School of Music | College of Fine Arts - Boston University

Brass Audition Information

Prescreening

Applicants to the following programs and instruments need to submit a prescreening video recording or portfolio for review before they can be invited to a live audition or interview.

• Applicants to cello, double bass, flute, percussion, piano, trumpet, violin, or voice regardless of degree or program
• Graduate Composition majors
• All applicants to the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance
• All applicants to the Artist Diploma

Prescreening recordings and portfolios are due by December 1. Applicants will be notified of prescreening results in early January.

Trumpet (BM)

Prescreening:

• Characteristic Study #1 from J.B. Arban Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet (Cornet)
• Etude #2, 4, or 6 from Théo Charlier 36 Études Transcendantes
• One movement from a solo of the applicant’s choosing

Audition:

• All selections from the prescreening list
• Three excerpts (all Trumpet 1) chosen by the applicant among:

1. Copland: An Outdoor Adventure (Lyrical Solo)
2. Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (mvt. 1, opening solo)
3. Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition (Opening Promenade)
4. Ravel: Piano Concerto in G (mvt. 1, Figure 2 to Figure 3)
5. Respighi: Pines of Rome (mvt. 2 offstage solo)
6. Stravinsky: Petrushka (Ballerina’s Dance)

• Sight-reading and playing by ear will also be tested.

Tenor Trombone (BM)

Audition Repertoire

• Two contrasting solo works (without accompaniment).
• Three orchestral excerpts.

Excerpt Examples:

• Requiem, Tuba Mirum, tenor trombone solo, Mozart
• Hungarian March, Berlioz
• The Ride of the Valkyries or Loehengrin, Prelude to Act lll, Wagner
• Bolero, 1st Trombone solo, Ravel
• La Gazza Ladra, Rossini
• 2nd Trombone solo from Russian Easter Overture, Rimsky-Korsakov
• Chorale, 1st Trombone part, Symphony #1, Brahms
• 1st trombone solo, Symphony #3, Saint-Saens

Bass Trombone (BM)

Live Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare two contrasting solo works. Solos should be selected from works with a minimum difficulty of Cameos by Jacob, Concerto for Bass Trombone by Lebedev, or Ballade by Ewazen. Solo works should be prepared without accompaniment.

Applicants should prepare three orchestral excerpts, for example:

• The Creation, Haydn
• The Ride of the Valkyries or Loehengrin, Prelude to Act lll, Wagner
• La Gazza Ladra, Rossini
• Chorale, Symphony #1, Brahms
• Hungarian March, Berlioz
• Symphony #3 “The Rhenish,” Schumann

Horn (BM)

Live Audition Repertoire

• Two solo works
• One étude
• Two or three passages from the orchestral repertoire
• Applicants may be asked to perform all scales and arpeggios that demonstrate musicianship and technique and be prepared to sight-read literature appropriate to the instrument.

Memorization is required for the concerto/concerti and optional (but recommended) for the remaining repertoire.

Auditions should be performed without accompaniment.

Euphonium (BM)

Live Audition Repertoire

• Two contrasting solo works.
• One étude or study.
• Two or three orchestral excerpts.

Tuba (BM)

Live Audition Repertoire

• Two contrasting solo works.
• One étude or study.
• Two or three orchestral excerpts.

Scales, arpeggios, and sight-reading may be given at the audition.

Updated on 09/24/2018