AUDITION REQUIREMENTS (graduate)
Schedule an Audition - click here now Voice, string, and *piano performance applicants must complete this on-line form to schedule an audition. This form will be submitted electronically to us. If you have difficulty with this on-line form, contact the music graduate admissions office at 814-865-1052. Brass, woodwind, and percussion applicants should arrange an audition directly with a faculty member in the applicant's area. See faculty contact information listed by instrument below. If the brass, woodwind, or percussion faculty ask you to audition on one of our undergraduate audition days, you will need to complete this on-line form.
*Graduate PIANO auditions will be held on all four Saturday audition dates. The dates are listed on the graduate schedule an audition form listed above. If an applicant is unable to meet any of these audition date options, please e-mail Dr. Timothy Shafer, at tps1@psu.edu, to schedule an individual appointment with the piano faculty. Please plan to be here from 10:15 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., as the piano faculty may schedule meeting times and call-back auditions with some candidates. Available teaching assistantships will be offered in early March, and late auditionees will be at a competitive disadvantage.
| S T R I N G S Violin Viola Cello Double Bass
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W I N D S Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Saxophone |
B R A S S Trumpet French Horn Trombone Euphonium Tuba |
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Auditionees should prepare a program of at least twenty-five minutes duration containing repertoire of the level that would be suitable for an undergraduate performance major's senior recital. This program should include material from a range of historical periods and may include individual movements and/or etudes. Auditionees are encouraged to confer with the instructor regarding audition repertoire. Instructor: Daryl Durran |
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Graduate auditionees must prepare 25 minutes of advanced repertoire showing contrasting styles. Auditionees are encouraged to contact the instructor regarding audition repertoire. Instructor: Kim Cook |
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Graduate auditions should reflect a mastery of the fundamentals of clarinet playing including a high degree of technical achievement, articulation, and tonal control. The audition should reveal a mature approach to phrasing and expressiveness. Auditions will last about twenty-five minutes and should include the following:
Instructor: Dr. Anthony J. Costa
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Applicants to the graduate program in composition must submit a portfolio of recent work including scores and, if possible, high-quality recordings. Also, a sample of the applicant's music manuscript must be included (one of the scores submitted can fulfill this requirement if it is hand-copied). No originals should be sent, only high-quality bound copies on suitable paper. In addition, a sample of writing on music should be included. A paper written for an undergraduate music course is acceptable. Instructor: Paul Barsom |
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Students auditioning for a master of music degree in double bass performance should be prepared to play two contrasting movements of a standard concerto (Vanhal, Bottesini, Koussevitsky, etc.) or sonata (Misek, Schubert) as well as the following orchestral excerpts:
Instructor: Rob Nairn |
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Euphonium Tuba Instructor: Velvet Brown |
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Graduate flute applicants should prepare a recital program of at least thirty minutes of music drawn from three or more different style-periods of repertoire. (Accompaniment is not required.) The auditioning faculty jury will ask to hear extensive representative samples from each work. If the applicant wishes, a cassette tape, CD or video of recent performances (ex. senior recital) may be submitted in advance of the audition for additional evaluation. Further guidance in preparing for the audition can be obtained by contacting: Instructor: Dr. Eleanor Armstrong |
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Candidates for a master of music in horn performance should prepare the following:
Instructor: Lisa Bontrager |
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Candidates for graduate oboe study should be able to perform either a major sonata or concerto (i.e. Poulenc, Hindemith, Saint-Saens, Mozart Concerto, etc.), an etude demonstrating technical abilities, and two contrasting orchestral excerpts from any period. Accompaniment is not necessary. Instructor: Timothy Hurtz |
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Graduate percussion applicants should prepare a recital program of approximately forty-five minutes of music. Included should be a major work for four-mallet marimba, other four-mallet music of a contrasting style for either marimba or vibraphone (jazz is acceptable), a two-mallet work for marimba or xylophone demonstrating advanced technical ability, an advanced non-rudimental solo or etude for snare drum, an advanced rudimental-style snare drum solo, and common orchestral excerpts for timpani as well as all standard orchestral percussion instruments. Demonstration of technique and knowledge of musical styles on the drum set is also expected. A thorough knowledge of all scales, arpeggios, and standard snare drum rudiments should be demonstrated. Accompaniment in solo works is not required. If the applicant wishes, a cassette tape, CD or video of recent performances (ex. senior recital) may be submitted in advance of the audition for additional evaluation. Further guidance regarding appropriate repertoire and preparation for the audition can be obtained by contacting: Instructor: Dan C. Armstrong |
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Those applying for graduate piano study should prepare a program equivalent to the requirements for a senior-level recital at Penn State, which might include, for example, a complete Beethoven, Haydn, or Mozart sonata of significant size and difficulty; a Chopin Ballade or comparable romantic work; a Baroque work comparable to an advanced Prelude and Fugue of the W.T.C. by J.S. Bach; perhaps an Impressionist or Contemporary group of similar difficulty. While not every program will include all these categories, mature technical and artistic accomplishment should be demonstrated. The program should total forty to sixty minutes of music. Live audition is preferred when possible; however, international students and others from distant localities are sometimes admitted on the strength of a recital video (DVD). To substitute a video recording, refer to these two documents for instructions:
Click here for audition requirements for the DMA in Piano Performance Contact: Dr. Steven Smith |
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Auditionees should prepare the following: Contact: Prof. David Stambler |
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Students interested in the master's degree in trombone performance should contact Professor Mark Lusk. Students under serious consideration will be requested to attend Penn State for an extended visit during which they will perform an extensive audition as well as meet with and teach the undergraduate trombone majors. Instructor: Mark Lusk |
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Candidates for graduate trumpet study should prepare a variety of both solo repertoire and etudes as well as numerous orchestral excerpts. They will also be expected to sight-read. Optional: jazz improvisation and jazz lead trumpet. Instructor: Dr. Langston Fitzgerald III |
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Students contemplating a graduate performance degree should prepare:
At least one piece should be memorized. The audition committee may request three-octave scales and arpeggios. Instructor: Dr. Timothy Deighton |
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Applicants intending to pursue the Master of Music Performance or Professional Performance Certificate should prepare the following: Instructor: James Lyon Instructor: Max Zorin, violin |
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Applicants wishing to pursue either the master of music in voice performance or the master of music in voice performance and pedagogy must prepare at least five memorized art songs or arias representing various languages and/or style periods. At least one of the selections must be in English and one of the selections must be an opera or oratorio aria sung in the original language. Applicants should furnish a repertoire list either before or at the time of the audition. For more information on the master of music in voice performance and the master of music in voice performance and pedagogy please CLICK HERE Applicants wishing to pursue the master of fine arts in voice pedagogy for musical theatre should apply through the School of Theatre. For more information on the master of fine arts in voice pedagogy for musical theatre please CLICK HERE Contact: Professor Jennifer Trost |