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Graduate - Master of Music

Deadlines
Jazz Studies Fall Application Deadline:  December 1, 2010
All other programs/instruments: December 15, 2010

Spring Application Deadline: October 15, 2010 (Select instruments only)

SPRING 2011: Very few programs at the Conservatory of Music accept applications for spring admission. If you are interested in spring admission, please email the Conservatory at music@purchase.edu to find out if the major you want to pursue at the Conservatory will be accepting applications for spring. If your intended program is open to the receipt of spring applications, all pre-screening materials will be due in purchase.slideroom.com by October 15, 2010. Live auditions for spring 2011 will take place in early November.

International Students Application Instructions

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Who may apply:

  • Persons holding an undergraduate degree or the equivalent from an accredited college in the United States or an approved institution of higher education abroad.
  • Persons who are enrolled for a bachelor's degree who are in their senior year.

Choose one of three graduate programs:

Master of Music
Performers Certificate - (Post Baccalaureate: One-Year or Two-Year)
Artist Diploma - (Post Masters: One-Year or Two-Year)

These programs are offered in the following areas:

  • Brass
  • Composition
  • Harp
  • Strings
  • Percussion
  • Piano
  • Opera Studies
  • Studio Composition (Masters in Music only)
  • Woodwinds
  • Jazz Studies
  • Classical Guitar

APPLICATION PROCESS

A complete application includes transcripts of all previous post-secondary education, a personal statement, three letters of recommendation from students teachers and, if applicable, results of the TOEFL or IELTS examination.

Please follow all application instructions carefully. In cases where students fail to follow the requirements and instructions listed here, we cannot guarantee the application can be reviewed and the application may be withdrawn from consideration.  For faster processing of mailed materials, please do not staple items together. 

Step 1: Apply online:
Apply online using the Graduate Application at www.applyweb.com/aw?suny47gd. 
The application fee is $50 payable to Purchase College.

Step 2: Complete your application:
Submit all of the following information required to complete your application together in one package:

Mail your package to:

Purchase College - Application Processing
Attn: Graduate Programs
279 Broadway
Albany, NY 12204-2755

*Note: International students may have TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted electronically.

MUSIC AUDITION

Admission to the Conservatory of Music is highly competitive and is based on a required audition process with Conservatory Faculty and a review of the students overall application by the Office of Admissions. Only exceptionally talented musicians who can demonstrate a high level of instrumental proficiency and/or musical knowledge and technical skill will be offered admission.

Step 1: Pre-screening Audition

All applicants must submit a pre-screening audition recording online at HTTP://PURCHASE.SLIDEROOM.COM* along with the non-refundable $56 audition fee. Applicants can upload sound files (mp3), video (mov) and/or any required documents (pdf).You may choose to submit your audition in either a video (mov) or sound (mp3) format, but please choose one or the other. Please follow these technical requirements:

  • Videos (mov, flv or wmv) must be 60MB or less. Please size your videos to be 640 x 480px to get maximum duration.
  • Audio (mp3) must be 5MB or less
  • Documents (pdf) must be 10MB or less

Pre-screening submission deadlines:

  • Jazz Studies: December 1, 2010.
  • All other programs and instruments: January 1, 2011

Please follow the submission instructions carefully for your particular program(s) of choice at http://purchase.slideroom.com. If you wish to audition for more than one program, you must submit a separate pre-screening audition and fee for each program.
Please DO NOT mail in an audition CD or DVD. CD and DVD auditions mailed to Admissions or the Conservatory of Music will be discarded and the application may be withdrawn from consideration.

*If you experience difficulty uploading your audition pieces, you must contact Slideroom technical support at support@slideroom.com for assistance. Please allow one day for a response. You can also consult the Slideroom Helpdesk and FAQ at https://slideroom.zendesk.com/home.

Step 2: Live Auditions by Invitation Only

All students will be notified of results of pre-screening auditions by February 1, 2011. Students selected for live auditions will be notified by email directly from the Conservatory of Music and will be assigned a live audition date at that time.

2011 LIVE AUDITION DATES

All live auditions take place in the Music Building on campus. Visit the Conservatory of Music Audition Information page for both the pre-screening audition requirements and live audition requirements. Live auditions will take place from Monday, February 21, 2011 through Saturday, February 26, 2011. Specific dates for each program/instrument will be posted here in October.

Audition Requirments:
Audition requirements are listed at http://purchase.slideroom.com. You can also visit the Conservatory of Music for both the pre-screening audition requirements and live audition requirements for your chosen program/instrument

Admission Decisions:
All final admission decisions will be delivered on or around March 15, 2011. You can check on the status of your application by logging on to your MyPurchase account. If you are offered admission, you will be asked to submit an enrollment deposit by May 1, 2011.