Suggested Audition Repertoire

The audition candidate should prepare approximately 10 minutes of music for the audition. Entire pieces are not required—individual movements or excerpts are acceptable. The candidate should prepare a combination of materials that showcase their technical and lyrical abilities. Examples of suitable repertoire are listed below.

For the BM in Vocal Performance, BM in Music Education, BA in Music or BM in Composition with a concentration in Voice, please be prepared to present:

• Two to three songs in contrasting styles.  One piece must be in a language other than English. Transfer applicants should prepare three songs. You must be prepared to sing all pieces from memory.
• Students and educators are encouraged to select repertoire that is representative of the student’s personal experiences and culture.

A pianist will be provided. Please bring sheet music for all audition selections.

The requirements for the MM in Vocal Performance degree program are as follows:

• Five pieces in contrasting styles and languages. You must be prepared to present all selections from memory.
• Students and educators are encouraged to select repertoire that is representative of the student’s personal experiences and culture. 

A pianist will be provided. Please bring sheet music for all audition selections.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Voice Area coordinators with any questions.

Jonathan Smucker, Jacque Scharlach, Voice Area Coordinators

Piano Audition Requirements

• All piano applicants should prepare works selected from the categories below (or comparable pieces).
• Performances may be given with or without music.

Music B.A. or Music Education
Prepare three pieces or movements from different musical periods, chosen from the categories below:

• Baroque: A work by J. S. Bach
• Classical: A fast movement of a Classical sonata
• Romantic or Contemporary: One piece from either period

Bachelor of Music
Prepare three complete pieces from different musical periods, chosen from the categories below:

• Baroque: A work by J. S. Bach
• Classical: A fast movement of a Classical sonata
• Romantic or Contemporary: One piece from either period

Master of Music
Prepare three large-scale works from different musical periods, chosen from the categories below:

• Baroque: A major work by J. S. Bach
• Classical: A complete Classical sonata
• Romantic, Impressionist, or Contemporary: One substantial work

Performance Level Expectation
Audition repertoire should demonstrate the applicant’s musical depth, technical proficiency, and overall artistic maturity.

• Bachelor of Arts candidates
  • 1 scale major or minor in 2 or 3 octaves
  • Two contrasting pieces of choice that best represent your current level. This can include etudes, single movements of multi-movement works, violin parts from ensemble works, etc. Entire pieces are not required - individual movements or excerpts are acceptable.
  • Please feel free to contact the violin professor if you are unsure of what to prepare.
• Bachelor of Music in Education and Bachelor of Music in Performance candidates
  • 1 or 2 scales major or minor in 3 octaves.
  • Two contrasting pieces of choice that best represent your current level. This can include etudes, single movements of multi-movement works.
  • Some suggested examples are: Etudes by Kreutzer, Dont, Gavinie or comparable material; violin sonatas for solo or with piano accompaniment; violin concerto from the Baroque, Classical, or Romantic period. Entire pieces are not required - individual
    movements or excerpts are acceptable.
• Please feel free to contact the violin professor if you are unsure of what to prepare.
• Master of Music candidates
  • One movement from an unaccompanied Bach Sonata or Partita.
  • A movement of a concerto, preferably from the Romantic period.
  • A piece of your choice that demonstrates technical and musical abilities.

• Bachelor of Arts candidates
  • 1 scale major or minor in 2 octaves
  • Two contrasting pieces of choice that best represent your current level. This can include etudes, single movements of multi-movement works, viola parts from ensemble works, etc. Entire pieces are not required - individual movements or excerpts are acceptable.
  • Please feel free to contact the viola professor if you are unsure of what to prepare.
• Bachelor of Music in Education and Bachelor of Music in Performance candidates
  • 1 scale major or minor scale in 2 octaves for music education candidates, and 3 octaves for performance candidates.
  • Two contrasting pieces of choice that best represent your current level. This can include etudes, single movements of multi-movement works. Some suggested examples are: Etudes by Wohlfahrt, Kreutzer, Campagnoli, or comparable material; viola sonatas or concert pieces such as Marcello Sonata, Telemann Viola Concerto, Bruch Romance, or comparable material.
  • Entire pieces are not required - individual movements or excerpts are acceptable.
  • Please feel free to contact the viola professor if you are unsure of what to prepare.
• Master of Music candidates
  • One movement from an unaccompanied Bach Suite.
  • A movement of a concerto, preferably from the Romantic period.
  • A piece of your choice that demonstrates technical and musical abilities.

• Two contrasting movements (one fast and one slow) from a standard sonata by Marcello, Handel, or comparable material
• An etude by Dotzauer, Popper, or comparable material
• Common scales in two or three octaves

• Two contrasting movements or pieces from the standard repertory.
• One major and one minor scale.
• OR Permission of the instructor.

Applicants should be prepared with major and minor scales through the fifth position, two pieces for solo guitar, and an etude of moderate difficulty by Sor, Carulli or Carcassi.

Bachelor of Music - Education, Bachelor of Music - Performance and Bachelor of Arts - Music candidates:
Two contrasting pieces of choice that best represent your current level.
This can include etudes/studies, single movements of multi-movement works, flute parts from ensemble works, etc. 
Please feel free to contact one of our flute professors if you are unsure of what to prepare.

