For undergraduate applicants, the audition day at Eastman includes a general convocation, theory and musicianship testing, a question-and-answer session for parents, a group interview with a staff member, and the audition. Composition, Music Education and Theory majors will have interviews scheduled with faculty members of those departments. Undergraduate transfer students will also take a transfer theory test for assessment purposes.
Repertoire listed below is for auditions to the Bachelor of Music degree. Other application requirements may apply.
Repertoire listed is subject to change but will generally not change after September 1. Audition repertoire, with the exception of voice, should be performed without accompaniment.
- Brass
- Composition
- Jazz
- Keyboard (Piano & Organ)
- Music Education
- Percussion
- Strings
- Theory
- Voice
- Woodwinds
Brass
EUPHONIUM
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- Solos by Barat, Jacob, Capuzzi, Herbert L. Clarke, or other works of similar difficulty
- Etudes by Bordogni/Rochut, Blazhevich, Kopprasch, or Tyrell
- Band or orchestra excerpts as appropriate to training and experience
HORN
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- Any complete concerto from the standard concerto repertoire, such as Mozart, Strauss, Gliere, Jacob, Haydn, etc.
- A movement from the standard recital repertoire, such as Hindemith, Ewazen, Beethoven, Schumann, Cherubini, etc.
- Three etudes from any three of the following: Maxime-Alphonse Etudes, Book 4, 5, or 6; Kling; Kopprasch; Neuling; Belloli; Gallay; Reynolds
- Three to five orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire (Beethoven, Mahler, Brahms, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, etc.)
- All major and harmonic minor scales, 2-3 octaves, in eighth notes at quarter note=112-126, and corresponding arpeggios
TROMBONE, TENOR
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- A solo work chosen from the following: Grondahl concerto, Jacob concerto, Wagenseil concerto, Hindemith sonata, Sulek sonata, Casterède sonata, Galliard sonata, Guilmant, Bozza, or a work of similar difficulty
- One etude from Rochut Melodious Etudes 1-24
- Orchestral excerpts as appropriate to training and experience
- Sight-reading in alto and tenor clefs
TROMBONE, BASS
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- A solo work chosen from the following: Spillman concerto, George concerto, McCarthy sonata, Harley sonata, Galliard sonata, or a work of similar difficulty
- One etude from Rochut Melodious Etudes 1-24
- Orchestral excerpts as appropriate to training and experience
- Sight-reading in bass clef
TRUMPET
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, and February 24th
- Theme, double and triple tongue variations from either Arban’s Fantasy Brilliant or Carnival of Venice
- Either Hindemith, 1st movement; Haydn, 1st movement; Kennan 1st movement; Arutunian, opening through the slow section; Hummel, 1st movement; Tomasi, 1st movement
- Either Charlier Etude #1 or #4
- Orchestral excerpts: Mahler, Symphony No. 5 (opening); Beethoven, Leonore Overture No. 3 (offstage call); Stravinsky, Petrushka (Ballerina’s dance & waltz); Mussorgsky-Ravel, Pictures at an Exhibition (“Promenade”)
- Basic sight-reading and transposition
TUBA
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd and February 17th
- One Bordogni melodic study
- One Kopprasch technical etude #17 or #21
- All scales
- Excerpts: Wagner, “Meistersinger” Overture (Letter J to the end), Berlioz Hungarian March, and Ride of the Valkyries
- Performance applicants must also play the Vaughan Williams Concerto and the cadenza from the HIndemith Sonata Concerto (mvt. 1 or 2); Music Education applicants whose instrument is tuba must play the Edward Gregson Concerto (mvt. 1 only) and the cadenza from the Hindemith Sonata
Composition
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 17th and February 24th
Prescreening Requirement: Applicants must submit copies of a minimum of three or a maximum of four scores of original compositions via postal mail by the application deadline. Scores must be reduced to 11”x17” or smaller. A completed copy of the Composition form must also be enclosed. Recordings of composed works are strongly encouraged, but not required. Due to the large number of scores and recordings submitted, materials will not be returned; do not submit originals.
