Suggested Admissions Audition Repertoire

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Bassoon - Cello - Clarinet/Bass Clarinet - Double Bass - Euphonium - Flute - French Horn - Guitar - Harp - Harpsichord - Jazz Studies - Music Education - Oboe - Organ - Percussion - Piano - Saxophone - Trumpet - Trombone - Tuba - Viola - Violin - Voice

Bassoon: Two or three contrasting selections from the standard repertoire. For example, a movement from a classical concerto, a sonata movement from any period, a French Conservatoire piece or an unaccompanied piece. Scales, three octaves, will be required.

Cello: Two pieces or movements that demonstrate your range of interpretive and technical ability, especially selections that feature your understanding of different time periods, artistic vision and perspective.

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet: UNDERGRADUATE: Two or three contrasting selections from the standard repertoire. Full-range chromatic scale and major and minor scales required (at least two octaves; three octaves if possible). GRADUATE: Three or four contrasting selections from the standard repertoire, plus four orchestral excerpts. Sight-reading and scales may be required. 

Double Bass: UNDERGRADUATE: Two contrasting solo selections from the standard repertoire. Solo selections may include movements from a concerto, sonata or suite. Two contrasting orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire. One 3 octave major scale and arpeggio of your choice. GRADUATE: Three contrasting solo selections from the standard repertoire. Solo selections may include movements from a concerto or sonata and MUST include one movement from the J.S. Bach unaccompanied cello suites. Four contrasting orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire. Candidates may be asked to demonstrate any 3 octave major and/or harmonic minor scale and arpeggio.

Euphonium: Two contrasting solo movements; an example could be 1st and 2nd movements of Ellerby concerto or Horovitz concerto or any two contrasting solo pieces that demonstrate technique and lyrical playing. Know all major and minor scales.

Flute: UNDERGRADUATE: Two or three contrasting selections from the standard repertoire (for example, a movement from a classical concerto, a sonata movement from any period, a French Conservatoire piece or an unaccompanied piece). Sight-reading and scales may be required. GRADUATE: Three or four contrasting selections from the standard repertoire (for example, a movement from a classical concerto, a sonata movement from any period, a French Conservatoire piece or an unaccompanied piece), plus three or four orchestral excerpts. Sight-reading and scales may be required. Applicant must also bring a list of solo repertoire studied to his/her audition.

French Horn: (1) Exposition of Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 2 or No. 4. (2) A contrasting solo of the candidate's choice. (3) Excerpts which cover the following criteria: soft and low (examples: Mahler 1st low tutti or Variation 8 of Strauss’ Don Quixote); soft and high (examples: Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major or Pavane); loud and low (examples: Shostakovich 5th low tutti or Variation 7 of Don Quixote); loud and high (examples: Beethoven 7th or Wagner Siegfried Call); full range (examples: openings of Ein Heldenleben or Till Eulenspiegel)

Guitar: Candidates should be prepared to perform three compositions for classical guitar in contrasting styles, preferably from memory. The playing will be assessed on technique, tone and musicality rather than the degree of difficulty of the repertoire chosen. Candidates should also be prepared to play two-octave major and minor scales and sight-read a short excerpt in first or second position. Please bring three copies of your music with you to give to your faculty panel. For more detailed repertoire suggestions please contact Michael Partington: mparting@u.washington.edu. FOR JAZZ GUITAR: See Jazz Studies.

Harp: Two or three contrasting works, one of which must be 20th century. You may be asked to play the harp cadenza from the Nutcracker or scales and arpeggios over three octaves. Please bring three copies of your music with you to give to your faculty panel.

Harpsichord: GRADUATE ONLY: 3 compositions (Bach, French Baroque, and any period; (1) Bach: Any composition from the WTC I or II, Three part inventions, suites, partitas, and toccatas; (2) Five to six movements from a French Baroque suite; (3) A piece of your own choice from any period. NOTE: Pieces must be memorized.

