Woodwinds and Brass

1. A movement from a standard concerto or sonata demonstrates both lyrical and technical playing.
2. An unaccompanied etude

Percussion

A solo or etude on at least two of these instruments:

snare drum
marimba/xylophone/vibes
timpani
multiple percussion

Note: If you are auditioning on a drum kit, please see Jazz Drum Set under Jazz Requirements at the bottom of this page.

Please e-mail Prof. D. Thomas Toner if you have any questions regarding the requirements for the Wind, Brass, and Percussion Audition.

Violin

1. One movement of a Bach unaccompanied sonata or partita.
2. One movement of a sonata, concerto or other representative work from the Classical, Romantic or Twentieth Century, performed with accompaniment
3. An etude demonstrating technique

Viola

1. A movement from a Bach Solo Suite (originally cello)
2. One movement of a sonata, concerto or other representative work from the Classical, Romantic or Twentieth Century, performed with accompaniment
3. An etude demonstrating technique

Cello

1. One movement from a Bach Solo Suite
2. One movement of a sonata, concerto or other representative work from the Classical, Romantic or Twentieth Century, performed with accompaniment
3. An etude demonstrating technique

Double Bass

1. Two contrasting movements from a Baroque sonata by Eccles, Corelli, Vivaldi, Marcello, Scarlatti, Telemann, or Handel, performed with accompaniment
2. One movement of a sonata, concerto or other representative work from the Classical, Romantic or Twentieth Century, performed with accompaniment
3. An etude demonstrating technique
4. Sight reading

Classical Guitar

1. Two prepared pieces of music in contrasting styles and tempi (e.g., a piece in fast tempo from the Renaissance or Baroque eras, and a piece in slow tempo from the Classical or Romantic eras)
2. An etude demonstrating technique
3. Sight reading (waived for video auditions)

Harp

1. Two prepared pieces of music in contrasting styles and tempi
2. An etude demonstrating technique

Please e-mail Prof. Yutaka Kono if you have any questions regarding the requirements for the String Audition.

Two prepared pieces of contrasting style. Ideally, selections will be chosen from the following two categories:

1. Baroque or Classical repertory such as a Bach Invention, Suite movement, Prelude and Fugue, or movement from a sonatina or sonata
2. 19th to 21st century repertory such as a Chopin Prelude or Nocturne, a Schumann character piece, or a short work by Bartok or Kabalevsky.

Please e-mail Prof. Yutaka Kono if you have any questions regarding the requirements for the Piano Audition.

Jazz Saxophone, Trumpet, and Trombone

1. Two contrasting pieces selected from the following: etude, transcribed solo, classical work, jazz standard head and improvised solo, bebop tune, or ballad. Play-along CDs are acceptable, and audio playback equipment is available for auditions.
2. Sightreading (e.g., big band chart)

Jazz Piano and Jazz Guitar
(Guitar amplifier provided. Please bring your own cords)

1. Two contrasting pieces selected from the following: etude, transcribed solo, classical work, jazz standard head and improvised solo, bebop tune, or ballad. Play-along CDs are acceptable, and audio playback equipment is available for auditions.
2. Comping through chord changes (blues, rhythm changes, or standard tune, etc.)
3. Sightreading (e.g., big band chart)

Jazz Bass
(Amplifier available. Please bring your own cords)

1. Two contrasting pieces selected from the following: etude, transcribed solo, classical work, jazz standard head and improvised solo, bebop tune, or ballad. Play-along CDs are acceptable, and audio playback equipment is available for auditions.
2. Walking bass line through chord changes (blues, rhythm changes, or standard tune, etc.)
3. Sightreading (e.g. big band chart)

Jazz Drum Set
(Drum set provided. Please bring your own sticks and brushes)

1. Prepared pieces
   • Two jazz tunes or standards. Express the melody on the kit, play time/comp for one chorus, come back in with the head. Play-along CDs are acceptable, and audio playback equipment is available for auditions.
2. Grooves
   • Medium up tempo swing: 32 bars “trading fours” (four measures time and four measures improvisation: 4X)
   • Shuffle
   • Jazz waltz
   • Funk (Chameleon or like)
   • Play time at a slow tempo with brushes
   • Three of the following Latin grooves: bossa nova, samba, mambo, songo, afro 6/8, and either bolero or cha cha
3. Sightreading
   • Read and play a basic single line rhythm while playing a medium-swing time-feel.

Jazz Voice
Two contrasting pieces selected from the following: standard tune (swing style), ballad, improvised solo, or bebop tune. Play-along CDs are acceptable, and audio playback equipment is available for auditions.

Please e-mail Prof. Alex Stewart if you have any questions regarding the requirements for the Jazz Audition.

Three contrasting solo songs that demonstrate your preparation for college level study in voice. The selections should show your vocal technique and your musical accomplishments. The song should be performed from memory, with piano accompaniment. An accompanist is available on the day of the audition. A typical program could include one song from the classical repertory of any time period, one song from the American song or musical theatre repertory, and one song in a foreign language.

This concentration is for voice students interested in classical, contemporary, and theatrical singing. Students wishing to focus specifically on jazz, should follow the Jazz Voice requirements above.,

Please e-mail Dr. Andrea Maas if you have any questions regarding the requirements for the Voice Audition.