Doctor of Musical Arts in Clarinet Performance

We will not be accepting DMA Clarinet applications for Fall 2026. Please contact the Music Admissions Office if you have any questions.

The submission must be played in a continuous unedited segment; any indication that there has been editing or that recording equipment was paused/stopped between selections will result in the disqualification of the application. All prescreening pieces should be played unaccompanied.

Required prescreening repertoire is by video submission:

• Mozart Clarinet Concerto, 1st movement, Exposition only (beginning of Solo until bar 133)
• Joan Tower Wings
• Copland Concerto, from the beginning to end of the cadenza
• Mendelssohn Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, measures 1 – 48
• Beethoven Symphony No. 6 First movement (measures 476-492) and Second movement (measures 68-78)
• Beethoven Symphony No. 8 Third movement Menuetto and Trio (no repeats)

Required graduate live audition repertoire:

• The entire Mozart Clarinet Concerto, K. 622
• The entire Debussy, Premiere Rhapsodie
• The entire Copland, Concerto.
• Joan Tower, Wings
• Orchestral excerpts (do not use excerpt books for these passages): Mendelssohn Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream (measures 1-48); Beethoven Symphony No. 6, First movement (measures 474-492) & Second movement (measures 68-78); Beethoven Symphony No. 8, Third movement Menuetto & Trio (no repeats); Brahms Symphony No. 3, movements 1 and 2 (please prepare solos and tutti passages); Kodály: Dances Galánta (bars 31 - 66); Rimsky Korsakov: Capricco: Movements I. Alborada and III. Alborada; Stravinsky: Firebird Suite: Variation of the Firebird; Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2
• Applicants will also be expected to demonstrate sight-reading ability with material chosen by the instructor.

The complete live audition program must be performed with piano, with the exception of the unaccompanied works. The Shepherd School will provide a pianist and one hour of rehearsal time. Additional rehearsal time must be arranged and paid for by the applicant. All piano parts must be made available to the Shepherd School pianist three weeks before the scheduled audition date. The applicant must be prepared to perform all chosen works in their entirety. However, the audition committee may decide to hear only certain portions.