Career Goal: Orchestral Musician

Do you have what it takes to play in a professional symphony orchestra? You’ll need to be an excellent performer and willing to practice hard. If that's your goal, SFA can definitely help you achieve it.

You’ll want to start with a bachelor’s degree in performance. This will give you all the educational foundation needed and our applied teachers and ensemble directors will help you build your technique and musicianship to a high level. Your experience in the SFA Symphony Orchestra is the perfect preparation for the professional world. We often have students start playing in nearby professional orchestras before they finish their degree.

Beyond the bachelor’s degree, you may want to also consider either our performing artist certificate or our master’s degree in performance. These programs take your performance skills to an even higher level and immerse you in more advanced repertoire.

You probably already know that full-time jobs with professional symphonies are incredibly competitive, but there are plenty of positions with regional orchestras and a talented player can make a good living combining these along with playing gigs, teaching at a college or taking on private students.