Audition Requirements
All students applying for admission to the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts
majoring in music or Master of Music degrees
at the Lamont School of Music will perform an audition for faculty for acceptance
as music majors and for scholarship consideration. All prospective Master of
Arts students need to submit a portfolio of their writing. Each auditionee will also
interview with a faculty panel to discuss their educational background as
well as their goals as musicians.
The requirements shown below must be performed satisfactorily for entrance
into the Bachelor or Master of Music degrees of the Lamont School of Music.
Candidates who do not meet audition criteria may be provisionally admitted
into the Bachelor of Music degree. Provisional students must perform the entrance
requirements satisfactorily within one academic year of study to remain in
the Bachelor of Music degree.
Auditions are held at the Lamont School of Music, Newman Center for the
Performing Arts, 2344 E. Iliff Ave.
Specific departmental requirements are provided below:
Flute
| Oboe
| Clarinet
| Bassoon
| Saxophone
| Horn
| Trumpet
| Trombone/Baritone
| Tuba
| Percussion
| Violin
| Viola
| Cello
| Bass
| Guitar
| Accordion
| Harp
| Piano
| Voice
| Jazz Studies and Commercial Music
| Conducting
| Composition
Instrumental Division
Auditions should consist of two pieces of contrasting character, one exhibiting
and auditioner's skill and technique, the other emphasizing understanding
of musical phrasing and expression. These pieces may be two movements of sonata
or concerto, or they may be two solo pieces, or etudes; major and minor scales,
and sight reading will also be requested.
Flute/Piccolo- Undergraduate
- Major and minor scales up to 4 flats and 4 sharps
- Three-octave chromatic scale
- Two contrasting movements from one of the following pieces:
- Any J.S. Bach, Handel, or Telemann sonata
- Mozart, Concerto in G Major
- Mozart, Concerto in D Major
- Any French conservatory solo, i.e. Faure Fantasie, Enseco
Cantabile and Presto, Chaminade Concertino, etc.
Flute/Piccolo- Graduate
- Two contrasting movements from one of the following:
- J.S. Bach, Sonata in E Minor
- J.S. Bach, Sonata in B Minor
- Mozart, Concerto in G Major
- Mozart, Concerto in D Major
- One or two movements from two of the following:
- Poulenc Sonata
- Hindemith Sonata
- Prokofieff, Sonata
- Ibert, Concerto
- Widor, Suite op. 34 #1
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Oboe
- All major scales, full instrument range (B flat-F)
- Chromatic scale, full instrument range (B flat-F)
- One Barret or Ferling etude
- Solo or movement of solo from one of the following:
- Marcello, Concerto in C Minor
- Any Handel sonata
- Mozart, Concerto in C Major
- Mozart, Quartet in F Major
- Haydn, Concerto in C Major
- Britten, Six Metamorphoses After Ovid
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Clarinet - Undergraduate
- Major and minor scales up to 4 flats and 4 sharps
- Three-octave chromatic scale, slurred
- Two contrasting etudes from Rose, 32 Etudes
Clarinet - Graduate
- All major and minor scales
- Mozart, Clarinet Concerto, first movement through exposition
- Slow movement from a Weber or Spohr concerto
- Fast movement from Poulenc or Hindemith sonata
- Sightreading to be selected at live audition
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Bassoon
- All major scales
- One fast and one slow movement of the following Vivaldi concerti:
- Concerto in A Minor F. VIII, No. 2
- Concerto in A Minor F. VIII, No. 7
- Concerto in F Major F. VIII, No. 20
- Concerto in E Minor 3
- The first movement of one of the following:
- Mozart, Concerto for Bassoon in B-Flat
- Weber, Concerto in F
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Saxophone - Undergraduate
- Two contrasting Ferling etudes (one odd numbered, one even numbered)
- All Major scales
- One solo work of the student's choice
- Sight-reading to be selected at the audition
Saxophone - Graduate
- Student's choice of any two major solo works for the saxophone
- Sight reading to be selected at the audition
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Horn
- All major scales, one octave, in eighth notes, quarter note = 100 b.p.m.
