Undergraduate Instrumental Auditions

Flute (For music majors):

• All Major Scales
• 3-octave chromatic scale
• Two solos or movements from a major sonata or concerto demonstrating tone and technical facility
  • Examples: any piece from "French Music by French Composers," a Mozart Concerto, Bach or Poulenc Sonata, or solo of comparable difficulty level
  • Sight-reading

Flute (for non-music majors):

• All Major scales
• 3-octave chromatic scale
• One piece demonstrating tone and technical abilities
• Sight-reading

Clarinet:

• Major scales: 1-2 major scales as requested by the audition committee, performed from memory or from music, at least 2 octaves
• Two contrasting pieces or etudes: All-State etudes, movements from larger works, or shorter single-movement works that best highlight the applicant's performance level
• Sight-reading

Saxophone:

• Major scales and chromatic scale, 1 or 2 will be requested by the audition committee, performed from memory or from music
• Two contrasting musical selections: standard etudes, a movement/section from a larger piece, short single-movement works
  • Examples: Rueff Chanson et Passepied, Joly Cantilène et Danse, Eccles Sonata, Villa-Lobos Fantasia, Glazunov Concerto, Ferling 48 Famous Studies, Berbiguier 18 Exercises (arr. Mule), Voxman Selected Studies
    • Applicants are encouraged to select equivalent music beyond the provided examples, feel free to correspond with Dr. Joshua Heaney ([email protected]) with questions about repertoire.
• Sight-reading

Oboe and Bassoon

• Two contrasting pieces
• Repertoire may be solos or etudes written for the instrument, preferably one fast, technical piece and one slow, lyrical piece.
• Sight-reading

Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, and Tuba

Applicants must perform two contrasting pieces. Repertoire may be solos or etudes written for the instrument, preferably one fast, technical piece and one slow, lyrical piece. All instrumental auditions will include sight-reading. Photocopied music and taped accompaniments are not allowed.

Violin:

Two works of contrasting style:

• A concerto movement of choice
• An elective work or movement selected from the unaccompanied, solo, or duo-sonata repertoire that contrasts in period/style and genre with the selected concerto. This may include études and caprices. If a Classical or Romantic sonata is chosen, it is recommended to collaborate with a pianist in the audition recording; if this is not possible, a different repertoire selection may be more advisable.

Sight-reading

For any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Nicholas Hatt at [email protected].

Viola:

Two works of contrasting styles from the standard viola repertoire selected from the following:

• A movement from a major concerto.
• A movement from the Bach Cello Suites (transcribed for viola).
• A contrasting work that is considered to be from the standard viola solo repertoire. This may include a viola solo work, a concert piece, or a solo movement from unaccompanied works.
• An etude demonstrating accomplished technique, such as Kayser, Kreutzer, Campagnoli, Paganini, etc.
• The current required All-State audition piece.
• A standard orchestral excerpt (e.g., Movement II from Beethoven Symphony No.5, Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture, Don Juan, Variation V, VII, or VIII from Brahms Haydn Variations, Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream Scherzo, etc.)
• Other works not listed (with previous approval from the viola professor prior to the audition)

Sight-reading

For any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Shaohong "Betty" Yuan at [email protected].

Cello:

Two works of contrasting style that demonstrate technical skill and musicianship. Selections may be made from the following:

• An étude (Popper, Grützmacher, Schroeder, Duport, etc.) or caprice by Piatti or Franchomme
• The exposition of a standard concerto
• A showpiece, a lyrical piece, or a movement from a sonata
• A movement from a Bach suite
• Current All-State cello audition repertoire

Sight-reading

For questions about audition repertoire or about the cello program, please contact Professor Emily Stoops.

