Music Pre-Screening and Audition Guidelines

Audition Dates:

UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please submit the following:

• One major and one minor two-octave scale and arpeggio
• A solo of your choice.

Live audition: Please prepare all selections listed below. One major and one minor two-octave scale and arpeggio.

• A solo of your choice.
• Two contrasting orchestral excerpts.

Audition Dates:

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces.

• Three-octave scales and arpeggios.
• Two contrasting solos of applicant’s choice.
• Three contrasting orchestral excerpts.

Audition Date:

UNDERGRADUATE

Horn, tenor trombone, bass trombone, trumpet: audition on Bb and C trumpets only, tuba: audition on Eb, CC, or BBb only.

Prescreening audition: Please prepare the following pieces:

• Two contrasting ètudes
• Two contrasting movements from the solo repertoire

Live audition: Please prepare the following selections:

• Two contrasting ètudes
• Two contrasting movements from the solo repertoire
• Sight-reading taken from the standard orchestral repertoire.

GRADUATE

Horn; tenor trombone; bass trombone; trumpet, must audition on Bb and C trumpets, and can choose additional option of performing on D, Eb, and/or piccolo trumpets; tuba: addition on F, Eb, CC, or BBb tubas.

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces.

• Two advanced, contrasting pieces, one of which must be an original work from the 20-/21-century repertoire. Performance of at least one piece from memory is desirable.
• Advanced sight reading taken from orchestral repertoire. Excerpts will include: Transposition for trumpet and horn; reading of alto or tenor clefs for trombone.

Audition Dates:

UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition: please submit two selections in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all three selections.

• One movement of a concerto from the standard repertory.
• One movement from the Bach Unaccompanied Suites.
• A third contrasting work of your choice (can be an ètude, a contemporary work, a showpiece, or a movement of a sonata).

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces.

• Two contrasting movements of a concerto from the standard repertory
• Two contrasting movements from the Bach Unaccompanied Suites.
• A third contrasting work of your choice (an ètude, a contemporary work, a showpiece, or a movement of a sonata).

Audition Date: 

UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the classical guitar repertoire.

Live audition: Please prepare all three pieces listed below

• Three works of contrasting style (Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, and/or contemporary) from the classical guitar repertoire.
• Live audition only: Sight-reading

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: “Live audition: Please prepare three works of contrasting style (Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, and/or contemporary) from the classical guitar repertoire. You will also be asked to sight-read.

Audition Date:

 UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please submit two original scores and recordings, one of which must have been written within the last two years.

Live audition: Please bring three pieces as described below.

• Applicants should present three original works notated conventionally, if appropriate, and recorded or performed live (no MIDI, please)
• The composition interview/live audition entails a brief ear training exam (interval recognition, chords, pitch matching, and scales), a discussion on general theoretical and/or historical topics and a demonstration of basic instrument proficiency. Students must prepare one short work on their solo instrument of choice.

Placement exams in music theory and ear training are required. 

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition:  Please submit two original scores and recording, one of which must have been written within the last two years.

Live audition: Please bring three pieces as outlined below.

• Applicants should present three scores and recordings if available (no MIDI, please).
• The composition interview/live audition entails a brief ear training exam (interval recognition, chords, pitch matching, and scales), a discussion of general theoretical and/or historical topics and a demonstration of basic instrument proficiency. Students must prepare one short work on his or her solo instrument of choice.

Audition Dates:

UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please submit two pieces in contrasting styles from the standard harp repertoire.

Live audition: Please prepare:

• One Pozzoli étude.
• Two contrasting works or movements from the standard harp repertoire.

You will be asked to sight-read at your live audition.

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces. All compositions must be performed from memory.

• Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp (1^st movement, no cadenza)
• One contemporary or 19^th-century work from the standard harp repertoire on the level of Hindemith’s Sonata or Faure’s Impromptu
• 1^st harp part from Symphone Fantastique/Berloiz, and one cadenza from Young Person’s/ Britten or Lucia/Donizetti, or Swan Lake/ Tchaikowsky

 Audition Dates:

UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE

Prescreening audition (The total length of your materials should not exceed 10 minutes)

• All applicants, except for drummers and singers, should perform two contrasting jazz standards, preferably with rhythm section or play-along record. Play the melody and an improvised solo.
• Singers should submit two selections, with piano, rhythm section or play-along accompaniment, from the American Songbook, including repertoire from Gershwin, Kern, Ellington, Porter, etc. Respect for the melody is advisable. Improvised solo not required.
• Acoustic bassists should include one chorus of walking bass lines in addition to the melody and improvised solo. (Note: a major concentration in electric bass guitar is not offered. Please audition on acoustic bass only.)
• Guitarists should include one chorus of comping in addition to the melody and improvised solo.
• Drummers should perform a ballad with brushes, a medium swing tune, and an up-tempo swing tune in the context of a trio or a small jazz combo. Please trade fours, eights, or choruses on either the medium or up-tempo swing tune.

