1. Programs & Degrees
  2. How to Apply
  3. Audition Requirements

Audition Requirements

  • Jack Nighan

Audition requirements are outlined by instrument area.  Please use the links below to find your instrument.

Brass
Jazz Studies
Organ
Percussion
Piano
Strings
Voice
Woodwind
Conducting

Brass

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. Two movements (of contrasting style) of any concerto or equivalent work.
  2. Choose one from the following (or any combination thereof):
    a. An etude of choice
    b. An orchestral excerpt of choice
    c. A different solo work of choice

Sight reading and/or scales may be required at the discretion of the faculty.

Graduate Audition Requirements
  1. Concerto
  2. Contrasting solo work - 20th or 21st Century
  3. Etude
  4. Five excerpts from standard orchestra or wind band literature

Organ

 Performance Degree Audition Requirements
  1. A major organ work by J.S. Bach (either a prelude and fugue or trio sonata)
  2. Two selections from either the 19th or 20th century, one lyrical and one virtuosic

Sight reading may be required at the discretion of the faculty.

Non-Performance Degree Audition Requirements
  1. A major organ work by J.S. Bach (either a prelude and fugue or trio sonata)
  2. One selection from either the 19th or 20th Century
  3. A Hymn

Sight reading may be required at the discretion of the faculty.

Jazz Studies


Note: Students are officially admitted into the Jazz Studies program after the successful completion of their hearing at the end of their sophomore year.

  1. Two contrasting pieces from the jazz idiom. These should be memorized and must include performance of the melody and improvisation. Pre-recorded accompaniment may be used (Aebersold, Ricker, Dobbins, etc.) if "live" accompaniment is unavailable. The candidate is responsible for providing the audio CD. Recommended selections:
    a.Billie's Bounce
    b. Au Privave
    c. Oleo
    d. Solar
    e. All The Things You Are
    f. Body and Soul
    g. Blue Bossa
    h. Beautiful Love
    i. Out of Nowhere
  2. Prepare two constrasting selections from the classical repertoire
  3. Sight reading

Drummers must demonstrate:

  1. Various styles at various tempos (swing, shuffle, Afro-Cuban, funk, bossa, samba, etc.)
  2. Proficiency with brushes as well as sticks
  3. Facility on mallet instruments (vibes and marimbas provided)
  4. In addition, jazz drummers must demonstrate classical skills by performing any snare drum etude from Portraits in Rhythm by Cirone and a prepared mallet solo

Bassists must demonstrate the ability to improvise appropriate bass lines on each piece.

Pianists must demonstrate "comping" on all jazz pieces.

Percussion

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. Mallets
    a. A prepared solo for two mallets and four mallets
  2. Snare Drum
    a. An etude from Portraits in Rhythm by Cirone
    b. Long roll at all dynamic levels
  3. Timpani
    a. Tuning
    b. A prepared étude from Goodman or Lepak method book
  4. Sight Reading
    a. Sight reading on mallet instruments and snare drum

Applicants should bring a copy of all materials.

Strings

Harp

Performance Degree
  1. One etude (Bach-Grandjany, Bochsa, Grossi, LaRiviere, Nadermann, Pozzoli or Zabel)
  2. Two memorized harp solos of contrasting style
  3. Two orchestral excerpts
  4. Sight reading

Non-Performance Degree
  1. One etude (Bach-Grandjany, Bochsa, Grossi, LaRiviere, Nadermann, Pozzoli or Zabel)
  2. One solo
  3.   One orchestral excerpt
  4. Sight reading

Violin

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. An unaccompanied Bach movement from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto or a virtuoso piece from memory
  3. An etude or caprice

Non-performance applicants should play at least one of the selections from memory.

Graduate Audition Requirements

Performer's Certificate

  1. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto from memory
  3. Another work or movement in a contrasting style (memorization optional)

Master of Music in Performance

  1. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto from memory
  3. Caprice (Paganini or Wieniawski) or etude (Rode, Dont, or Kreutzer)
  4. Another work in a contrasting style

Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance

  1. A complete concerto from memory
  2. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  3. One movement of a sonata
  4. 20th or 21st Century work (memorization optional)
  5. Caprice or a showpiece

    One of the above selections must be classical.

Viola

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. A unaccompanied Bach movement from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto or virtuoso piece from memory
  3. An etude or caprice (memorization optional)

Non-performance applicants should play at least one of the selections from memory.

Graduate Audition Requirements

Performer's Certificate

  1. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto from memory
  3. Another work or movement in a contrasting style (memorization optional)

Master of Music in Performance

  1. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto from memory
  3. An etude or caprice
  4. Another work in a contrasting style

Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance

  1. A complete concerto from memory
  2. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  3. One movement of a sonata
  4. Caprice or a showpieceOne of the above selections must be classical and another must be written after 1918.

Cello

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. An unaccompanied Bach movement from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto or a virtuoso piece from memory
  3. An etude or caprice (memorization optional)

Non-performance applicants should play at least one of the selections from memory.