Interview requirement: Composition applicants will be interviewed by the composition faculty. Interviews are not conducted at regional audition centers; all composition applicants must audition and interview in Rochester. On the same day the applicant interviews in Rochester, he or she will also be scheduled for an audition on his or her applied instrument or voice. Applicants should follow the repertoire guidelines given in this section. (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertory listing for composition majors.)
Jazz
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Prescreening Requirement: Before December 1, all applicants to the jazz studies and contemporary media program must upload a preliminary audition recording. The prescreening recording should comprise 3-4 varied jazz selections, each including improvisation. The guidelines given below apply to those invited for a live audition.
All Instruments (Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Guitar, Piano, Double Bass, Drumset)
Applicants invited to a live audition must perform two jazz auditions and an individual audition.
- Jazz audition: Applicants must be prepared to perform 3-4 jazz selections in varied styles and improvise on each of them.
- Group improv session: performed with other applicants
- Individual audition (see below for requirements
DOUBLE BASS
Perform from each of the following categories:
- Etude by composers such as Storch-Hrabe (57 Studies), Simandl (Gradus Ad Parnassum), or Bille* (arco preferred)
- A Bebop melody by composers such as Charlie Parker (Donna Lee, Confirmation, etc.), Bud Powell (Web City, Celia, etc.), or other representative Bebop repertoire
- A walking bass line on a standard tune
DRUMS
Perform each of the following:
- Drum set solo: Thompson: Jazz Solos for Drum Set, V.1; Thompson: Modern Jazz Solos for Drum Set; or an appropriate transcription from a classic jazz drum set solo
- Snare drum etude by Wilcox or commensurate with NYSSMA Level 6
- Demonstration of various styles such as swing, latin, funk, brushes, etc.
GUITAR
- Chord melody on a jazz standard (rubato or in tempo)
- Very short sight reading example
- 1 bebop head
- 1 chorus chord comping on a jazz standard
- 1 classical piece or étude (fingerstyle or with pick)
PIANO
Perform representative repertoire from the following composers/idioms:
- J.S. Bach (baroque era)
- Mozart (classical era)
- Chopin or contemporary composer
SAXOPHONE
Examples of recommended repertoire:
- Any concerto or sonata from the standard repertoire, such as Glazunov, Creston, or equivalent
- Two etudes of contrasting tempo, such as Voxman, Ferling, or Karg-Elert
- Possible sight-reading
TRUMPET
- Either Charlier Etude #1 or #4
- Either Haydn 1st movement; Kennan 1st movement or Hummel 1st movement
- Basic sight-reading
TROMBONE
- A solo work chosen from the following: Grondahl concerto, Jacob concerto, Wagenseil concerto, Hindemith sonata, Sulek sonata, Casterède sonata, Galliard sonata, Guilmant, Bozza, or a work of similar difficulty
- One etude from Rochut Melodious Etudes 1-24
- Sight-reading in alto and tenor clefs
Keyboard
ORGAN
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- At least one work by Bach or another Baroque composer
- Two selections by romantic or contemporary composers, one primarily lyrical and one primarily virtuosic
PIANO
Applied Majors pre-screening requirement: Before December 1, all undergraduate and graduate piano performance applicants seeking a live audition must upload a preliminary audition recording. The prescreening recording must be a minimum of 30 minutes in duration of solo music and include one virtuoso etude and at least two works representing different styles. The following lists repertoire requirements by degree for applicants invited to a live audition and those auditioning only by recording.
Piano- Applied Music Majors
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Applicants must prepare an audition program to be performed from memory, including:
- One virtuoso concert etude
- A work by Bach that contains a fugue
- A complete classical sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert
- One Romantic work from the 19th century
- One work from the 20th or 21st century
Piano – Majors in Composition, Music Education, or Theory
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Applicants for each degree should prepare three contrasting pieces from three different stylistic periods, including one piece by Bach. Student compositions and pieces in jazz or popular styles are not acceptable for the purpose of this audition. Applicants who apply in these majors and audition on piano are not compared to applied piano majors.