Jazz Studies (instrumental only):

Bass & Guitar: See requirements here.

Drum Set: 1) Demonstrate a few different styles and tempos of your choice; include time keeping and soloistic ideas. 2) Perform a transcription of your choice (preference for transcriptions done by the student). 3) Perform a tune from standard Jazz repertoire (Oleo, Straight No Chaser, etc.). Play the melody on the drums, play a few choruses of time, play a solo over the form, play the head out. 4) Perform a 2-3 minute freely improvised piece of music. 

Piano: 1) Major scales 3 octaves, hands together. 2) Be able to play and improvise 3 jazz standards in solo piano style (e.g., Green Dolphin Street, My Romance, All the Things You Are, Night and Day, Blue Bossa, I Love You, Confirmation, St ella By Starlight). 3) Play a "Blues" in the Jazz style; 4) Sight-read a "lead" sheet. (Contact Marc Seales, 543-1231). 

All other instruments: 1) Major and minor scales memorized. 2) Be able to play and improvise on three jazz standards  (e.g., Seven Steps to Heaven, Body and Soul, All of Me, Night and Day, Desafinado, I Love You, Confirmation, Chelsea Bridge), one must be a standard jazz tune in a medium tempo swing feel, and two can be chosen from a blues, ballad or tunes with straight eighth-note feels or back beat-oriented grooves, etc. 3) Sight-read.  Piano, drum-set, bass amp, guitar amp and audio equipment for backing tracks (PA system with CD player or a 1/8” (and 3.5mm) male input jack for smartphones or mp3 players) will be provided if needed. 

Music Education: UNDERGRADUATE: 1) Pass an instrumental or voice audition 2) Pass a Music Education musicianship assessment/audition, which consists of: a) performing a prepared piece on your principal instrument or voice; b) sight-singing; c) performing a familiar song by ear on your instrument; d) an interview. POST-BAC PLUS CERTIFICATION: 1) Pass an instrumental or voice audition if you do not already hold an undergraduate degree in music 2) Pass a Music Education Entrance Exam/Audition, which consists of:  a) performing a prepared piece on your principal instrument or voice; b) sight-singing; c) performing a familiar song by ear on your instrument; d) sight-reading on piano; e) an interview. M.A. PLUS CERTIFICATION: Pass a Music Education Entrance Exam/Audition, which consists of:  a) performing a prepared piece on your principal instrument or voice; b) sight-singing; c) performing a familiar song by ear on your instrument; d) sight-reading on piano; e) an interview. Please note that an audition is not required for application to the M.A in Music Education without Certification program.

Oboe: UNDERGRADUATE: All major and harmonic minor scales, two octaves where possible*. Two or three contrasting works of your choice. One of these works must be a Barret or Ferling etude, and the other must be a piece or movement of a piece from the standard solo repertoire. GRADUATE: In addition to the above, please prepare four contrasting orchestral excerpts, one of which must be from a cantata by JS Bach. Applicant's choice for additional repertoire. *For applicants submitting a video audition, please include the following scales from memory: E major, c# minor, Ab Major, f minor.

Organ: UNDERGRADUATE: Performance Major (B.M. and B.A. degrees): Three Compositions: (1) Bach or Buxtehude: A work such as a Prelude and Fugue or Praeludium. (2) Romantic: A major work by Brahms, Franck, Mendelssohn, Reger, Rheinberger, Vierne, or Widor, etc. (3) Contemporary: A work by Alain, Dupré, Eben, Hampton, Karg-Elert, Laurin, Price, Rorem, Schroeder, or a work composed around 1940's through the present day.

