DATES AND AUDITION OPTIONS
Please note: There are no PhD openings for fall 2026, we anticipate openings for fall 2027.
2026 Rochester Interview Dates:Â
Undergraduate: Fridays February 20th and 27th
Graduate: Fridays February 6th and 13th
2026 Remote Interview Option: Any undergraduate or graduate applicant who is unable to travel may interview remotely. Remote interviews will take place on Friday January 30th via Zoom. BM and MM Composition applicants who interview over Zoom must also submit any prescreen video required for their instrument and upload a final video audition by February 1st.
PRESCREENING AND AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
Undergraduate
Prescreening and Audition Requirements:
Composition Scores: Applicants must upload PDF copies of three or four scores within their application for review by the composition faculty. Each score must be clearly marked with the applicant’s name.
Composition Recordings: Composition applicants are also required to upload recordings of your composed works. MIDI recordings are acceptable only if acoustic performances are not available. Recordings should be uploaded along with your PDF scores within your online application on the “Portfolio” page.
Instrumental/Vocal Prescreen (if required for your instrument): Applicants must also fulfill all video requirements listed on this page for their primary instrument. These recordings will be evaluated by the instrumental or vocal faculty. (Pianists, please note that there are separate requirements for “Piano – Majors in Composition, Music Education, or Theory” which are distinct from piano performance.)
Composition Interview: Selected applicants will be scheduled for an interview with the Composition faculty members. The applicant will have the opportunity to select either an in-person or remote (Zoom) interview.
Instrumental/Vocal Audition: Applicants who are selected for a Composition interview will also need to complete an audition on their primary instrument, either remotely or in person. These auditions will be evaluated by the instrumental or vocal faculty for your instrument. Remote applicants must upload a final audition video for their instrument or voice audition by February 1.
Graduate
Please note: There are no PhD openings for fall 2026, we anticipate openings for fall 2027.
MM and DMA Prescreening and Audition Requirements:
MA, MM, DMA and PhD: Prescreening Requirement: Applicants must upload a minimum of three or a maximum of four PDF scores of original compositions within the online application.
MA, MM, DMA and PhD interview requirement: Selected composition applicants will be interviewed by the composition faculty. These interviews can be scheduled to occur either in-person or online remotely during one of Eastman’s audition dates.
MM and DMA auditions:Â Applicants for the MM and DMA degree in Composition must also successfully complete the audition requirements for their applied instrument or voice. Applicants should follow the repertoire guidelines given in this section for audition repertoire. (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertoire listing for non-performance majors.)