Auditions | College of Music | University of Colorado Boulder

Piano & Keyboard Audition Information

Solo Piano

Pre-Screening Recording

A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate solo piano applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.

Pre-Screening Recording Requirements:
A high quality VIDEO recording, 30 minutes in length minimum, of three major works in contrasting styles (Individual movements are acceptable).

All applicants are required to submit their pre-screening recordings to the Graduate Application by December 1.

Live Auditions

Master of Music
 Applicants should prepare a program of at least 45 minutes, consisting of three or more contrasting works representative of various style periods. At the audition, the committee will select a portion of music to hear. All works, except those composed since 1950, should be memorized.

Doctor of Musical Arts
 Applicants should prepare a program of at least 60 minutes, consisting of four or more contrasting works representative of various style periods. At the audition, the committee will select a portion of music to hear. All works, except those composed since 1950, should be memorized.

Recorded Auditions


Live auditions are strongly preferred. A recorded audition (live performance or studio recording) may be submitted in place of a live audition. Please see the Recorded Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.

A live audition is required to qualify for Teaching Assistantships. Applicants unable to travel for a live audition should contact their respective faculty member directly. Requirements for a recorded audition are identical to a live audition. Editing within a movement is prohibited. Any indication of editing may disqualify the candidate from admission. The recording (video) must be in a digital format with high quality audio.

Please note that while recorded auditions will be given full consideration, the best demonstration of your musical ability is through a live audition. 

Piano Performance and Pedagogy

Pre-Screening Recording

A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate piano performance and pedagogy applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.

Pre-Screening Recording Requirements

A high quality VIDEO recording, 30 minutes in length minimum, of three major works in contrasting styles (Individual movements are acceptable).

Additionally applicants are requested to submit 20 to 30 minutes of video-recorded teaching samples, in the form of two or three 10-minute lesson segments with different students in different levels. Include a document with information about the lessons and the students in the samples, including their ages and levels, how long you have worked with the students, the materials you currently use and have used in their lessons, the lesson goals in the included samples, and your general assessment of the student (musically, technically, etc). Also include a self-assessment of the lesson samples (e.g. things that went well, things you would have done differently, etc.). In addition, examples of writing samples (e.g. class papers), if available, are also encouraged

Applicants are required to upload these examples along with their recordings to the Graduate Application by December 1.

Live Auditions

Applicants should prepare a program of at least 45 minutes, consisting of three or more contrasting works representative of various style periods. At the audition, the committee will select a portion of music to hear. All works, except those composed since 1950, should be memorized.

Recorded Auditions


Live auditions are strongly preferred. A recorded audition (live performance or studio recording) may be submitted in place of a live audition. Please see the Recorded Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.

A live audition is required to qualify for Teaching Assistantships. Applicants unable to travel for a live audition should contact their respective faculty member directly. Requirements for a recorded audition are identical to a live audition. Editing within a movement is prohibited. Any indication of editing may disqualify the candidate from admission. The recording (video) must be in a digital format with high quality audio.

Please note that while recorded auditions will be given full consideration, the best demonstration of your musical ability is through a live audition.

Collaborative Piano

Pre-Screening Recording

Pre-screening recordings are required for all graduate collaborative piano applicants. Recordings will not be reviewed until the online application and supporting materials have been received. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than December 15.

Recordings must be made with instrumental and vocal partners. If invited for a live audition, applicants may choose to present the repertoire previously submitted for pre-screening consideration.

Pre-Screening Recording Requirements

The recording should feature the following repertoire:


• Two contrasting movements of a standard sonata for violin or cello and piano, such as Franck, Brahms, Beethoven or Prokofiev
• Two art songs of contrasting styles and character, one French and the other German (this repertoire may include - but is not limited to - the list of recommended vocal repertoire)

Applicants are required to submit their pre-screening recordings to the Graduate Application. The deadline for submission is December 1.

Live Auditions

Applicants should prepare a program comprising all elements listed below. All auditions must be presented with partners; applicants may bring their own partners when possible. Otherwise, partners will be arranged locally and applicants will have the opportunity to rehearse once with their instrumental colleagues prior to the audition. All vocal selections will be performed unrehearsed.

In addition to performance of the prepared repertoire, there will be a sight-reading component as well as an interview during the audition process. Applicants should bring a current repertoire list with them to the audition.


Master of Music repertoire requirements

• One complete standard sonata for stringed instrument and piano, such as Franck, Brahms, Beethoven, or Prokofiev
• The first movement of one of the following Mozart concerti:

o    Violin: K. 216 in G major, K. 218 in D major, or K. 219 in A major

o    Flute: K. 313/285c in G major


o    Oboe: K. 314/271k in C major


o    Clarinet: K. 622 in A major

o    Bassoon: K. 191/186e in B-flat major


o    Horn: K. 217, K. 447, or K. 495 in E-flat major

                  A group of six art songs of contrasting styles and character, representing the French, German and English languages, selected from the list of recommended pieces below.

Doctor of Musical Arts repertoire requirements

• Two complete standard sonatas for instrument and piano, such as Franck, Brahms, Beethoven, or Prokofiev. One sonata must be for a stringed instrument and piano, the other for a wind/brass instrument and piano
• The first movement of one of the Mozart concerti listed above
• A group of six art songs of contrasting styles and character, representing the French, German and English languages, selected from the list of recommended pieces below

Applicants should indicate their repertoire selections using the online Audition Repertoire Form.

Questions regarding the collaborative piano program and the audition requirements can be sent to: collaborativepiano@colorado.edu.

Recommended vocal repertoire

Applicants may select art songs from the standard repertoire, and every effort will be made to partner the chosen pieces. A list of recommended repertoire follows:

German

J. Brahms   Botschaft 
F. Schubert   Ganymed
 or Gretchen am Spinnrade 
R. Schumann   Waldesgespräch or Mondnacht 
R. Strauss   Allerseelen or Ständchen 

H. Wolf   Er ists

French

C. Debussy   Il pleure dans mon coeur or C’est l’extase 
H. Duparc   Phidylé or Chanson triste 
G. Faure   Mandoline or Clair de lune

English

S. Barber   St. Ita’s Vision
 or The Monk and His Cat 
A. Copland
   Heart! We Will Forget Him! 
R. Vaughan Williams   The Vagabond or The Roadside Fire

Updated on 08/23/2018