NOTE: Memory is encouraged but not required. Please contact Dr. Stephen Price upon preparing for your audition for additional information - Sprice87@uw.edu 

UNDERGRADUATE: Non-Performance Major (Music Education majors or non-music majors seeking private lessons for credit): Two Compositions: (1) A short Chorale setting by J.S. Bach such as a work from the Neumeister Collection or the Preludes & Fugues BWV 553-560. (2) Romantic: A short slow movement from a Mendelssohn Sonata, or Chorale Prelude by Brahms (Op.122) or Reger (Op.135a), or smaller pieces of Vierne (Op.31). 

Percussion: UNDERGRADUATE (pre-screen not required): One selection from each of the following categories: (1) snare drum; (2) marimba, xylophone or vibraphone (contrasting works that together demonstrate two and four-mallet technique); (3) timpani; and optional: drum set or multiple percussion. Prospective students will complete exercises in pitch-matching (timpani) and sight reading (snare drum and marimba.) 

Please bring a copy of your music with you to give to your faculty panel. FOR JAZZ DRUM SET: See Jazz Studies.

Piano: UNDERGRADUATE PERFORMANCE MAJOR: 3 compositions (Bach, Classical, Romantic/Contemporary): 1) Bach: Any Prelude and Fugue from W.T.C. I or II or movements from a Suite or Partita, or the Italian Concerto. 2) Any first movement from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven sonatas (except the following: Beethoven Sonatas, Op. 49, Nos. 1 and 2. 3) Romantic or Contemporary work, preferably of virtuosic nature. NOTE: Pieces must be memorized.

UNDERGRADUATE NON-PERFORMANCE MAJOR: 2 compositions chosen from the following 3 categories (Bach, Classical, Romantic/Contemporary) 1) Bach: Any 2 or 3 Part Invention (as minimum), Little Prelude, Prelude and Fugue from W.T.C. I or II or movements from a Suite or Partita. 2) Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, or Beethoven: Any first movement from a sonata. 3) Romantic or Contemporary: Any one work. NOTE: Pieces must be memorized.

GRADUATE MM: 1) Prepare an entire sonata by any of the following composers: Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Clementi, or Schubert; 2) A Bach Prelude and Fugue; 3) Romantic or Contemporary work, preferably of a virtuosic nature NOTE: Pieces must be memorized. Concerto literature is not acceptable.

GRADUATE DMA: 1) Prepare an entire sonata by any of the following composers: Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Clementi, or Schubert; 2) a Bach work taken from among the following categories - a Toccata, a complete English suite,or a complete Partita 3) a Romantic or Contemporary work, preferably of a virtuosic nature. NOTE: Pieces must be memorized. Concerto literature is not acceptable.

FOR JAZZ PIANO: See Jazz Sudies.

NOTE: All students auditioning for any piano degree or non-major private lessons with faculty MUST memorize their audition pieces. Certain exceptions may be made for contemporary pieces.

Saxophone (classical): All applicants are encouraged to provide Professor Brockman with a resume (REQUIRED for all graduate applicants) listing your musical activities, professional accomplishments, recordings, and significant performances. 

Undergraduate: Must prepare the chromatic scale and all 12 major scales and 12 melodic minor scales (extended through the entire range of your instrument) plus 3-4 movements selected from a solo sonata or concerto written for saxophone. Alternately, you can choose a combination of three contrasting pieces selected from more than one musical work. Your goal is to demonstrate skills playing fast music, slow music, and music with a variety of challenging rhythms. You might also be asked to sight read some music that tests your ability to read arpeggios, rhythms and accidentals.

Excellent examples of literature appropriate for undergraduate auditions include the Creston Sonata, the Bernard Heiden Sonata, the Villa Lobos Fantasia, the Tcherepnine Sonata Sportive, the Maurice Tableaux de Provence, and the piano/sax reductions of the Ibert Concertino da Camera, the Glazunov Concerto, and the Dubois Concerto.