Applicants in jazz studies and contemporary media should refer to the section on jazz for audition requirements.
Music Education
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Music Education applicants who audition in Rochester, will be interviewed by the music education faculty.
A skills assessment will be administered to all undergraduate applicants to the major in Music Education. It consists of sight-reading rhythm and tonal patterns, sight-singing melodies, improvising on the major instrument/voice, and harmonizing a melody at the keyboard. A guide for this skills assessment test is found online at: Music Education Skills Assessment
On the same day the applicant interviews in Rochester, he or she will also be scheduled for an audition on his or her applied instrument or voice. Applicants should follow the repertoire guidelines given in this section for all undergraduate students. (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertory listing for music education majors.)
Percussion
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: January 27, February 17th, February 24th
Audition must include snare drum, timpani and keyboard percussion. Suggested repertoire and methods from the following:
- Snare drum: Cirone Portraits in Rhythm; Delecluse Etude 1 or 6 from Douze Etudes; Peters’ Intermediate or Advanced Snare Drum Studies
- Timpani: Beck Sonata for Timpani; Carter Eight Pieces for Solo Timpani; Firth The Solo Timpanist, Hochrianer Etuden fur Timpani
- Keyboard percussion: 2 mallet Bach from the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin or the Six Suites for Solo Cello; Abe Dream of the Cherry Blossoms, Wind in the Bamboo Grove; Burritt October Night, Preludes, Creston Concertino for Marimba; Musser’s Etudes and Preludes; Sammut Rotations, Stout Mexican Dances, Astral Dance, Etudes; Tanaka Two Movements for Marimba: G. H. Green’s Xylophone Solos; Rosauro Concerto for Marimba
- Sight-reading required
- Orchestral Excerpts are also recommended from the standard repertoire. Audition may also include drum set.
Strings
VIOLIN
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Pre-screening requirement: Before December 1, all undergraduate and graduate violin applicants seeking a live audition must upload a preliminary audition recording. The prescreening recording must include an etude in addition to 10 or more minutes of a violin concerto (unaccompanied is preferred).
The following lists repertoire requirements for applicants invited to a live audition and those auditioning only by recording.
- A movement of a concerto from the standard repertoire by a composer such as Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Bruch, Vieuxtemps, etc.
- Two contrasting movements from an unaccompanied Bach sonata or partita
- An etude from one of the standard etude books, such as those of Kreutzer, Fiorillo, Rodé, Paganini, or Dont
- Three-octave major and minor scales and arpeggios
VIOLA
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- Three contrasting selections or major movements, which must be taken from three significant works representing different compositional periods. One of the selections must be by Bach.
- One etude or technical study
VIOLONCELLO
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: January 27, February 3rd, February 10th, and February 17th
Pre-screening requirement: Before December 1, all undergraduate and graduate cello applicants seeking a live audition must upload a preliminary audition recording. The prescreening recording must include 2 movements of an unaccompanied work by Bach and one movement from a standard concerto.
The following lists repertoire requirements by degree for applicants invited to a live audition and those auditioning only by recording.
- One movement of a standard concerto of moderate difficulty, such as Saint-Saëns, Lalo, or Haydn Concerto in C (preferably from memory)
- Sonata movement or other work of personal musical interest
- Two contrasting movements of a Bach suite (preferably from memory)
- Two contrasting etudes (e.g., Popper or Duport)
DOUBLE BASS
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- One movement from one of the following double bass concerti: Bottesini, Capuzzi, Dittersdorf, Dragonetti, Koussevitsky, or Vanhal
- One contrasting solo work of the applicant’s choice
- One orchestral excerpt of the applicant’s choice from the standard repertoire
- Two scales (one major, one melodic minor) of the applicant’s choice in two or three octaves.
HARP
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 17th and February 24th
- Three contrasting works of the grade of difficulty of: Ibert, Réflets dans l’eau; Natra, Sonatina or Prayer; Handel-Grandjany, Prelude and Toccata
- An etude selected from the Bach-Grandjany Etudes for Harp
GUITAR
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, and February 17th
Prepared repertoire should include three contrasting major works from different stylistic periods that best represent the applicant’s technical and artistic strengths.
