Strings & Harp

Undergraduate (BM)

• One movement of a concerto
• Two contrasting movements of solo Bach

Master’s (MM)

• Two movements of a concerto
• Two contrasting movements of solo Bach
• One movement of a work of the applicant’s choice

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• Two movements of a concerto
• One movement of a sonata
• One movement of a work of the applicant’s choice

Undergraduate (BM) & Master’s (MM) 

• Two movements of an unaccompanied sonata by Bach
• First movement of one of the following concerti (2 movements are required for graduate applicants):
  • Henri Vieuxtemps, Concerto no. 5
  • Édouard Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole
    
  • Niccolò Paganini
  • Antonin Dvorak
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  • Jean Sibelius
  • Béla Bartok
  • Johannes Brahms
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
• A virtuoso concert piece on the level of Paganini, Sarasate, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, or Ysaÿe

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD) 

• Applicants must prepare a full-length recital of works from contrasting style periods.

Undergraduate (BM)

• One movement of a concerto
• Two contrasting movements of solo Bach

Master’s (MM), Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA), & Artist Diploma (AD)

• Two movements of a concerto
• Two contrasting movements of solo Bach
• One movement of a work of the applicant’s choice

Undergraduate (BM) & Master’s (MM) 

• First and second movement from Johannes Brahms Sonata in F minor, Brahms Sonata in E-flat Major, or Franz Schubert “Arpeggione”
• Two contrasting movements of your choice from a cello suite by J.S. Bach
• First movements of one of the following (2 movements are required for graduate applicants):
  • Béla Bartok, Viola Concerto
  • William Walton, Viola Concerto
  • Ernest Bloch, Viola Suite
  • Paul Hindemith, Der Schwanendreher
  • Hector Berlioz, Harold in Italy

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD) 

• Applicants must prepare a full-length recital of works from contrasting style periods.

Undergraduate (BM)

• One movement of a concerto
• Two contrasting movements of solo Bach

Master’s (MM), Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• Two movements of a concerto
• Two contrasting movements of solo Bach

There are no prescreening requirements for Double Bass applicants.

There are no prescreening requirements for Harp applicants.

In addition to the audition requirements given below by degree, please upload a brief 30-second video introduction where you state your name, instrument, and where you live now and/or where you were born.  Feel free to give a fun fact about yourself as long as you keep the video under 30 seconds.

All music must be played from memory except for sonatas.

Undergraduate (BM)

• Three octave major and minor scales and arpeggios  
• First movement of a concerto with applicable cadenza 
• Two contrasting movements of a Bach partita or sonata 
• A virtuoso concert piece  

Master’s (MM)

• Two contrasting movements of a concerto including all applicable cadenzas  
• Two movements of an unaccompanied Bach partita or sonata 
• A virtuoso concert piece  
• One movement of a sonata 

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• Complete concerto with all applicable cadenzas. 
• Four significant recital works in their entirety from a wide range of style periods, including the 20th or 21st century. 

Undergraduate (BM) and Graduate (MM)

• The first and second movement from an unaccompanied sonata by Bach
• First movement of one of the following concerti (two movements are required for graduate applicants):
  • Henri Vieuxtemps, Concerto No. 5 
  • Édouard Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole 
  • Niccolò Paganini 
  • Antonín Dvorak 
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 
  • Jean Sibelius 
  • Béla Bartok 
  • Johannes Brahms 
  • Ludwig van Beethoven 
• A virtuoso concert piece on the level of Paganini, Sarasate, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, or Ysaÿe

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• Applicants must prepare a full-length recital of works from contrasting style periods.

Concerti and solo Bach must be played from memory; all other works may be played with or without music at the applicant’s discretion.

