Admission

January 18–19 & 25–26

• Auditions for Musical Theatre applicants.
• Applicants who are invited to audition will have the opportunity to schedule their specific audition date and time after prescreening results are released in mid-December

January 24

• Auditions for Orchestral Conducting applicants.

February 28–March 7

• In-person auditions for Classical, Jazz, Contemporary, and Orchestral Performance programs will be held on MSM’s NYC campus.
• Applicants who are invited to audition will have the opportunity to schedule their specific audition date and time after prescreening results are released in mid-December.
• DMA exams will take place throughout our main audition week.

 

Instrument-specific Audition Dates

Classical Composition

• Tuesday, March 4 – Friday, March 7

Classical Guitar

• Thursday, March 6

Classical Organ

• Friday, March 7

Classical Piano

• Friday, February 28 – Friday, March 7

Classical & Orchestral Percussion

• Wednesday, March 5 – Friday, March 7

Classical Voice

• Friday, February 28 – Friday, March 7

Collaborative Piano

• Sunday, March 2 & Tuesday, March 4 – Wednesday, March 5

Strings

Classical Cello

• Friday, February 28 – Monday, March 3

Orchestral Cello

• Friday, February 28 – Sunday, March 2 & Thursday, March 6 – Friday, March 7

Classical & Orchestral Double Bass

• Sunday, March 2

Classical & Orchestral Harp

• Wednesday, March 5

Classical & Orchestral Viola

• Sunday, March 2 & Monday, March 3

Classical Violin

• Sunday, March 2 – Friday, March 7

Orchestral Violin

• Tuesday, March 4

Winds

Classical & Orchestral Bassoon

• Thursday, March 6

Classical Clarinet

• Tuesday, March 4 & Wednesday, March 5

Orchestral Clarinet

• Tuesday, March 4

Classical Flute

• Tuesday, March 4 & Wednesday, March 5

Orchestral Flute

• Tuesday, March 4

Classical & Orchestral Oboe

• Monday, March 3

Classical Saxophone

• Friday, March 7

Brass

Classical & Orchestral Trumpet

• Tuesday, March 4 & Wednesday, March 5

Classical & Orchestral Horn

• Sunday, March 2 & Wednesday, March 5

Classical & Orchestral Tenor Trombone

• Sunday, March 2 & Monday, March 3

Classical & Orchestral Bass Trombone

• Tuesday, March 4

Classical & Orchestral Tuba

• Monday, March 3

Jazz

Jazz Composition

• Monday, March 3

Jazz Double Bass

• Sunday, March 2

Jazz Drumset

• Sunday, March 2 & Monday, March 3

Jazz DMA

• Wednesday, March 5 & Thursday, March 6 (callbacks)

Jazz Guitar 

• Sunday, March 2

Jazz Piano

• Friday, February 28 & Monday, March 3

Jazz Saxophone (Flute & Clarinet)

• Friday, February 28 & Monday, March 3

Jazz Trombone

• Monday, March 3

Jazz Trumpet

• Friday, February 28

Jazz Vibraphone

• Sunday, March 2

Jazz Violin

• Friday, February 28

Jazz Voice

• Monday, March 3

Please carefully review the specific prescreen and audition requirements for the degree program you are applying to using the links below.

Classical Programs

• Brass
  Horn, Trumpet, Trombone (Tenor, Bass), Tuba
• Composition
• Collaborative Piano
  Instrumental, Vocal
• Guitar
• Orchestral Conducting
• Organ
• Percussion
• Piano
• Strings
  Cello, Double Bass, Harp, Viola, Violin, Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program
• Vocal Arts
  Classical Voice & Related Studies, Opera Theatre & Choral Activities
• Woodwinds
  Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Saxophone

Contemporary Performance Program

• Open to all instruments and Voice in Contemporary Classical music

Jazz Arts

• Composition, Bass (Acoustic, Electric), Drumset, Guitar, Piano, Saxophone (Alto, Baritone, Tenor), Trumpet, Trombone (Tenor, Bass), Vibraphone, Voice, Violin/ Viola

Musical Theatre

Orchestral Performance Program

• Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Double Bass, Flute, French Horn, Harp, Oboe, Percussion, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Viola, Violin

The programs and instruments listed below require an accompanist. If your instrument requires an accompanist, MSM will provide one for you at your audition at no cost.

Accompanied Classical Program Auditions:

• Voice: All voice types
• Strings: Violin, Viola & Cello only
• Winds: Flute, Clarinet & Bassoon only

Accompanied Orchestral Performance Program Auditions:

• Strings: Violin, Viola & Cello only
• Winds: Flute, Clarinet & Bassoon only

If your instrument is not listed above, your audition will be unaccompanied.

Additional Notes:

• Accompanist contact information will be provided to you in advance of your audition. You must contact your accompanist at least three weeks prior to your audition and provide them with your audition repertoire, so they have adequate preparation time. You may arrange rehearsal time directly with your accompanist at your own expense. Accompanists have limited rehearsal time. Therefore, you need to contact them well in advance if you want to set up a rehearsal. Please note that our accompanists are professionals who are familiar with standard repertoire. Therefore, a pre-audition rehearsal, while helpful, is not necessary.
• You must bring hard copy paper scores for your accompanist to the audition. If you are using photocopies, please make sure to secure them in a binder so that it will be easy for your accompanist to turn pages.
• If you wish to bring your own accompanist instead of using the MSM-provided professional accompanist, you are welcome to do so at your own expense. However, you must let the Office of Admission and your assigned MSM accompanist know of this decision at least two weeks before your audition.
• If your instrument’s auditions are unaccompanied, we kindly request that you do not bring an accompanist, as we will be unable to accommodate them.

 

• All Jazz auditionees will audition with an MSM-provided combo.
• You must bring three (3) printed copies of music for each tune you prepare to perform at your audition.
• The rhythm section is provided at no cost to you for your audition. You will not meet the rhythm section in advance of your audition.

While we would love to welcome all auditionees to our NYC campus for an in-person audition, MSM recognizes that traveling to NYC may not be possible for some applicants. Therefore, virtual auditions may be available to you, depending on your program of study. Please review the eligibility requirements below.

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM)

• All majors may audition virtually.

Master of Music (MM), Professional Studies (PS) & Professional Performance Diploma (PPD)

• All majors may audition virtually, except for Orchestral Flute & Orchestral Conducting, whose applicants must audition in person.

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• All DMA and AD applicants must audition in person.

Recorded auditions are due February 1.

• Please note that a recorded audition does not replace prescreening. If your major requires prescreening, you must submit prescreening videos in order to be considered for an audition.
• Please record a separate video for each selection or movement, and video files should be clearly labeled with the composer’s name and title of the piece. However, each individual video must be unedited.
• Videos do not have to be a professional or studio recording, but the sound quality should be of high quality and should accurately reflect your musicianship.

Regardless of your standard eligibility for a virtual audition, if you are unable to attend an in-person audition, please email the office of admission at admission@msmnyc.edu to see if a virtual audition accommodation may be possible for your unique circumstances.

A strong audition is the primary factor in any successful admission result, but it is not the only point of consideration. The MSM Admissions Committee reviews all required application materials before determining admissibility.

Therefore, admission results are made available no later than April 1, provided that we have received all of your required materials. We will email you when your admission result is available for viewing in your Admission Portal. Admissions results are not disclosed over the phone.