UNDERGRADUATE AUDITION DATES AND REQUIREMENTS
In addition to submitting a complete application for admission, music applicants must perform an audition. A live audition on campus is strongly encouraged so that our faculty can know you better not only as a musician, but also as an individual. In those instances when a live audition is not possible, an audio or video recording is acceptable.
To arrange an audition, you must:
- Complete and submit the Shepherd School Audition Form by January 2, 2008. Mail your completed audition form to:
Audition Coordinator
Shepherd School of Music – MS 532
Rice University
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892
- Attention Double Bass, Flute and Violin applicants: Due to limited availability within studios, a preliminary audition recording is required from all applicants for Double Bass, Flute, and only those Violinists whose preferred teacher is Mr. Goldsmith. The preliminary recording is due by January 2, 2008 with your audition form.
- Call the Audition Coordinator at 713-348-3578 to schedule an audition time. It is the applicant’s responsibility to request an audition. The Shepherd School does not automatically schedule any auditions.
Please click on your area of study for specific audition dates and repertoire requirements. Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Composition, Double Bass, Flute, Harp, Horn, Music History, Music Theory, Oboe, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Viola, Violin, Voice.
Bassoon: February 4, 11, and 25, 2008
Required undergraduate audition repertoire:
- Mozart Concerto, movements 1 and 2, or Weber Concerto
- One Milde Étude from Op. 24, scales and chords
- A slow, melodic étude of applicant's choice
- Orchestral excerpts
- Overture to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro
- Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, movement 2.
Click here to download the bassoon audition form.
Cello: January 28, February 4, and 11, 2008
Required undergraduate audition repertoire:
- Étude by Popper or a caprice by Franchomme or Piatti
- A major concerto movement
- Two movements from a Bach Cello Suite
The concerto and Bach suite should be played from memory, if possible.
Click here to download the cello audition form.
Clarinet: February 8, 15, 18, and 29, 2008
Required undergraduate audition repertoire:
- Mozart Concerto
- A major work from the 19th century (a concerto or a work for clarinet and piano)
- A major work from the 20th or 21st century (a concerto, a work for clarinet and piano, or a work for clarinet alone)
- Four standard orchestral excerpts of your choice
You may play only two contrasting movements from a multi-movement work.
Click here to download the clarinet audition form.
Composition: Composers must submit a portfolio of compositions that are representative of their work to date. To establish the applicant's musical ability and background, applicants must demonstrate proficiency on a musical instrument by submitting an audition recording with a performance by the applicant of music from the standard repertoire. It is not required that instrumental competence be at the level of a major in performance. A live audition is not required, but an interview with a composition faculty member is suggested. Please send copies of your work, as application materials cannot be returned.
Click here to download the composition interview form.
Double Bass: Preliminary DVDs are due January 2, 2008.
The Shepherd School Office of Music Admissions will contact double bass applicants invited for a live audition upon review of the preliminary recordings. Live auditions will be scheduled individually on a date and time in January or February that is mutually convenient to the applicant and faculty.
Required undergraduate audition repertoire:
- Preliminary DVD required (DVD may include live audition repertoire)
- Two contrasting movements of a standard double bass concerto or comparable works from the standard double bass solo repertoire
- Three orchestral excerpts from the standard orchestral repertoire
- Two movements of a solo Bach Suite in any key
Click here to download the double bass audition form.
Flute: Preliminary recordings are due January 2, 2008.
Live auditions will be held February 8, 15, 18, and 29, 2008.
The Shepherd School Office of Music Admissions will contact flute applicants invited for a live audition upon review of the preliminary recordings.
Required preliminary recording repertoire:
- Two contrasting movements from a standard solo work (such as a Bach sonata), or one standard work with contrasting sections (such as the Griffes Poem).
Live audition repertoire:
- A Baroque work
- A Classical or Romantic work
- A work from the 20th or 21st century
- Four standard orchestral excerpts of your choice
You may choose to play only one movement from a composition with multiple movements. Of the Baroque, Classical/Romantic, and 20th/21st c. works, one must be memorized.
Click here to download the flute audition form.
Harp: February 22 and 23, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- A work from the 18th or 19th century (transcription acceptable)
- 20th century piece for harp
A movement of a concerto may be substituted for one of the above. Audition should be from memory, approximately ten minutes in length. Repertoire should demonstrate both technical preparation and musical development sufficient to justify the expectation of meeting the requirements of graduation from the school within the time prescribed by the curriculum.
Click here to download the harp audition form.
Horn: January 21, and 25:February 4, 8, and 11, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- Two contrasting solos of your choice (examples: Mozart No. 2 or No. 4 contrasted with a Strauss concerto)
- Excerpts which cover the following criteria:
- soft and low (examples: Mahler 1st low tutti or Variation 8 of Strauss’ Don Quixote)
- soft and high (examples: Ravel G major piano concerto or Pavane)
- loud and low (examples: Shostakovich 5th low tutti or Variation 7 of Don Quixote)
- loud and high (examples: Beethoven 7th or Wagner Siegfried Call)
- a work that encompasses the full range (examples: openings of Ein Heldenleben or Till Eulenspiegel)
- Scales, sight-reading, and transposition will be tested.
Click here to download the horn audition form.
Music History: Please submit a writing sample (preferably a substantial paper on a musical topic) and a statement about why you wish to study music history. To establish the applicant's musical ability and background, applicants must demonstrate competence on an instrument or voice by submitting an audition recording with a performance of three contrasting works from the standard repertoire, played with accompaniment. It is not required that the skills be at the level of a major in performance. A live audition is not required, but an interview with a music history faculty member is suggested. Please send copies of your work, as application materials cannot be returned.