Graduate: Must prepare two or more complete sonatas or concertos, plus a contrasting work showing added versatility. You must also submit a complete repertoire list of all works performed in concert. Standard pieces that are played by underclassmen (such as the Ibert, Creston and Glazunov) can be acceptable for auditions into a graduate performance program, but it is recommended that you choose pieces that are more challenging and show advanced training in technique and phrasing, as well as some extended techniques (such as altissimo, multi-phonics, micro-tones, mixed meters, etc.).

Trumpet: A selection of contrasting works; for example, 1st movement Hummel Concerto, 2nd movement of the Haydn Concerto, 1st movement of the Hindemith or Halsey Stevens Sonata, Goedicke Concert Etude. FOR JAZZ TRUMPET: See Jazz Studies.

Trombone: A movement or movements from two contrasting pieces or equivalent: examples could be Ballade by Bozza (complete), Concertino by David (2nd and 3rd movements.), Saint-Saëns Cavetina (complete). Know all major and min or scales. FOR JAZZ TROMBONE: See Jazz Studies.

Tuba:  UNDERGRADUATE: Two contrasting solo movements; for example, the 1st and 2nd movements of Vaughn Williams tuba concerto or Gregson Tuba concerto or any two contrasting solo pieces that demonstrate technique and lyrical playing. Know all major and minor scales in TWO octaves. 

GRADUATE: Same as above. Graduates must also prepare the following orchestral excerpts:

Wagner - Meistersinger J-L

Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries

Prokofiev - Symphony No. 5 3-6

Respighi - Fountains of Rome 11-14

Mahler - 1st Symphony 3rd movement Solo

Viola: Two pieces or movements that demonstrate your range of interpretive and technical ability, especially selections that feature your understanding of different time periods, artistic vision and perspective.

Violin: Two pieces or movements that demonstrate your range of interpretive and technical ability, especially selections that feature your understanding of different time periods, artistic vision and perspective.

Voice: A memorized program consisting of art songs (Italian, German, French and English), operatic arias and/or other works from the classical repertoire, demonstrating ability in at least three languages. Undergraduates auditioning for the Music Education major with a vocal emphasis should prepare 2 selections.  Undergraduates auditioning for either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Music in vocal performance should prepare 3 selections. All graduate applicants should prepare 4 selections. Students auditioning for non-major lessons should prepare 2 selections, preferably in two different languages. Please note that you will likely not perform all of the pieces you have prepared. Please bring a repertoire list of works performed and/or studied. Sight-singing will also be evaluated. If an accompanist is required, you must let us know three weeks prior to your audition date. 

DMA Applicants will also perform in a 20-minute private coaching with our opera director, Kelly Kitchens, and opera coach Andrew Romanick. If not included in your application materials, please provide a list of scenes for the stage (either operatic or musical theatre) that you have already learned OR a general repertoire list by December 2. Please send those materials to SoMAdmit@uw.edu. If you have not learned any staged music, we will assign you a 3- to 5-minute selection, based on your voice type. We will be in contact with an assigned scene for your screen at some point prior to your scheduled audition.

* Please note that all successful undergraduate voice applicants are admitted first to the BA program. They may decide at the advice of studio faculty and after a barrier jury to complete a BM, or to stay in the BA program until degree completion.

Extra Materials As Specified:

Graduate Voice Pre-screening: Pre-screening auditions are not required but are highly recommended for students interested in participation in our live auditions for graduate degrees - MM or DMA in Vocal Performance. In you choose not to submit a pre-screening video, you may sign up for a live audition after you have submitted your graduate application. Please see the Audition Information page for details on live auditions.

Pre-screening recordings (for graduate applicants only) will be accepted October 1st - November 1st, 2024. Students who submit pre-screening videos by November 1st will be given an indication via email about whether to apply online to the UW by the December 1st deadline and plan a campus audition, as soon as the videos are viewed.

Pre-Screening Requirements: Your video should include at least two contrasting pieces from varied languages and/or style groups.

To submit a graduate voice pre-screening video, please see STEP 2 of the Graduate Voice Application Checklist.