Live audition: Only those applicants who pass the recorded audition will be invited to a live audition. In a live audition, the student will be asked to perform two or three standards of his/her choice- for which she/he will provide three copies of a lead sheet- with a rhythm section provided by the Conservatory and may be asked to show proficiency in Ear Training and Sight-Reading.

Audition Date: 

UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please submit two selections from the list below.

Live Audition: Please prepare all three selections from the list below:

• Snare drum
  • One ètude of your choice from Cirone’s Portraits in Rhythm or equivalent
• Marimba
  • One 2-mallet or 4-mallet ètude or solo
• Timpani
  • One ètude of your choice from Goodman’s Modern Method for Timpani or equivalent

*For the live audition all applicants must provide percussion faculty with two copies of all audition pieces.

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please submit two contrasting selections from the five “required” selections listed below.

Live audition: Please prepare all five “required” selections

Required:

• Snare drum: One ètude from Delecluse’s Douze Etudes or equivalent
• 4 Mallets: One 4-mallet solo from the standard solo repertoire
• 2 Mallets: One 2-mallet movement from J.S. Bach Six Suites for Solo Cello or Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (no repeats)
• Timpani: One solo from the standard repertoire
• Orchestral Excerpts: One standard orchestral excerpt on each of the following: Snare Drum, Xylophone, and Timpani

Optional:

• Multiple percussion solo: For the Prescreening audition, in addition to submitting two of the above required selections, you may submit a work from the standard solo repertoire.

*For the live audition, all applicants must provide percussion faculty with two copies of all audition pieces

Audition Date:

UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces. All compositions must be performed from memory.

• A prelude and fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier or another work of Bach containing a fugue
• One sonata by Mozart, Beethoven (including Op. 49 and Op. 79), Haydn, or Schubert.
• A major composition by a 19^th-century composer.
• A composition by a representative 20^th-century composer.

Audition Dates: 

UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition:

• Submit 2-3 samples of your music accompanied by a statement clearly describing your role in the writing and recording process for each piece. Applicants are expected to have basic music theory skills, including sight reading and the ability to hear and sing back intervals and chords.
• Also submit a professional rèsumè explaining your experience writing and/or performing music, your professional training (lessons, etc.), and anything else you feel is relevant to your application.

 Live audition: Please prepare 3-5 original pieces for the live audition/interview. You may bring a CD with your music selection, or you may perform your music live (if so, please bring scores notated conventionally). The live audition will also include an interview with the studio composition faculty.

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition:

• Submit 2-3 samples of your music accompanied by a statement clearly describing your role in the writing and recording process for each piece. Applicants are expected to have basic music theory skills, including sight reading and the ability to hear and sing back intervals and chords
• Also submit a professional resume explaining your experience writing and/or performing music, your professional training (lessons, etc.) and anything else you feel is relevant to your application.

Live audition: Please prepare the following:

• Five original works, either recorded or notated conventionally and performed live (Compositions should demonstrate technical and aesthetic abilities as a performer, composer, and producers).
• Written evidence of musical and/or professional accomplishments to date.
• Interview with studio composition faculty.

Audition Dates: 

UNDERGRADUATE

Applicants must follow the procedure outlined below:

Prescreening audition

• Your submission must contain three selections equaling not more than 15 minutes of music, and it must display your skill and ability in microphone placement, instrument recording, vocal recording, sound processing, and mixing. Materials must also display your musical aesthetics and a producer, and must be engineered and produced by you. Selections do not have to be original compositions. Any recording format may be used.
• Upload a chart detailing all aspects of each production including room size (if applicable), microphones used, recording device used, and any other pertinent data.
• Submit a resume with educational background including training in production, engineering, music theory and instrument instruction, if any. The resume must also include experience in the field, it any.
• Submit a cover letter slating why you would like to attend Purchase College for studio production as well as your career goals.