- Kopprasch, Sixty Selected Studies, etude 6, 8, or 9
- Mozart, Concerto No. 3, K. 447, second movement
- Sight-reading to be selected at the audition
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Trumpet - Undergraduate
- All major scales, 2 octaves when possible
- Pick one from the following selections:
- One of the 14 Arban Characteristic studies
- One major solos work for trumpet
- One Brandt, Bosquet or Charlier etude
- Joseph Haydn, Concerto for Trumpet, second movement
Trumpet - Graduate
- All major scales, 2 octaves when possible
- One Charlier etude
- Student's choice of a major solo work for the trumpet
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Trombone/Baritone - Undergraduate
- All major scales, two octaves when possible
- Solo work from one of the following:
- Barat, Andante et Allegro
- Guillmant, Morceau Symphonique
- Galliard, Sonata No. 1 or 3
- Part of a lyrical etudes from one of the following:
- Rochut, Melodius Etudes
- Ostranderant, Melodius Etudes for Bass Trombone
Bass Trombone
- One technical study selected from the following:
- Voxman, Selected Etudes
- Peterson, Elementary Etudes
- Arbans, Method for Trombone
Trombone/Euphonium - Graduate
- Two major solo works on trombone of your choice
- Sightreading to be selected at the audition
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Tuba-Undergraduate
- All major scales and arpeggios, 11/2 to 2 octaves
- Chromatic scale, 2 octaves
- Perform two contrasting movements of Donald Haddad, Suite for Tuba
, Shawnee Press
- Perform etude from Marco Bordogni, 43 Bel Canto Studies, study
#1
- Sightreading to be selected at the audition
Tuba-Graduate
- Two major tuba solo works of your choice
- All major and minor scales & arpeggios, 2-3 octaves
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Percussion
Snare Drum
- Demonstrate basic technical knowledge of rudiments and rolls
- Perform an intermediate/advanced solo in either the orchestral or
rudiment style
Mallets
- Demonstrate proficiency in all major scales with corresponding arpeggios
- Perform either a two- or four-mallet solo
Timpani
- Recognize basic intervals and demonstrate a good sense of pitch
- Perform an etude from one of the following:
- Goodman, Timpani Method
- Friese-Lepak, Timpani Method
Drum Set
- Demonstrate good time-keeping and an understanding of the following
styles:
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Violin - Undergraduate
- One major and one minor scale with arpeggios (three octaves)
- Two contrasting pieces of your choice, minimum difficulty level of:
- Bach, Concerto in A Minor
- Vivaldi, Spring concerto
- Mozart, Concerto No. 3
- Bartok, Rumanian Folk Dances
- One etude of your choice, minimum difficulty of:
- Mazas, Op. 36
- Kayser, Op. 20
Violin - Graduate
- One major and one minor scale with arpeggios (three octaves)
- Two contrasting pieces of your choice, minimum difficulty level of
Mozart's Concerto No. 5
- One etude of your choice, minimum difficulty level of Kreutzer,
42 Studies
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Viola
- One major and one minor scale with arpeggios (three octaves)
- Two contrasting pieces of your choice, minimum difficulty level of:
- C. Bach, Concerto in C Minor
- Handel, Concerto in B Minor
- Schumann, Marchenbilder
- One etude of your choice, minimum difficulty level of:
- Mazas, Op. 36
- Dont, 24 Studies, Op. 37
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Cello-Undergraduate
- Two contrasting pieces of your choice, minimum difficulty level of:
- Bach, Suite #1 in G
- Vivaldi, Sonata #5 in E Minor
- Faure, Elegy
- One etude of your choice, minimum difficulty level of Alwin Schroeder,
Vol. 2
- One major and one minor scale with arpeggios (3 or 4 octaves)
Cello-Graduate
- One major and one minor scale with arpeggios (three octaves)
- Two contrasting pieces of your choice, minimum difficulty level of:
- Haydn, Concerto in D Major
- Bloch, Schelomo
- One etude of your choice, minimum difficulty level of Popper, High
School, Opus 73
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Bass
- Two contrasting pieces of your choice, minimum difficulty level of:
- Marcello or Vivaldi, sonatas
- Capuzzi, Concerto
- One etude of your choice. minimum difficulty level of Simandl,
Thirty Etudes
- One major and one minor scale with arpeggios (2 octaves)
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Guitar - Undergraduate
- Allemande and bourree from J. S. Bach, I Lute Suite (recommended
edition - Frank Koonce, ed.)