Undergraduate (BM)

• First movement of a concerto with applicable cadenza
• Two contrasting movements of an unaccompanied Bach partita, sonata or suite
• A movement of a sonata, short piece with piano, or solo work

Master’s (MM)

• Complete works from three style periods, including one from the 20th or 21st century. One work must be a concerto with all applicable cadenzas. Repertoire should demonstrate a graduate level of performance
• Two contrasting movements of an unaccompanied Bach partita, sonata, or suite

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• Complete concerto with all applicable cadenzas
• Four significant recital works from a wide range of style periods, including one from the 20th or 21st century and an unaccompanied Bach partita, sonata, or suite

Undergraduate (BM) and Graduate (MM)

• First and second movement from Johannes Brahms, Sonata in F minor, Sonata in E-flat Major, or Franz Schubert “Arpeggione”
• Two contrasting movements from a Bach cello suite
• First movements of one of the following (2 movements are required for graduate applicants):
  • Béla Bartok, Viola Concerto 
  • William Walton, Viola Concerto 
  • Ernest Bloch, Viola Suite 
  • Paul Hindemith, Der Schwanendreher 
  • Hector Berlioz, Harold in Italy 

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• Applicants must prepare a full-length recital of works from contrasting style periods.

Concerti and solo Bach must be played from memory; all other works may be played with or without music at the applicant’s discretion.

Undergraduate (BM)

• First movement of a concerto with applicable cadenza, or approximately ten minutes of music from either Bloch’s Schelomo or Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations  
• Two contrasting movements of an unaccompanied Bach suite 
• A work of the applicant’s choice, such as a movement of a sonata or a short concert piece 

Master’s (MM)

• Two movements of a concerto with applicable cadenzas 
• Three movements of an unaccompanied Bach suite 
• A complete sonata 
• A complete 20th or 21st century work. 

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• A complete concerto with all applicable cadenzas.
• Four significant recital works from a wide range of style periods, including one from the 20th or 21st century.

Concerti and solo Bach must be played from memory; all other works may be played with or without music at the applicant’s discretion. Applicants are expected to bring their own instrument to the audition.

Undergraduate (BM)

• One work from the Baroque period (may be a movement from a sonata or solo Bach) 
• One solo work of applicant’s choice
• Two standard orchestral excerpts of the applicant’s choice of contrasting styles and/or periods 

Master’s (MM)

• One movement of solo Bach 
• Two contrasting solo works 
• Three standard orchestral excerpts of the applicant’s choice of contrasting styles and/or periods 

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• A recital program including the four periods in music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary) 
• Five orchestral excerpts demonstrating varied styles and periods 

Bachelor’s, Master’s and Professional Studies auditions are approximately 15 minutes in length. Doctoral and Artist Diploma auditions are approximately 20 minutes in length. You will choose a first work and the faculty will choose a second and possibly third work from the repertoire list you provide. You must perform solo works from memory and may be asked to sight-read and take a test of tuning ability. Music may be used for the orchestral works for graduate applicants.

Undergraduate (BM)

• A major work which demonstrates level of proficiency
• A Bach transcription

Master’s (MM)

• Two complete works comparable in difficulty and scope to the Sonata of Hindemith or the Impromptu of Fauré
• First movement from a standard concerto
• Choose two of the following five excerpts:
  • Gaetano Donizetti, cadenza from Lucia di Lammermoor – Scena e Cavatina, from 7 bars before rehearsal 23 to rehearsal 24
  • Maurice Ravel, cadenza from Tzigane, rehearsal 4 to 5
  • Hector Berlioz, entire first harp part of Symphonie Fantastique “Un Bal”
  • Igor Stravinsky, Symphony in Three Movements- Second movement Rehearsal 112 to 120 and 132 to 134. Third movement, one bar before rehearsal 172 to rehearsal 177
  • Benjamin Britten, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Variation I Cadenza, Variation J, Fugue (rehearsal I to second bar of J, and 14 bars after Rehearsal M to 14 bars before the end)

Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctoral (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)

• A full-length recital from contrasting style periods including a work from the 20th century and a standard concerto with applicable cadenzas
• At least 20 minutes of representative selections from a concerto