Graduate Audition Requirements

Performer's Certificate

  1. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto from memory
  3. Another work or movement in a contrasting style (memorization optional)

Master of Music in Performance

  1. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  2. One movement of a concerto from memory
  3. An etude or caprice
  4. Another work in a contrasting style

Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance

  1. A complete concerto from memory
  2. Two unaccompanied Bach movements from memory
  3. One movement of a sonata
  4. 20th or 21st Century work (memorization optional)
  5. Showpiece
    One of the above selections must be classical.

String Bass

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. Two scales (one major, one natural, harmonic, or melodic minor) of the applicant's choosing in two or three octaves
  2. An etude by Simandl, Bille, Nanny, or Kreutzer
  3. A solo of the applicant's choosing from the double bass repertoire

Guitar

  1. One classical guitar selection from the following repertoire found in "Solo Guitar Playing" Vol. I by Frederick M. Noad (Amsco Pub.):
    a. Etude (Carulli) pg. 83
    b. Orlando Sleepeth (Dowland) pg. 118
    c. Etude in B Minor (Sor) pg. 152
  2. Prepare one jazz guitar selection from the following repertoire found in The Real Book (Hal Leonard Pub.):
    a. All The Things You Are
    b. Blue Bossa
    c. Lady Bird
    d. Oleo
    e. Out of Nowhere
    f. Straight, No Chaser
    g. Tune Up
    h. West Coast Blues.
    Pre-recorded accompaniment may be used (Jamie Abersold "Play-A-Longs"). The candidate is responsible for providing the audio CD. The selection must include performance of the melody, improvisation, and "comping" in the style of Freddie Greene and Wes Montgomery.
  3. Sight reading
  4. Scales (major and harmonic minor) in two octaves
  5. Chord Forms:
    a. Maj7
    b. Dom7
    c. Min7
    d. Half Dim7
    e. Dim7
    f. Dom7sus4
    g. Maj9
    h. Dom9
    i. Min9
    j. Dom7b9
    k. Dom7+5

Piano

Undergraduate Audition Requirements

All works must be performed from memory. Scales and arpeggios, as well as sight reading, will be required.

  1. A prelude and fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier or comparable large work by J.S. Bach
  2. A first or final movements of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert
  3. A work from the Romantic period
  4. A work from the 20th Century
Graduate Pre-Screening Recordings

All Master's and Doctoral piano applicants must submit a preliminary audition recording via mail or email. Applicants whose recordings are selected for an in-person audition will be scheduled to perform for the faculty on an individual basis. Piano applicants currently enrolled in a degree program at UConn are not required to submit a pre-screen.

The pre-screening recording must include the following repertoire only:

  1. A complete sonata by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert
  2. A large-scale 19th Century solo-work (not a concerto)

It is not necessary that the repertoire prepared for the live audition be identical to the pre-screening materials.

Links or sound files may be emailed to angelina.gadeliya@uconn.edu.
CD recordings may be mailed to:

Attn: Dr. Angelina Gadeliya
University of Connecticut
Department of Music
1295 Storrs Road, Unit 1012
Storrs, CT 06269-1012

Graduate Audition Requirements

The applicant is expected to present a solo program of at least 30 minutes in length that includes a representation of at lease three contrasting styles.The program must include a complete sonata by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert and a work from the 20th Century. All works must be performed from memory.

Sight reading may be required at the discretion of the faculty.

Voice

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. Applicants should prepare two memorized contrasting selections: Two art songs written by classical composers and accompanied by piano. At least one selection should be in English. A foreign-language art song may be used if appropriate to the student's level.

A pianist will be provided at the audition. Please bring a copy of the music to the audition for the pianist's use.

Graduate Audition Requirements

Performer's Certificate and Master of Music

  1. Five memorized contrasting selections:
    a. One art song in each of the following languages: German, French, Italian, English
  2. One operatic aria in the original language of the opera

Doctor of Musical Arts

  1. Selections equivalent to one recital (roughly one hour of music) with sets of three to five songs in each of the following languages: German, French, Italian, English. Applicants should also prepare one operatic aria in the original language of the opera.

Graduate voice applicants will be invited to audition upon review of their application.

Woodwind

Undergraduate Audition Requirements
  1. Two solo pieces
    a. The first solo selection should be in a slower tempo to demonstrate tone production, control, and phrasing
    b.The second solo selection should be in a moderately quick to fast tempo to demonstrate dexterity and technical facility.
  2. A technical study or etude

Sight reading may be required at the discretion of the faculty.

* Clarinetists must audition on a B-flat clarinet. Saxophonists must audition on either an alto or tenor saxophone.

Conducting

Graduate Audition Requirements

Applicants for graduate degrees in Conducting must submit a preliminary audition video and a CV/resumé. Videos should contain at least 15 minutes of rehearsal (continuous/unedited) and examples of performance footage. The video should be from the ensemble’s perspective so conducting gestures and facial expression are easily seen and verbal instruction in the rehearsal footage is clearly audible

Materials may be emailed to jamie.spillane@uconn.edu (choral) or vu.nguyen@uconn.edu (instrumental).