DATES & AUDITION OPTIONS
2027 Rochester Audition Dates:
Undergraduate: Fridays February 12, 19, and 26
Graduate: Saturday February 13, 20, and 27
2027 Remote Audition Option: Any undergraduate or graduate applicant who would like to audition virtually should upload their pre-screening requirements within their application by December 1st. If approved, applicants will be asked to submit their final audition recording by February 1st.
PRESCREENING AND AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
Undergraduate
PIANO – APPLIED MUSIC MAJORS
Pre-screening Requirement: By December 1, all undergraduate piano performance applicants must upload a preliminary audition recording. The pre-screening recording must be a minimum of 30 minutes in duration of solo music. Repertoire requirements for the pre-screening recording must represent three different styles periods, including an Allegro movement from a Classical sonata, plus one virtuoso etude by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti (etudes in slow tempos such as Chopin Op 10 #3, Op 10 #6, Op 25 #7 or Rachmaninoff Op 39 #2 are not acceptable).
Applicants may record each movement of multi-movement works on a separate, unedited track.
BM Final audition repertoire requirement:
Applicants must prepare an audition program to be performed from memory, including:
- One virtuoso concert etude (see etude requirement listed above)
- A complete* work by Bach that contains a fugue
- A complete* Classical sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert
- A complete* Romantic work from the 19th century
- A complete* work from the 20th or 21st century
When choosing repertoire for this category, we encourage you to explore the works of underrepresented composers, ones who reflect different racial, gender, ethnic and cultural traditions. To get started, we recommend the following resources:
*Complete works policy:
-
- All Sonatas, Variations, Suites, and other individual works written with multiple movements must be prepared in their entirety
- Sets of pieces that are intended to be performed together must be prepared in their entirety (For example: Schumann Carnaval, Davidsbündlertanze, or Kreisleriana; Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition; Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue).
- A selection or selections from sets of pieces not necessarily intended to be performed together are acceptable, but must total at least eight minutes in length. (For Example: Rachmaninoff or Debussy Preludes; Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit or Miroirs; Brahms Klavierstücke).
Applicants for jazz studies and contemporary media should refer to the section on jazz for their audition requirements. Applicants for composition, music education, and music theory should refer to the requirements for these majors found here.
Graduate
PIANO – PERFORMANCE & LITERATURE MAJORS
MM and DMA (Performance & Literature): Pre-screening Requirement: By December 1, graduate piano performance applicants must upload a preliminary audition recording. The pre-screening recording must be a minimum of 30 minutes in duration of solo music. Repertoire requirements for the pre-screening recording must represent three different styles periods, including an Allegro movement from a Classical sonata, plus one virtuoso etude by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti (etudes in slow tempos such as Chopin Op 10 #3, Op 10 #6, Op 25 #7 or Rachmaninoff Op 39 #2 are not acceptable). Applicants may record each movement of multi-movement works on a separate, unedited track.
MM and DMA Final audition requirements: Applicants must prepare an audition program (minimum 45 minutes for MM applicants and 60 minutes for DMA applicants) to be performed from memory, including:
- one virtuoso concert etude by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti (etudes in slow tempos such as Chopin Op 10 #3, Op 10 #6, Op 25 #7 or Rachmaninoff Op 39 #2 are not acceptable).
- at least three complete* works representing different styles
When choosing repertoire for your audition, we encourage you to explore the works of underrepresented composers, ones who reflect different racial, gender, ethnic and cultural traditions. To get started, we recommend the following resources:
*Complete works policy:
- All Sonatas, Variations, Suites, and other individual works written with multiple movements must be prepared in their entirety.
- Sets of pieces that are intended to be performed together must be prepared in their entirety. (For Example: Schumann Carnaval, Davidsbündlertanze, or Kreisleriana; Mussorgsky PIctures at an Exhibition; Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue).
- A selection or selections from sets of pieces not necessarily intended to be performed together are acceptable, but must total at least eight minutes in length. (For Example: Rachmaninoff or Debussy Preludes; Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit or Miroirs; Brahms Klavierstücke).
Applicants for jazz studies and contemporary media should refer to the section on jazz for their audition requirements. Applicants for composition, music education, and music theory should refer to the requirements for these majors found here.