Sage City Symphony

Call for Players

Come play with us!

COVID PROTOCOLS: Until further notice, all current and evolving guidelines issued by the CDC, the State of Vermont, and Bennington College will be followed. Face masks (including bell covers for wind players) and social distancing will be required at rehearsals and concerts, and it is expected that all musicians will be fully vaccinated and boosted. 

As a community orchestra, Sage City Symphony welcomes new players - particularly violinists, violists, and cellists - who share a love for the orchestral repertoire. Sage City usually has 45 to 55 players from nearby Bennington and Shaftsbury as well as northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts and the Albany area in New York State and beyond. 

No audition is required, but musicians should be able to play works of moderate difficulty. The concert season runs from September through May. Commitment to all concerts throughout the entire season is not required; however, it is expected that players will participate in all rehearsals scheduled for each concert to which they do commit unless notification of anticipated absence from rehearsals is communicated in advance to the Symphony Manager.

Rehearsals are normally held in Greenwall Auditorium in the VAPA Building at Bennington College, usually on Sunday afternoons from 2:45-5:30 PM (to avoid late-night driving for those of our players who live a surprisingly long distance away). On occasion, rehearsal days, times, and/or locations may change due to conflicts with College activities, or if split rehearsals are needed. Performances are at 4 PM on a Sunday (following a 2 PM warmup), and there is an additional Saturday rehearsal ahead of each performance. 

Rehearsals start in September, with the Fall Concert scheduled before Thanksgiving. The symphony is off between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Rehearsals resume in late January / early February for a Winter Chamber program, followed by a Youth Concert and then a final Spring Concert that is coupled with the Symphony's annual fundraising dinner. 

The fall program is generally focused on a major work; past examples include Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique and Henry Brant's casting of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (four movements) for an orchestral presentation. The Symphony commissions and performs one new work each season. 

Rides or carpooling may be available. Sage City can list potential carpools on this website, or Facebook users can take advantage of the Carpool discussion on our Facebook page. 

Any questions may be directed to Symphony Manager Gail Smith via email or by phone at 802-733-3382.