Master of Music candidates:
First and Second movements of W.A. Mozart's Concerto for Flute in G or D major. 
A single 20th or 21st Century piece of your choice.
Two orchestral excerpts displaying a balance of technical and lyrical playing from the following list:
Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3, mm 328 - 360
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, Mvt. 2, mm 135 - 183
Brahms: Symphony No. 4, Mvt. 4, mm 67-105
Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,  Figure 2 to 3
Dvorak: Symphony No. 8, Mvt. 4, Figure D-E
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Scherzo, 12 before P to end.
Ravel: Daphis et Chloe Suite No. 2, Figure 176-179
 

In addition to playing scales from memory (all major and minor scales, two octaves to high D), the audition candidate should prepare approximately 10 minutes of music for the audition. Entire pieces are not required - individual movements or excerpts are acceptable. The candidate should prepare a combination of materials that showcase their technical and lyrical abilities. Examples of suitable repertoire:

• Concerto for Oboe in C Major (arr. Benjamin), Cimarosa
• 48 Studies for Oboe, Op. 31 (Southern), Ferling
• Concerto for Oboe in C Minor, Marcello
• Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370, Mozart
• Two Fantasy Pieces, Nielsen
• Sonata for Oboe, Op. 166, Saint-Saëns
• Sonata for Oboe in G Minor, Telemann

Any piece from Stubbin;s Recital Literature for Clarinet, Volume I or II (published by Wahr, Ann Arbor, Michigan); or any of the following:

• Rhapsody for Solo Clarinet, Osborne
• Concertino, Weber
• Concerto #1, Weber
• 32 Etudes, C. Rose. (please prepare a slow and fast etude)
• Sonata, Poulenc
• Three Pieces for Clarinet, Stravinsky
• Concerto (A Clarinet only), Mozart
• Estudio #27, Bedoya
• Hommages Etudes, Kovacs (please choose one: Debussy, Weber, de Falla, Strauss)
• Solo de Concours, Messager
• Concert and Contest Selection, (Rubank please choose one of the following: Mozart Minuet k.334 or Pierne Canzonetta)

Major scales up to 4 sharps and 4 flats, 2 octaves. Full Chromatic scale, low E to high G [4 ledger lines]

The audition candidate should prepare approximately 10 minutes of music for the audition. Entire pieces are not required—individual movements or excerpts are acceptable. The candidate should prepare a combination of materials that showcase their technical and lyrical abilities. Examples of suitable repertoire are listed below.

• Choose from Weissenborn Studies, Op.8, Book II: No.4, No.25 or No.28
• Sonata in f minor, Telemann, movements I and II
• Sonata in Bb Major, Mozart - movement I

All major and minor scales at a minimum tempo of quarter = 96 bpm in eighths.

Bachelor of Music - Education, Bachelor of Arts – Music candidates
Technical Requirements:

• 12 Major Scales and Chromatic Scale, full range and performed from memory
• Repertoire Requirements
  • Two contrasting pieces of your choice that best demonstrate your current level of proficiency. This can include etudes or single movements of multi-movement works.
  • Please feel free to contact Dr. Hernandez if you are unsure of what to prepare.

Bachelor of Music – Performance candidates
Technical Requirements:

• 12 Major Scales, full range and performed from memory
• Two Contrasting Ferling Etudes

Repertoire Requirements:

• At least one complete work of saxophone literature representing your highest proficiency.
  • Suggested literature includes Concerto by Glazunov, Konzert by Larsson, Concertino da Camera by Ibert, Fantasia by Villa-Lobos, Sonata by Creston, Sonata by Jacobi, Sonata by Decruck.

Master of Music candidates

• One Concerto of your choice
• One Sonata of your choice
• One Etude of your choice from 24 Intermezzi by Sigurd Raschèr
• One Orchestral Excerpt of your choice.

Prepare two selections or movements that contrast in tempo and style, one of which may be a representative etude.

Suggestions include:

• Trumpet Concerto, Haydn
• Trumpet Concerto, Hummel
• Trumpet Concerto, Arutunian
• Andante and Allegro, Ropartz
• Petite Piece Concertante, Balay
• Concert Etude, Goedicke

Note: Any candidate should feel free to contact trumpet teacher John Freeman with questions or for  further suggestions about repertoire or how to best prepare for the audition

1. G or F two octave chromatic scale
2. Two selections or movements that contrast in tempo and style from the list below or of similar difficulty:

• Horn Concerto No. 2, Mozart (one movement only)
• Concerto No. 1, Strauss (one movement only)
• Sonate, Vignery
• Any etude by Kopprasch, Maxime-Alphonse, or Gallay; or an etude of similar difficulty
• One piece of choice, or orchestral excerpts of choice

Note: Any candidate should feel free to contact our horn faculty with questions or for further suggestions about repertoire or how to best prepare for the audition.

Any etude from Melodious Etudes for Trombone, Joannes Rochut, and one of the following: (a slow and a fast movement)

• Six Sonatas for Trombone and Piano, Galliard.
• Morceau Symphonique, Guilmant.
• Two Latin Dances, Lauren Bernofsky
• Sonata in Bb Major, Vivaldi-Ostrander
• Clef Studies, Blazhevich (any etude)

• Air and Bouree, Bach-Bell.
• Variations on Theme by Handel, Beethoven-Bell.
• Sonatine for Tuba and Piano, Walter Hartley.
• Any Solo from Solos for the Tuba Player, Wekselblatt.

• ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ARE REQUIRED FOR PERCUSSION AUDITIONS
  • One four mallet marimba or vibraphone solo of the candidate’s choosing
  • One two mallet xylophone, marimba, or vibraphone solo
  • One orchestral style snare drum etude (such as Delecluse, Cirone, Peters, etc.)
  • One rudimental style snare drum etude (such as Wilcoxon, Pratt, etc.)
  • One timpani etude of your choice (such as Peters, Hochrainer, Goodman, Firth, etc.).
• Optional: snare drum, mallet, or timpani excerpts from the standard orchestral repertoire

Present two or three original compositions for any instrumental combination (score and audio recording, if possible). Email the material to the Composition Area coordinator (or a link to dropbox or google drive)

• Major, harmonic, melodic minor scales
• Sight reading
• 3 jazz standards of varying styles (pre-recorded rhythm section preferred)