 Live Interviews/Audition:Applicants with a successful prescreening audition will be invited to a live audition/interview. The live audition is really an interview with the studio production faculty where applicants discuss their experience, their goals for the program and receive further testing in studio production, studio engineering, and music theory.
You will not be asked to play your instrument as part of your Studio Production audition/interview. You do not need to bring or prepare anything specific beyond being able to speak to the topics listed above.
Only those who are selected for a live audition/interview will be considered for admission.

Audition Dates:

Prescreening audition: please submit two selections in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all three selections. One movement of a concerto from the standard repertory.

• One movement of a Suite for Unaccompanied Cello by J.S. Bach
• Two contrasting movements from a concerto or sonata from a period other than the Baroque

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces.

• Two contrasting movements from a Suite for Unaccompanied Cello by J.S Bach.
• Two movements from a concerto for sonata or equivalent, such as Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher, Bloch’s Suite, concerto by Bartok and Walton, and sonatas by Brahms and Hindemith

Audition Dates:

UNDERGRADUATE

Prescreening audition: please submit two selections in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all three selections.

• One movement of a concerto from the standard repertory.
• One movement from the Bach Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas
• A third contrasting work of your choice (can be an ètude, a contemporary work, a showpiece, or a movement of a sonata).

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces.

• Two contrasting movements of a concerto from the standard repertory.
• Two contrasting movements from the Bach Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas.
• A third contrasting work of your choice (an ètude, a contemporary work, a showpiece, or a movement of a sonata).

Audition Dates:

UNDERGRADUATE &

Prescreening audition: Recording should not exceed 15 minutes in length and should include the following songs which should be in contrasting styles. One must be from the 20^th-century repertoire:

• One Italian art song.
• One German or French art song
• One song in English (not a translation)

Live Audition: Only those applicants who pass the prescreening audition will be invited to a live audition.

• Please prepare all pieces listed above. They can be the same pieces as your pre-screening, but don’t need to be if you have new repertoire that you would like to present.
• An accompanist will be provided; however, applicants are welcome to bring their own. Please bring legible, well-organized music for the accompanist

GRADUATE

Prescreening audition:

Your recording should not exceed 15 minutes in length and should include the following songs. The songs should be in contrasting styles, and one must be from the 20^th-century repertoire:

• Four art songs: one Italian, one French, one German, one English
• One aria from an opera
• One aria from an oratorio. If either your oratorio or opera aria is in one of the above required languages, you may eliminate that language from your art song requirement.

Live audition:

Only those applicants who pass the prescreening audition will be invited to a live audition.

• Please prepare all pieces listed above. They can be the same pieces as your pre-screening, but don’t need to be if you have new repertoire that you would like to present.
• An accompanist will be provided; however, applicants are welcome to bring their own. Please bring legible, well-organized music for the accompanist.

 Audition Dates:

UNDERGRADUATE

Flute

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below:

• A movement from a baroque sonata or classical concerto
• A 19^th or 20^th century piece
• An orchestral excerpt of your choice

         Live audition: Please prepare all pieces from the list below

• Two contrasting selections from the concerto/sonata literature (Ex. Mozart concerto, Bach sonata, etc.)
• A 19^th or 20^th century piece (Ex. Dutilleux, Sonatine, Prokofiev Sonata, etc.)
• Two excerpts from the orchestral repertoire.

Oboe, clarinet, bassoon

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces from the list below

• Two contrasting movements from a major concerto in the standard repertoire.
• Two contrasting etudes showing the applicant’s level of technical and lyrical abilities.
• Two excerpts from the orchestral repertoire.

 Placement exams in music theory, ear training, and keyboard skills are required on Live Audition Day. 

GRADUATE

Flute

Prescreening audition: Please submit selections from the list below.

• A movement from a baroque sonata or classical concerto
• A 19^th or 20^th century piece
• An orchestral excerpt of your choice

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces from the list below

• Two contrasting selections from the concerto/sonata literature (Ex. Mozart concerto, Bach sonata, etc.)
• A 19^th or 20^th century piece (Ex. Dutillex Sonatine, Prokofiev Sonata, etc.)
• Two excerpts from the orchestral repertoire

Oboe, clarinet, bassoon

Prescreening audition: Please select two pieces in contrasting styles from the list below.

Live audition: Please prepare all pieces from the list below

• Two contrasting movements from a major concerto in the standard repertoire
• Two contrasting eludes showing the applicant’s level of technical and lyrical abilities.
• Two excerpt from the orchestral repertoire.