- It is recommended that your ensemble practice ahead of time using the Festival stage plot with its noted percussion placement.
Arriving at the Festival
- Music directors will be sent a schedule with the arrival time, warm-up time, and performance time.
- Please email education@philharmonicsociety.org by March 1, 2025 if your school’s arrival and departure plans differ from the provided schedule (e.g., if you plan to come early or stay afterwards to observe schools perform, if students will arrive in private cars rather than buses, etc.)
- Please coordinate your bus and instrument transportation vehicles to arrive at the same time at the concert hall for drop off and pick up.
- The music director must stay until their last student has been picked up.
- No, music directors and musicians must arrive dressed in appropriate concert attire.
- We encourage schools to observe at least one other school performance. Please let us know your arrival and departure plans by March 1, 2025.
- There are tables in the main lobby to store instrument cases while your school watches other performances.
- Students must be accompanied by the music director or a chaperone in the concert hall when observing other ensemble performances.
- Chaperones do not accompany students to the warm-up room or backstage.
Warm Up and Performance
- No food or drink is allowed in the Samueli Theater lobby, except for closed water bottles. Students may not take water bottles into the warm-up room or on stage.
- After the performance, students must immediately collect their cases and belongings from the Samueli Theater lobby and exit, as the tables are needed for the next scheduled school.
- Ensembles are scheduled to have a maximum of 20 minutes of performance time, inclusive of any speaking time.
- We ask parents, chaperones, and school representatives to arrange to meet the students and music director in the concert hall lobby after their performance.
Photography and Videography
- Photos and videos may be taken for archival, private, or application use. Flash photography is prohibited.
- If you would like to bring a professional photographer or camera and tripod, please contact the Philharmonic Society Education team at education@philharmonicsociety.org
- A professional photographer will be present on site, with each school receiving 8-10 photos, including a group shot. Photos will be emailed to schools approximately one month after the Festival.
- Some recommended spots for photos are:
- Circular stairs in concert hall lobby
- Outside, in front of the concert hall
- Across the street from the concert hall
