Audition for the School of Music

Entrance Audition Requirements

All auditioners are required to complete an audition application, either online or in printable form that can be mailed to us.  Depending on your instrument, auditions will be five to fifteen minutes in length, and be representative of current repertoire.  The School of Music offers music scholarships for all band and orchestral instruments, voice, piano, organ and harpsichord.  Audition requirements for entrance into a major and/or scholarship consideration for each area follow:

Keyboard 

Prepare two selections or movements from the Classical repertoire.  You will be asked to sight-read.  Memorization is highly recommended.

Strings 

Audition requirements for Bachelor of Arts degree, the Bachelor of Music degree in music education or music business, or for a music scholarship with a major outside of music:

Two contrasting pieces or movements that are representative of your technical ability,  one selection preferably from a concerto.  Include a selection or movement in a slow tempo as well as one in a lively tempo.  Memorization is highly recommended. 

Audition requirements for the Bachelor of Music in performance:

Violin: a movement from an unaccompanied Bach Sonata or Partita; a movement from the standard concerto repertoire (other than a Bach Concerto); an etude or caprice demonstrating your current technical development; and major and minor scales and arpeggios, three octaves.  Either the Bach or the concerto movement must be from memory.

Viola: a prelude from Bach Cello Suite no. 1, 2 or 3; a movement of a major work (Bloch, Vaughan Williams, Brahms, Schubert), or a concerto by Stamitz or Hindemith; an etude by Kreutzer or Campagnoli; and major and minor scales and arpeggios, three octaves.  Memorization of at least one piece is strongly recommended.

Cello: a prelude or allemande from Bach Cello Suite 1, 2 or 3; one movement from the standard concerto repertoire (Elgar, Lalo, Saint-Saens, Haydn C-major); one etude demonstrating your current technical development; and major and minor scales and arpeggios, three octaves.  Memorization of at least one piece is strongly recommended.

Bass: one movement from a Baroque sonata or suite; a movement or piece with contrasting tempo from a later period; two standard excerpts from Mozart Symphonies 35, 39 or 40; and major and minor scales and arpeggios, three octaves.  One of the pieces must be from memory. 

 
Winds 

Prepare two selections that are representative of your current repertoire and include a selection or movement in a slow tempo as well as one in a lively tempo.  The selections should demonstrate your tone quality,  expressiveness, technique and range.  You should be prepared to play major scales, and you will be asked to sight-read.

Percussion

Prepare one selection demonstrating your technique and control on each of the following instruments that you play: snare drum, xylophone or marimba, timpani, and drum set.  You may be asked to sight-read.  For recorded percussion auditions, please submit a video audition.

Voice

Prepare at least two selections with accompaniment representing the Classical genre, e.g., art songs, arias, or musical theatre, not more than one from musical theatre.  The selections should contrast in style, tempo, and/or language.  Memorization is highly recommended.  You will be asked to sight read.  After you have performed your prepared songs, you may be asked to sing vocal exercises with guidance from the faculty member auditioning you. 

Guitar

Audition requirements for Bachelor of Arts degree, the Bachelor of Music degree in music education or music business, or for a music scholarship with a major outside of music:

A Guitar Audition at UPS should consists of 2 pieces in contrasting styles: one in a slow tempo, and the other in a faster tempo. The pieces should be chosen to display the student's basic technical and expressive skills. The overall playing time should be between 3 and 7 minutes. Memorization is highly recommended. Suggested repertoire includes the following pieces:  Sor: Study #2 and Study #5 from 20 Studies (Segovia); Bach: Bourree in  e-minor from Lute Suite #1; Tarrega: Lagrima or Adelita; Ponce: Prelude 6; Brouwer: Etude 1 or 6. Other pieces can be checked though the School of Music office or by contacting the guitar instructor Douglass Rice

Accompanists

Piano accompaniment is required for all voice auditions, but is optional for instrumental auditions.  The School of Music can provide an accompanist for your on-campus audition free of charge if we receive a copy of your piano score well in advance of your audition date.  You will need to bring your original score to the actual audition.  Vocalists auditioning off-campus will need to provide their own accompanist.

Audition Arrangements

To arrange an audition, contact the Music Admission Office at 253.879.3917, or e-mail Kyle Haugen, the Music Admission Coordinator.  You may also request audition materials online.

Recorded Auditions

If you cannot come to campus or to one of our regional sites, we would welcome a recording, either on CD or audio link.  The requirements for the recordings are the same as those for live auditions.  Recorded auditions may be audio or video; all percussion recordings should be video.  Please submit your recording  with an audition application no later than February 11, 2008, to School of Music, University of Puget Sound, Music Admission Coordinator, 1500 North Warner, CMB 1076, Tacoma, WA 98416-1076.

Ensemble Auditions

Auditions for performing ensembles are held during Freshman Orientation week each fall.

Non-audition opportunities

Many opportunities in the School of Music are available to all Puget Sound students without audition including the University Band, University Chorale, and many classes.