School of Music

Undergraduate Admissions & Advising

Audition Requirements

An audition is required of all students applying as music majors, minors and of anyone wishing to be considered for music scholarships. The audition consists of a performance by the student on their principal instrument or voice plus a brief aural skills/sight-singing exam and a music theory assessment (Music Admissions Office will be in touch with all incoming Freshman about taking the music theory assessment test after the auditions are completed.)

Audition Requirements by Studio Area
Bassoon
  • Two contrasting compositions from the classical repertory or a standard contest-type solo, FBA Level V or higher, which best display your technical and musical accomplishments
  • All major scales
  • Sight-reading
Clarinet

Undergraduate clarinet audition requirements:

  • Two contrasting solos, FBA Level V, higher or equivalent
  • All major scales (full range)
  • Chromatic scale (full range)
  • Sight-reading

NOTE: If you play bass clarinet you must audition on Bb clarinet.

Cello
  • Concerto first movement such as one by Saint Saëns, Boccherini, Haydn or Lalo; alternately, a sonata movement such as one by Brahms, or Beethoven
  • A movement from a Bach Suite 
  • Sight-reading
Euphonium
  • All Major Scales - Two Octaves
  • Sight Reading
  • Two Contrasting Etudes (Lyrical and Technical)
    • Ex. Melodious Etudes (Book 1) by Rochut, Selected Studies for Baritone (Voxman), 36 Studies for Trombone/Baritone (Kopprasch), Advanced Studies for Baritone (Tyrell).
  • One Solo from the Standard Repertoire for Euphonium
    • Ex. ​Suite for Baritone (Haddad), Fantasia (Jacob), Concerto for Euphonium (Horovitz), Sonata for Unaccompanied Euphonium (Clinard), A Walk In the Woods (Censhu)
Flute

1.   All major scales,
2.  The chromatic scale, three octaves; and
3.  Two prepared solos contrasting in style, grade V or above from the Florida Bandmaster’s Festival List or from the standard literature.

French horn

Two contrasting movements of solo pieces or etudes (Kopprasch, Kling, or Gallay) from the following list: Beethoven, Sonata; Corelli, Sonata in F Major; Glazunov, Reveries; Hayden, Sonata; Mozart, Concertos 1-4, Concert Rondo; Saint-Saëns, Concertpiece; Strauss, Concerto, Op.8; or Strauss, concerto No.1, or selections of comparable difficulty. 

Guitar (Classical)

The applicants must perform a minimum of two contrasting pieces from the Standard Segovia Classical Guitar Repertoire.

Oboe
  • Two contrasting pieces (one fast, one slow), FBA Level V or higher. These selections may be etudes, studies, and/or solos
  • All major scales, two octaves when possible
  • A chromatic scale, two octaves (starting on low c, c#, or d)
  • Sight-reading
Organ or Harpsichord

Organists entering at the Bachelor level should present one pre-1800 work; one post-1800 work; and one 20th-century or contemporary work. Students who plan to begin study in either organ or harpsichord should demonstrate the same level of keyboard facility as entering pianists. Masters: three pieces in contrasting styles.

Percussion

​Snare Drum

  • One solo or etude demonstrating musical and technical ability
  • Concert style (buzz) roll pp-ff-pp
  • Sight-reading

Timpani

  • One solo or etude demonstrating musical and technical ability
  • Tuning
  • Sight-reading

Keyboard (Mallet) Percussion

  • One solo or etude demonstrating musical and technical ability. This solo can be for two or four mallets.
  • Major scales, two octaves with arpeggios 
  • Sight-reading

*All percussionists must audition in all three areas (Snare, Timpani, Mallet)

Piano
  • A minimum of three works by memory by different composers representing a range of historical styles and demonstrating a thorough depth of technical and musical development. One of the three pieces must be a fast movement from a sonata by Beethoven, Mozart or Haydn. The preparation of repertoire beyond the minimum three pieces is encouraged.
  • Sight-reading
Saxophone
  • Two contrasting pieces, FBA Level V or higher (one may be an etude at similar level) 
  • All major scales
  • A chromatic scale, full range 
  • Sight-reading
String Bass

Present two contrasting works that display your performance skills. 

  • One should emphasize lyrical playing and tone production
  • The second; music of a more technical nature; 
  • Sight-reading
Trombone
  • Two contrasting selections (one technical, one lyrical). These may be contrasting movements or sections from a solo piece or etude. Solo repertoire should be an FBA level 4 (equivalent) work or higher. Etude suggestions include: Blazhevich (School for Trombone in Clefs or 70 Studies for BBb Tuba); Bordogni (Complete Vocalises for Trombone or Tuba); Gillis (70 Progressive Studies for the Modern Bass Trombonist); Grigoriev (Fifty Etudes); Rubank (Advances Method for Trombone); Tyrell (40 Progressive Studies for Trombone); Voxman (Selected Studies for Trombone).
  • All major scales in two octaves
  • Sight reading
Trumpet
  • Two contrasting pieces (one technical – one lyrical). These may be two movements or sections from a concerto, or a solo work from an approved state band association with a listing of Level IV or above, OR two contrasting etudes (one technical – one lyrical) from the Arban Complete Method, Bordogni Etudes, Bousquet Etudes, V. Brandt Etudes, Charlier Etudes, Concone lyrical Studies, J.L. Small Etudes, Walter M. Smith Top Tones, or Snedecor Etudes
  • All major scales
  • Two-octave chromatic scale 
  • Sight-reading
Tuba
  • All Major Scales - Two Octaves
  • Sight Reading
  • Two Contrasting Etudes (Lyrical and Technical)
    • Ex. Grigoriev's Studies for Tuba, 43 Bel Canto Studies by Bordogni, 70 Studies for Tuba by Blazhevich, 60 Selected Studies by Kopprasch, Advanced Studies for Tuba (Tyrell)
  • One Solo from the Standard Repertoire for Tuba
    • Ex. Suite for Tuba (Haddad), Sonata for Tuba (Hindemith), Concerto in One Movement (Lebedev), Concerto for Bass Tuba (Vaughan Williams), Serenade #12 (Persichetti), Suite for Unaccompanied Tuba (Hartley)
Viola

Prepare two contrasting works, one of which should be: 

  • A movement of Solo Bach (Cello Suites or Violin Sonatas and Partitas), Telemann (Fantasias), or Reger (Suites)
  • One other movement of a concerto or sonata from the standard repertoire
  • Sight-reading
Violin

Prepare two contrasting works, one of which should be: 

  • A movement from the Six Solo Sonatas and Partitas by J.S. Bach
  • One other movement of a concerto from the standard repertoire (or other large-scale work) for violin and orchestra
  • Sight-reading
Voice

Perform from memory a minimum of two contrasting pieces from the classical repertory. The pieces should represent varying historical style periods.

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