March 15, 2025

While most of the Manhattan School of Music community enjoyed spring break, the Admission Team and MSM faculty welcomed applicants and family members from across the globe to our campus for Audition Week 2025!

These annual auditions, which took place from February 28 to March 7, invited nearly 2,000 talented musicians to audition on-campus and virtually. MSM hosted several on-campus activities that auditionees and family members could take part in throughout their audition day, such as campus tours, student and faculty panels, and much more!

We’ve tallied it up, and here’s what this year’s auditions looked like by the numbers!

• In-person auditions and interviews: nearly 2,000!
• Our fabulous team of student workers aka the M-Team: 95
• Adjudicating faculty members: 180
• Staff members involved: over 50!
• Total number of MSM faculty, staff, and M-Team onsite to help: 320

• Information sessions and events throughout the week: 35
• Audition Week campus tours: 15
• Number of majors holding auditions: 51
• Carafes of coffee total: never enough!

Introducing: Manny’s Bodega*!

*Bo-de-ga: small convenience store in New York City that serves as a community hub.

This Audition Week, we introduced a new initiative: Manny’s Bodega! Manny’s Bodega, named after MSM’s mascot Manny, was an on-campus space for applicants to rest, enjoy some complimentary snacks, meet the faculty, and get to know the MSM President and Provost.

Manny’s Bodega was home to the following events:

• Meet and Greet with President James Gandre and Provost Joyce Griggs
• Alexander Technique
• Financial Aid Information Session
• Instrumental Studies Information Session
• Instrumental, Contemporary, and Composition Faculty Social
• International Student Services Session
• Jazz Faculty Meet and Greet
• Student Leader Social
• Student Panel
• Vocal Arts Faculty Social
• Vocal Arts Information Session

The final totals:

• Total virtual auditions: 350
• Total final auditions and interviews: approximately 2,250
• Total hours of auditions: 135!

Total amount of joy: see for yourself!

It takes mountains of effort, teamwork, and time to make live auditions happen at MSM, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Congratulations to all our applicants. We have been so impressed by the quality of this year’s auditions, and we hope that you are proud of what you’ve accomplished thus far.

Application decisions will be released by April 1st – so good luck and stay tuned!