Auditions Carnegie Mellon University School of Music

Keyboard Audition Information

Piano (MM)

Piano applicants are required to submit a pre-screening video recording. Invited auditioners will be notified in early January and audition confirmations will be sent no less than two weeks before the live audition date.

Pre-screening requirements:

The length of the recording must be at least 20 minutes

Required Repertoire 

l  A Baroque or Classical work (From 17th century to Beethoven) 

l  A Romantic, 20th Century, or Contemporary work demonstrating the applicant’s pianistic and artistic ability 

Live audition requirements: 

Candidates who proceed to the live audition phase will be expected to prepare the following audition requirements:

  l  A polyphonic work (late-Renaissance to contemporary) 

l  A complete Classical sonata (J.C. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven, or Schubert) 

l  A major Romantic work (e.g., a sonata by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, Scriabin, or Rachmaninoff, a Chopin Ballade or Scherzo, a cycle by Schumann, or any large-scale composition by Liszt) or a selection of characteristic pieces of contrasting moods (e.g., an opus of Chopin Mazurkas, selections from Liszt’s “Années de Pèlerinage” or Brahms’ Op. 116-119) 

l  A 20th-century or contemporary work (from Debussy onward) 

l  A virtuoso composition, such as an etude by Clementi (“Gradus ad Parnassum”), Czerny (Op. 740), Chopin, Paganini/Schumann, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Bartók, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, or Ligeti, or a toccata or toccata-like movement by Czerny, Schumann, Liszt, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, or Prokofiev

Collaborative Piano (MM)

Collaborative Piano auditions are based on which track/concentration to which you are applying. The School of Music will provide instrumental and vocal performers for the collaborative piano audition on campus only. All candidates must choose audition repertoire from the list below.  

All Collaborative Piano auditions include sight reading and an interview. There is no pre-audition rehearsal required. However, rehearsals before the audition may be scheduled directly with the instrumentalists/vocalists who will be in the auditions. Applicants who wish to schedule a rehearsal will be responsible for fees (paid directly to the instrumentalists/vocalists). Contact information will be available two weeks prior to the audition.

Dual Track Audition Repertoire:

1 César Franck: 
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major
Allegretto ben moderato
Allegro

2 Ludwig van Beethoven:
Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (Allegro con Brio) or
Sonata for Piano and Cello No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69 (Allegro ma non tanto)

3 Johannes Brahms: 
Meine Liebe ist grün (b minor)

4 Gabriel Fauré: 
Toujours (e minor) from Poème d’un Jour

Instrumental Track Audition Repertoire:

1 César Franck:

1.   Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major
     Allegretto ben moderato
     Allegro
2. 2 Ludwig van Beethoven:
     Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (Allegro con Brio) or
     Sonata for Piano and Cello No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69 (Allegro ma non tanto)
3. 3 Johannes Brahms: 
     Meine Liebe ist grün (b minor)
4. 4 Gabriel Fauré: 
     Toujours (e minor) from Poème d’un Jour

 Vocal Track Audition Repertoire:

 Choose ONE movement from the instrumental pieces below.

ü  César Franck: 
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major
Allegretto ben moderato
Allegro

ü  Ludwig van Beethoven:
Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (Allegro con Brio) or
Sonata for Piano and Cello No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69 (Allegro ma non tanto) 

2. All of the following.

ü  Johannes Brahms:
Meine Liebe ist grün (b minor)

ü  Gabriel Fauré: 
Toujours (e minor) from Poème d’un Jour

ü  Samuel Barber:
St. Ita’s Vision from Hermit Songs

ü  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: 
Giunse alfin il momento…Deh vieni, non tardar from Le Nozze di Figaro 

Please choose one of the above to sing AND play.

                                                                                                                                 Updated on 04/17/2019