- One study from the following list:
- Fernando Sor, any of the first 10 in the Segovia edition of 20 Sor
Studies
- Dionisio Aguado, any selected among etudes 10-15 of the Zen-on edition
- Mateo Carcassi, any of the first 10 of 25 Progressive and Melodious
Studies, Op. 60
- One work of your own selection
- One major and one melodic minor scale
- Sight reading to be selected at the audition
Guitar - Graduate
- One movement from JS Bach's solo lute, violin, or cello sonatas, suites,
or partitas (excluding the allemande and bourre from the first lute suite)
- Two solo pieces of your choice, different in character and style
- One three-octave major and one three-octave melodic minor scale of
your choice
- Sightreading to be selected at the audition
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Harp
- Two pieces of contrasting character, entire works, concert etudes,
or single movements from sonatas, suites, or concerti selected from different
periods:
- Renaissance/Baroque
- Classical
- Romantic/Post-Romantic
- Twentieth Century
- Sightreading to be selected at the audition
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Piano
- Three or four pieces; each from a different period:
- Baroque (e.g., two-part invention by Bach)
- Classical (e.g., Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven SonataÑone movement)
- Romantic (e.g., Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Brahms)
- Twentieth Century (e.g., Debussy, Ravel, Schönberg, Bartok, Hindemith)
- Sight-reading to be selected at the audition
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Accordion
- Two pieces of contrasting character; each from a different period:
- Baroque (e.g., JS Bach, Pachelbel)
- Classical (e.g., Mozart, Haydn)
- Romantic (e.g., Schubert, Chopin, Brahms)
- Twentieth Century (e.g., Debussy, Ravel, Schönberg, Bartok, Hindemith)
- Major scales full range
- Minor scales full range
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Jazz Studies and Commercial Music
- One etude or movement of a solo work from the list for your instrument
in the classical audition
- Improvisation, walk bass, and/or comp on two pieces of contrasting
styles and tempos from:
- A jazz standard
- A latin composition
- A ballad
- A selection of your choice that best demonstrates your strengths as
a performer and/or improviser. Choose from any style in the pop or jazz genre.
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Vocal Division
Applicants are encouraged to bring their own accompanists. If an applicant
would like to audition with a Lamont accompanist, he or she must provide a
well marked piano-vocal score.
Voice - Undergraduate
- Two pieces, preferably of contrasting character, exhibiting your skill,
technique, and understanding of musical phrasing and expression
- Technical skills and sight-reading tests may be asked for at your
audition
Voice - Graduate
Prerequisites
- Bachelor's degree or it's equivalent from an accredited institution
of higher learning
- A minimum of one academic year of study in one of the following foreign
languages:
- French
- German
- Italian
- Spanish
Audition
- Perform all compositions from memory:
- One operatic aria in original language or English translation
- One oratorio aria
- One French art song
- One German art song
- One Italian art song
- One American or English art song, preferably twentieth-century
- Vocalize to display range and technical abilities
- Perform melodic memory and sight-reading tests
Professors may recommend a qualifying recital if an applicant does not have
previous recital experience.
Conducting
Personal auditions and interviews are recommended for admission to Master
of Music in Conducting degrees. Professors of conducting will contact you
with specific arrangements for your audition.
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Composition
Please send two scores with accompanying audio recordings. Appointments will
be made for personal interviews based on the quality of the compositions submitted.
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Schedule your audition online.
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