For more information about auditions, visit the Audition Information page, or contact the Office of Admission at admission@msmnyc.edu.
Reiko Fueting, Dean of the Academic Core and Head of Composition, shares audition tips and insights!
Fueting: Auditions for composition applicants consist exclusively of the interview, that lasts, if I’m not mistaken, about 12 minutes. What we will do is we will ask you questions about your portfolio in specific but also about other aspects of your practice as a composer in general.
Please expect an informed and prepared panel of composition faculty at MSM. We will have looked at your portfolio beforehand, and we will have prepared questions. These questions are simply out of curiosity. We’re interested in getting to know you who you are as an artist, as a person, and we are also interested in you getting to know us through our questions. So this is not a test. It is basically some time that we spent in order to become more acquainted with each other.
Fueting: My top tip for a successful interview will sound like a cliché, because I know everybody else says exactly the same thing, but there’s really nothing else to say: be yourself. This is the most honest way you can present who you are as a person and as an artist. And since we’re really interested in getting to know who you are, there’s no reason to be nervous. You will not have prepared for this audition for just a week, but for your entire life, so therefore be the person that you are.
“The supportive atmosphere that the professors foster in the interview room makes it a unique audition experience where one can feel comfortable sharing one’s most representative music.” Elliot Roman (BM '23 Composition)
“The supportive atmosphere that the professors foster in the interview room makes it a unique audition experience where one can feel comfortable sharing one’s most representative music.”
Elliot Roman (BM '23 Composition)
Fueting: There are too many things to do in New York City for me to recommend! Maybe if I had to pick one, simply walk around. New York is a city that you really get to know when you walk, and it’s extremely diverse. The more you walk, the more you will see how different it can be. At any moment, it can change, and that’s what makes the city so exciting.
If you want a specific list, please send me an email (rfueting@msmnyc.edu), and I have one already prepared with certain museums to check out or restaurants or neighborhoods to see and streets to walk. But, other than that, why don’t you discover the city yourself?
Fueting: If you happen to interview at MSM in person (and in my experience, by the way, there is no difference whether you interview on Zoom or in person) on Tuesday, February 28, at 6pm, we have an event — a reception for applicants who are around. Besides simply socializing and talking to current students and faculty, some of our current composition students will have also prepared a performance specifically for you. I don’t know what it’s going to be like, but this is exactly why I’m looking forward to it! So please come and see the performance.
“The MSM composition interview process is a chance for applicants to present not only music to the faculty, but also process, philosophies, and personal compositional and academic goals. The supportive atmosphere that the professors foster in the interview room makes it a unique audition experience where one can feel comfortable sharing one’s most representative music. One great aspect of the department is that it embraces and continually maintains a variety of styles and is not biased toward one particular aesthetic, so don’t feel the need to “please” the faculty by presenting music in one particular style. Put your best foot forward and show the faculty what, how, and why you compose.”
“Be yourself, as cliche as that sounds. The panel is looking for originality and personality, so make sure that shines through! Know your music inside and out because they will ask specific questions about your compositions, but don’t be afraid to laugh — the audition panel wants you to do well. Lastly, be prepared with questions about the program and school.”
“Last year I auditioned for the DMA program in composition. My interview with the composition department was a positive and open-minding experience. The faculty members introduced themselves and then asked deep, thoughtful, and inspiring questions regarding different works in my portfolio. The atmosphere was not stressful.
In the interview, the faculty is mostly interested to learn about you, your way of thinking about music, and your composition process. Therefore, the best tip is just to be yourself, to make sure you present the things that you are focused on, and to communicate them well.
The overall auditioning experience at the Manhattan School of Music was very organized. The admission team answered my questions through emails very quickly and helpfully.”
Performances include both small and large ensemble opportunities.
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