Click here to download the music history interview form.
Music Theory: An interview with the music theory faculty is encouraged but not required. No live audition is required, but applicants must submit a recording demonstrating instrumental or vocal proficiency.
Oboe: Due to limited availability within the studio, we do not anticipate any undergraduate openings in oboe for Fall 2008 admission. Interested students are encouraged to contact the Shepherd School at 713-348-3032 for updated information.
Organ: Live auditions will be scheduled individually on a date and time mutually convenient to the applicant and faculty.
Required audition repertoire: Be prepared to play one work each from the Baroque, Romantic, and Contemporary repertory. Performance from memory is desired but not required.
Click here to download the organ audition form.
Percussion: Live auditions will be scheduled individually on a date and time mutually convenient to the applicant and faculty.
Required audition repertoire:
- Be prepared to play representative études demonstrating your skills in timpani, mallet instruments, and snare drum. (These études should come from such standard percussion studies as the Goldenberg Snare Drum Method, the Cirone Portraits of Rhythm, Goldenberg Xylophone Method, and the Goodman Timpani Method.)
- Two solos on marimba (one four-mallet contemporary solo and one two-mallet solo, e.g., a Bach sonata or partita would be preferable).
- Prepared solos on mallets, timpani, and snare drum are required; orchestral excerpts on each instrument are also required.
- You should also be able to demonstrate your proficiency in tuning the timpani and in performance on all the other basic utility percussion instruments (e.g. triangle, tambourine, cymbals).
- Sight-reading will be included.
Click here to download the percussion audition form.
Piano: January 28, February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
Thirty minutes of memorized repertoire representing three of the following four style periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist/Contemporary. Recommended: Prelude and Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier; a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven; a solo piece from the Romantic repertoire; and a work by a representative 20th Century composer.
Click here to download the piano audition form.
Trombone: January 14, 28, and February 11, 2008.
Required audition repertoire:
Be prepared to play several works (such as a concerto, sonata or other solo piece) from your studies in the past two years, as well as excerpts from orchestral or wind literature which you feel would give us a good idea of how you play. You should also be prepared to play major and minor scales and an étude showing your level of technical achievement.
Click here to download the trombone audition form.
Trumpet: January 28, February 8, 18, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- Hummel Trumpet Concerto, movement I
- A solo of your choice (one movement only)
- A slow melodic étude of your choice
- Orchestral excerpts:
- Beethoven, Leonore Overture No. 3 (off-stage solo)
- Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (first promenade)
- Respighi, Pines of Rome (off-stage solo)
- Major/minor scales, sight-reading and transposition will be tested.
Click here to download the trumpet audition form.
Tuba: January 25, February 8, and 22, 2008
Prepare a varied program that is not difficult for you to play:
- All major/minor scales in two octaves
- A solo piece of your choice
- Two contrasting études – one étude should be technical (Kopprasch, Blahevich) and the other lyrical (Bordogni, Concone)
- At least three orchestral excerpts should also be prepared.
- Expect sight-reading.
Click here to download the tuba audition form.
Viola: January 18, February 1, 11, and 22, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- Two contrasting movements from a Bach Cello Suite (memorized)
- Two movements of a Baroque or Classical concerto OR one movement of a major concerto
- One étude of your choice
- Be prepared to play a major and minor scale in three octaves
Click here to download the viola audition form.
Violin:
Auditions for Mr. Goldsmith’s studio: February 1, 15, and 25, 2008
Preliminary recordings are due January 2, 2008.
Required live audition repertoire:
- One major and one minor scale in three octaves
- One étude or caprice
- First movement of a concerto
- One additional solo piece (not a sonata, although a movement of solo Bach is acceptable).
All compositions must be played from memory except for the étude/caprice.
Click here to download the violin audition form.
Auditions for Mr. Lin’s studio: January 14, February 1, 4, and 22, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- All major and minor scales and arpeggios in three octaves
- One étude or caprice (include Wieniawski or Paganini)
- First movement of a major concerto (cadenza included) from the standard repertoire
- One additional solo piece (preferably a movement from an unaccompanied Bach solo Sonata or Partita).
All compositions must be played from memory except for the étude/caprice.
Click here to download the violin audition form.
Auditions for Mr. Luca’s studio: February 11 and 22, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- One major and one minor scale in three octaves
- One étude or caprice
- First movement of a concerto
- One other solo piece (not a sonata, although a movement of solo Bach is acceptable).
All compositions must be played from memory except for the étude/caprice.
Click here to download the violin audition form.
Auditions for Ms. Winkler’s studio: February 1, 8, 22, and 25, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- All major and minor scales and arpeggios in three octaves
- One étude/caprice
- First movement of a major concerto from the standard repertoire
- One other solo piece (preferably a movement from an unaccompanied Bach solo Sonata or Partita).
All compositions must be played from memory except for the étude/caprice.
Click here to download the violin audition form.
Voice: January 18, 19, 25, 26, February 1, 2, and 8, 2008
Required audition repertoire:
- Prepare two classical selections of your own choice, one of which must be in English.
- Transfer applicants: Prepare one early Italian song, an aria from an opera or oratorio, and two songs of contrasting style and language. One of your selections must be in English.
Click here to download the voice audition form. |
