Graduate Audition and Interview Requirements

Degree Page: Composition (M.M.)

Additional Application Requirements: 

1. At least three (3) representative original scores, and recordings if available. Scores should exhibit a variety of instrumentation and/or vocal forces.

Scores and recordings should be submitted online with the Graduate Music Application.

Interview Requirements:

After an initial screening, selected candidates will be invited for an interview with the composition faculty. 

Degree Page: Conducting (M.M.)

Pre-screen Requirements:

1. One (1) video recording of approximately 20 minutes. The camera should be positioned such that the conductor's torso, head, hands are fully visible from the point of view of the ensemble.
   1. Choral Conducting – Footage can include performance and/or rehearsal material.
   2. Musical Theatre and Opera Conducting - Footage should include both performance and rehearsal material. Musical Theatre conducting applicants may submit a sample of conducting from the piano.
   3. Orchestral Conducting - Footage can include performance and/or rehearsal material.

   4. Wind Conducting – Footage should include both performance and rehearsal material.

Audition and Interview Requirements:

1. Following a review of the preliminary screening videos, selected applicants will be invited to campus (typically mid-February or early March) for a live audition. This audition will consist of rehearsal with College ensembles and an interview with faculty.

Musical Theatre and Opera conductors will also be asked to show proficiency at the piano (sightreading, playing for a conductor, solo piece).

Degree Page: Performance (M.M.)

Brass Audition Requirements:

1. Elements of technical preparation such as scales and arpeggios.
2. One complete sonata, concerto, or suite.
3. Two or three additional works representing various periods of standard repertoire (Baroque, Classic, Romantic, or Contemporary). These may be single movements of longer works.
4. Excerpts from the standard orchestral repertoire.

Guitar Audition Requirements:

1. Three (3) pieces from the concert repertoire and from contrasting eras (e.g., works by Milan, Dowland, J. S. Bach, Weiss, Sor, Giuliani, Carcassi, Aguado, Tarrega, Villa-Lobos, Brouwer, Ponce).
2. Scales two (2) and three (3) octaves; arpeggio exercises for the right hand; slurs and trills for the left hand.
    

Performance from memory is not required but encouraged.

All guitarists must audition on nylon string classical guitar.

Percussion Audition Requirements:

All solos are free-choice and should represent graduate-level difficulty. Hopefully, the performer uses this opportunity to show their breadth of technical and stylistic abilities.

Overview : 5 solos and 6 excerpts required, plus encouraged world music knowledge

• Solos
  • Snare Drum Concert and Rudimental solo
  • Solo for 2-mallet keyboard instrument
  • Solo for 4-mallet keyboard instrument
  • Symphonic-style timpani solo (not Elliott Carter)
• Orchestral excerpts
  • Two contrasting mallet keyboard excerpts
  • Two contrasting snare drum excerpts
  • Two contrasting timpani excerpts
• World Music (optional, but encouraged)
  • If the performer has non-Western music knowledge, please demonstrate your knowledge through a brief live performance or videos submitted to Mike Truesdell (mtruesdell@ithaca.edu) before the audition.

If you require any instruments other than snare drum, 5.0 octave marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, and 4 balanced-action timpani, please write to mtruesdell@ithaca.edu. Electronics playback is possible, but please contact Mike two weeks in advance of your live audition to confirm your needs.

Piano Audition Requirements: 

1. A work by J.S. Bach
2. A complete sonata by Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert
3. A work from the Romantic period
4. A work from the 20th century (including the impressionistic period)

All works to be performed from memory.

Piano (Collaborative) Audition Requirements: 

1. Solo piece(s) of piano repertoire- memorized, totaling 10 minutes of music
2. Two contrasting movements from a major work for wind or string instrument and piano to be chosen from the following list:
   1. Franck: Sonata in A-major for violin and piano, movements 1 & 2
   2. Beethoven: Sonata in F major, Op. 24 “Spring”
   3. Brahms: Sonata in F-minor, Op. 120, No. 1, movements 1 & 2
   4. Brahms: Sonata in E-minor, Op. 38
   5. Prokofiev: Sonata in D Major, Op. 92, movements 3 & 4

3. Three (3) songs, one in each of the following languages, to be selected from the following, one of which needs to be a work by Schumann.

   German:

   1. Brahms: Botschaft / Meine Liebe ist grun
   2. Schubert: Ganymede / Liebesbotschaft
   3. Schumann: any selection
   4. Strauss: Allerseelen / Standchen
   5. Wolf: Er ist’s / In dem Schatten meiner Locken

   French

   1. Debussy: I] pleure dans mon Coeur / C’est |’extase
   2. Duparc: Phidyle / Chanson triste
   3. Faure: Mandoline / Clair de lune
   4. English
   5. Barber: The Monk and his Cat / The Desire for Hermitage
   6. Argento: Spring

   7. Vaughan-Williams / The Vagabond; Roadside Fire

4. Operatic Aria: Choose one of the following:
   1. Bizet: Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante (Micaéla, Carmen)
   2. Massenet: Je suis encore tout étourdie (Manon, Manon)
   3. Mozart: Any aria
   4. Puccini: Si, mi chiamano Mimi (Mimi, La bohéme)
5. In addition to performance of the prepared repertoire, there will be a sight-reading component as well as an interview during the audition process.

Applicants should bring a current list of collaborative repertoire to the audition.

* Alternate selections may be allowed for the audition upon approval of the Coordinator of the M.M. Performance in Collaborative Piano degree (cdimaras@ithaca.edu).

Strings Audition Requirements:

1. Movement from a major work - concerto, sonata, or suite - preferably playing from memory

2. Two contrasting movements from the J.S. Bach unaccompanied suites

3. One technical etude or study

Voice Audition Requirements: 

1. Five (5) selections representing a variety of musical styles and periods from the art song literature. Songs should have a mixture of English, Italian, French, and German languages. Audition materials may contain no more than two arias.

All works to be performed from memory.

Woodwind Audition Requirements:

The audition should last approximately 20 minutes and showcase a range of styles and techniques.

1. Technical Study (Not applicable for flute)- One (1) etude or technical study that highlights your control, tone, and technical facility.
2. Major Work- One (1) complete sonata, concerto, or suite from the standard repertoire.
3. Contrasting Selections- Two (2) or three (3) additional solo pieces or movements from different musical periods (e.g., Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Contemporary).
4. Orchestral Excerpts- Two (2) to four (4) standard orchestral excerpts for your instrument, demonstrating ensemble readiness.

Additional Guidelines:

• At least one selection should be from the 20th or 21st century.
• Works by composers from historically underrepresented communities are encouraged.
• Memorization is optional but encouraged where appropriate.
• Piano accompaniment is not expected for live auditions (when applicable). For recorded auditions, accompaniment is encouraged but not required.
• Video Recordings should be high-quality, unedited, and clearly labeled.