New Jersey Symphony Colton Orchestral Fellowship

The Colton Orchestral Fellowship is a paid season-long position with the New Jersey Symphony, the state’s professional orchestra, based in Newark. Up to two early-career string players join the orchestra each year to play its concerts, receive mentorship and take part in community programs.

The fellowship is funded by a gift from Judith and Stewart Colton and has run since 2019. A further $1.5 million gift announced in 2023 keeps the Colton Fellowship programs running through 2028.

It exists to open orchestral careers to musicians whose backgrounds and lived experience are not commonly represented on professional stages. Fellows work the same schedule and pay scale as the orchestra’s tenured musicians, and the published roster shows past fellows staying two or three seasons.

Benefits & funding

Schedule and compensation match those of New Jersey Symphony tenured musicians for the season; the 2026–27 season ran September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027.
Up to $8,000.00 toward professional development. The orchestra has described these funds going to audition travel, leadership training and chamber music projects.
The 2022–23 audition announcement states that fellows receive full salary and benefits.
Performance across mainstage concerts, education programs and chamber music dates around New Jersey, plus mentorship from orchestra musicians.
Earlier cycles offered audition travel assistance on request and audition coaching with New Jersey Symphony musicians.

Eligibility

Early-career orchestral musicians whose personal background and lived experience bring perspectives not commonly represented in professional orchestras.
Applicants must play an orchestral string instrument; past cycles have been open to violin, viola, cello and double bass.
Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States for the season. The orchestra does not sponsor work visas for this fellowship.
A Bachelor of Music degree is preferred.
Musicians who have held a full-season contract position with any ICSOM orchestra are not eligible.
No age, nationality or gender limit is published.

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Application process

1
Watch the orchestra’s audition information page for the next Colton Orchestral Fellowship posting; the 2026–27 window closed on March 30, 2026.
2
Submit the online application with a one-page resume, plus a second copy with name, email, address and phone number removed so the committee can screen it blind.
3
Answer the written questions, which have asked for one example of engaging diverse communities through music, how the fellowship would be used across New Jersey communities, and how it fits long-term career goals.
4
Invited candidates play live audition rounds — preliminary, semifinal and final — at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
5
Finalists also sit a short interview about making creative excellence accessible across New Jersey communities.
6
Questions about the application go to the orchestra personnel manager at personnelmanager@njsymphony.org.

Program timeline

Application deadline for the 2026–27 fellowship.
Mar 30, 2026
Preliminary audition round begins at NJPAC, Newark (May 4–5).
May 4, 2026
Semifinal round.
May 6, 2026
Final round.
May 7, 2026
2026–27 Colton fellows announced.
Jun 9, 2026
2026–27 season begins.
Sep 1, 2026
2026–27 season ends.
Aug 31, 2027