Voice
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: January 27th, February 3rd, February 10th and February 17th
Pre-screening requirement: Before December 1, all applicants in voice (regardless of major) must upload a preliminary audition recording. The guidelines given below apply to prescreening recordings and to those invited for a live audition – material submitted as part of the prescreening process may be performed at a live audition.
- Three pieces in varying musical styles, in three different languages, one of which may be English. Non-native speakers of English must perform one piece in English.
Theory
2012 On Campus Audition /Interview Dates: refer to dates and repertoire for your primary instrument audition; your theory interview will be scheduled on the same date as your audition.
Undergraduate theory applicants will be interviewed by the theory faculty. Interviews are not conducted at regional audition centers; all theory applicants must audition and interview in Rochester.
On the same day the applicant interviews in Rochester, he or she will also be scheduled for an audition on his or her applied instrument or voice. Applicants should follow the repertoire guidelines given in this section for all undergraduate students. (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertory listing for theory majors.)
Woodwinds
BASSOON
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th and February 24th
- Standard concerto (i.e., Mozart, Weber)
- One or two etudes such as are found in Milde Concert Studies, Vol. I
- Two contrasting orchestral excerpts of the applicant’s choice as appropriate to training and experience
CLARINET
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Pre-screening requirement: Before December 1, all clarinet applicants seeking a live audition must upload a preliminary audition video recording. Please make a video recording of the following: Please record repertoire in the order listed.
If approved from prescreening, the live audition should follow the same repertoire guidelines, and can present the same or different material.
- First movement of Mozart or either Weber Concerto (with piano if possible) and the Debussy Premiere Rhapsodie or other French concours solo (with piano if possible)
- Unaccompanied Work: Choose either work listed below
- Rhapsody for Clarinet, Willson Osborne
- Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo, Igor Stravinsky (movements 2 and 3 only)
- Etude: 2 contrasting etudes from the Rose 32 Etudes
- Orchestral Excerpts
- Beethoven 6: Movement 1 (solo at the end of the movement); movement 2 (long solo)
- Mendelssohn scherzo: Opening through the end of the trills (dotted quarter = 76 to 84)
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol; movement 1 (both solos) and movement 3 (solo)
FLUTE
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Pre-screening requirement: Before December 1, all flute applicants seeking a live audition must upload a preliminary audition recording. The pre-screening recording must include each of the following:
- Mozart: First movement from D or G major concerto
- Bach: 2 movements from a sonata or partita of your choice
- A work of your choice
- The following 4 standard orchestral excerpts (not the entire work):
- Beethoven: Leonore Overture (Flute/Bassoon duo only)
- Brahms: Symphony IV
- Mendelssohn: Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis
Live Audition – Each of the following:
- A Mozart concerto
- A sonata by Bach, Handel, or Telemann
- A solo piece of your choice
- Orchestral excerpts as appropriate to training and experience
OBOE
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
- Any concerto from the standard repertoire (such as Mozart, Marcello, Strauss, etc.) OR any sonata from the standard repertoire (such as Handel or Hindemith)
- A standard study, such as Barret or Ferling
- Orchestral excerpts as appropriate to training and experience
SAXOPHONE
2012 On Campus Audition Dates: February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th
Pre-screening requirement: Before December 1, all saxophone applicants seeking a live audition must upload a preliminary audition video recording. Please make a video recording of the following: Please record repertoire in the order listed. If approved from pre-screening, the live audition should follow the same repertoire guidelines, and can present the same or different material.
Examples of recommended repertoire:
- Any concerto or sonata from the standard repertoire, such as Glazunov, Creston, or equivalent
- Two etudes of contrasting tempo, such as Voxman, Ferling, or Karg-Elert
- Possible sight-reading
Applicants in jazz studies and contemporary media should refer to the section on jazz for additional requirements.
