Auditions

Guitar

Musical examples listed in parentheses are recommended but may be substituted with works of comparable length and technical difficulty.

• Two major works in contrasting styles (e.g., a Baroque suite and Romantic sonata)
• A concert etude (such as by Villa-Lobos)
• A work from the 20th century (Henze, Brouwer, Krenek, etc.)
• Sight reading

Harp

Musical examples listed in parentheses are recommended but may be substituted with works of comparable length and technical difficulty.

• Two major works in contrasting styles (e.g., a Baroque suite and Romantic sonata)
• A concert etude (such as by Villa-Lobos)
• A work from the 20th century (Henze, Brouwer, Krenek, etc.)
• Sight reading

Percussion

Musical examples listed in parentheses are recommended but may be substituted by works of comparable length and technical difficulty. Proficiency in each of the following three areas is expected.

Mallets

• Scales, all keys: major, minor, chromatic, through two octaves
• A technical study (Modern School of Xylophone by M. Goldenberg)
• One solo work (such as the first or third movement from Violin Concerto in A minor by J.S. Bach)
• Sight reading

Snare Drum

• A technical study (Etudes in Modern School for Snare Drum by M. Goldenberg)
• Excerpt passages from the standard symphonic repertory (Third Symphony by William Schuman)
• Sight reading

Timpani

• Singing of all intervals and tuning the drums in 4ths, 5ths, and octaves
• Technical studies (two each of the two-drum and three-drum exercises from Modern Method for Timpani by S. Goodman)
• Excerpt passages from any Beethoven symphony
• Sight reading

Piano / Organ

Music performance applicants must perform all works by memory, although exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis with departmental approval. All other applicants must perform at least one piece by memory.

(Musical examples listed in parentheses are recommended but may be substituted by works of comparable length and technical difficulty.)

Piano

M. Mus. and Advanced Certificate in music performance applicants

• A Prelude and Fugue or a larger work by J.S. Bach
• A complete Classical-era sonata
• A substantial work from the Romantic period
• A substantial work from the Impressionist or early Modernist eras to the present day
• An étude or other short work of virtuosity
• Sight reading

Advanced Diploma in music performance applicants

• A Prelude and Fugue or a larger work by J.S. Bach
• A complete Classical-era sonata
• A substantial work from the Romantic period
• A substantial work from the Impressionist or early Modernist eras to the present day
• Two études or other short works of virtuosity, each by a different composer
• Sight reading

Advanced Certificate in Music Education

• A work from the Baroque or Classical era
• A composition of the applicant’s choice
• “The Star-Spangled Banner”
• Sight reading

Harpsichord

• A Prelude and Fugue, English Suite, or Partita by J.S. Bach
• A work by a composer of the French School (Rameau, Couperin)
• A pair of Scarlatti Sonatas
• Sight reading

Organ

• A Prelude and Fugue, Toccata and Fugue, or Passacaglia and Fugue by J.S. Bach (from Peters edition, volumes 2, 3 or 4)
• A large chorale prelude by J.S. Bach (from Peters edition, volume 6 or 7)
• A fast movement from a Trio Sonata by J.S. Bach (from Peters edition, volume 1)
• A major Romantic work by Franck or Mendelssohn
• One pre-Baroque work
• One post-Romantic work
• Sight reading

Strings

Musical examples listed in parentheses are recommended but may be substituted by works of comparable length and technical difficulty. Note that all sonatas and concertos should be prepared with piano accompaniment and that an accompanist will be provided for the audition. Nonstandard repertoire should, therefore, be communicated in advance of the audition.

Cello

• Two 3-octave scales and corresponding arpeggios from keys of the applicant’s choosing
• A technical study from the High School of Cello Playing by D. Popper
• One movement from the standard concerto repertory (Saint-Saëns, Haydn C Major, Boccherini B-flat)
• One movement from a solo suite by J.S. Bach or one work from the 20th century (e.g., a movement from the Barber Sonata, Shostakovich Sonata, Lutoslawski Grave, etc.)

Double Bass

• A technical study by Hrabe, Kreutzer-Zimmerman or Bille
• A concerto from the standard repertory (Dragonetti, Bottesini, etc.)
• A sonata or suite from the Baroque or Romantic repertory
• A solo work (not a transcription) from the 20th century
• Excerpts from these orchestral works: Beethoven Symphony Nos. 5 and 9; Mozart Symphony No. 39 or 40; Brahms Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4; Strauss Don Juan
• Sight reading

Viola

• Two technical studies
• One by Kreutzer
• One by Campagnoli
• A major work from the standard repertory
• A sonata or concerto from the 20th century (Bartók, Hindemith, Walton)
• Sight reading

Violin

• Two technical studies: one from the Forty-two Etudes by Kreutzer, and one from the Etudes of Rode, Dont or Paganini
• An unaccompanied Sonata or Partita by J.S. Bach
• A concerto from the standard repertory (Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bruch, Wieniawsky, Tchaikovsky or Sibelius)
• A short piece from the 18th century
• A work from the 20th century (such as the Bartók Rhapsody, etc.)
• Sight reading

Voice

Three contrasting selections:

• One song originally written in English (Spiritual, Copland, Barber, Rorem, Price, Bonds, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Haydn, Purcell, Handel, lute songs). A piece from the oratorio repertoire is acceptable.
• A song from the 19th or early 20th century from the German or French repertory
• A 20th-century song, aria, or chamber work (that can be performed with piano accompaniment)

All selections must be performed from memory.

Woodwind

Musical examples listed in parentheses are recommended but may be substituted by works of comparable length and technical difficulty.

Bassoon

• An advanced technical study (Milde, etc.)
• The Mozart Bassoon Concerto
• A sonata by Galliard or its equivalent
• A work from the twentieth century (such as the Sonatine by Tansman)
• Excerpts from the standard orchestral repertory
• Sight reading

Clarinet

• An advanced technical study (Trente Etudes Moderne by Paul Jeanjean or studies by Perier, Polatschek, or Jetel)
• Two contrasting works from the standard repertory (Mozart or Weber concertos, Brahms or Hindemith sonatas)
• An unaccompanied work from the twentieth century (Stravinsky, William O. Smith, Martinu, or a modern or avant-garde work in a current style)
• Excerpts from the standard orchestral repertory
• Sight reading

Flute

• One of the Etudes Artistiques, Op. 15 by Anderse
• A Mozart concerto
• A sonata from the 20th century (Hindemith, Martinu, Poulenc, etc.)
• Sight reading

Oboe

• One of the even numbered technical studies by Ferling
• The Oboe Concerto by Marcello
• The Oboe Concerto by Mozart
• A work from the twentieth century (such as the Berio Sequenza)
• Sight reading

Saxophone

• An advanced technical study (Bozza, Mule, or an advanced jazz etude)
• Two contrasting works from the standard repertory (Vellones, Glazounov, Bozza, etc.)
• Excerpts from chamber music and ensemble repertory or jazz literature
• Sight reading

Global and Contemporary Jazz
(for Advanced Certificate in Music Education applicants)

Demonstrate proficiency on your instrument/voice and your familiarity with jazz idioms.