Double Bass:

Two contrasting pieces demonstrating technical skill and musicianship. Selections may be made from:

• A movement from a concerto. Concertos by composers include, but are not limited to, Capuzzi, Dragonetti, Dittersdorf, Bottesini, Koussevitzky.
• A contrasting work that is considered to be from the standard double bass repertoire. This may include a movement from a sonata, a concert piece, or a movement from a Bach Cello Suite.
• An etude found in studies such as Sturm, Storch-Hrabe, Lee, or Simandl 30 Etudes.
• A standard orchestral excerpt (e.g., Beethoven 9 recitative, Beethoven 5 trio, Strauss Ein Heldenleben, Mozart 40 mvt. 1, Brahms 1 mvt. 1).
• The current All-State audition required piece.
• A two-octave scale may also be requested.

Sight-reading

For clarification or suggestions contact Prof. John Schimek at [email protected] prior to the scheduled audition.

Harp:

Candidates must perform the following:

• One solo work from the standard harp literature
• One solo work that represents your artistic musicianship
• Orchestral excerpt:
  • The cadenza from The Nutcracker "Waltz of the Flowers", Tchaikovsky

Sight reading may also be requested. All solo pieces must be memorized, while sheet music may be used for the orchestral excerpts.

For any questions or concerns, please contact Professor Emily Duncan at [email protected].

Please contact Dr. Tommy Dobbs ([email protected]) for any questions

Solo Literature:

Snare Drum: One Solo/Etude by Cirone, Peters, Delecluse, or Tompkins

Marimba (Two-Mallets): One solo demonstrating two-mallet ability

Examples: works by Bach, Koshinski, Green, McMillian, Goldenberg, etc.

Marimba (Four-Mallets): One solo demonstrating four-mallet ability

Examples work by Bach, Zeltsman, Sammut, Stout, Burritt, or published transcriptions/arrangements

Timpani: One Solo or Etude by Delecluse, Carter, Hochrainer, Beck, Goodman, Lepak, etc.

Optional:

Drumset: Medium/Up-tempo swing (time and trading fours), Bossa Nova, Funk, and Samba

World Percussion: Steel Pan solo (pans provided if requested), congas (provided), riq, maracas, various frame drums, etc.

Auditionees can submit videos if they desire.

If time permits, auditionees can select to demonstrate live.

Gear Provided:
 

• Brass Pearl Philharmonic Snare Drum (4” with REMO Skyntone Head) or Aluminum Pearl Philharmonic Snare Drum (5.5” with REMO M5 Head)
• Yamaha YM-5104A 5.0 Marimba or Malletech Stiletto 5.0 Marimba
• Yamaha Dresden and Balanced Action Timpani will be available
• Adams Alpha Series Xylophone (low C)
• Yamaha YG-2500 Pedal Glockenspiel (3 1/3 Octave Range)

Please Note:

All- State audition material can be used if you desire.

Feel free to contact Dr. Tommy Dobbs @ [email protected] to set up an audition date.

For a free lesson and a personal tour of our facilities, please contact Dr. Dobbs at the above-mentioned email address.

Follow the OCU Percussion Studio on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Applicants are required to perform three pieces from memory, selected from the following historical periods:

• Baroque (e.g. Bach, Scarlatti, Handel, Rameau, Couperin)
• Classical (e.g. one movement of a Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven Sonata)
• Romantic (e.g. Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Brahms, Liszt)
• Twentieth Century (e.g. Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Hindemith, Prokofieff, Copland, Muczynski)

Applicants may be asked to perform all or part of their prepared repertoire.

Applicants are required to perform three pieces:

• One work by J.S. Bach or another Baroque composer
• One piece by a Romantic or contemporary composer
• A hymn, prepared as if it were being played for a congregation

Ample time and pistons will be provided for registering pieces and hymn.

The OCU Guitar program is a highly competitive program that is a unique synthesis of classical, folk, historical performance, jazz, and popular music. Undergraduate Guitar auditions require at least 15 minutes of music with a minimum of two contrasting works. For these works, the music may be performed on classical, acoustic, or electric guitar. Additional works (not required) may include original compositions and performances on other plucked string historical or folk instruments such as the lute, theorbo, banjo and mandolin.

Applicants will be contacted and interviewed by the Guitar faculty upon completion of the Acceptd Application.

Composition applicants must audition on their major instrument, according to the guidelines above. In addition, composition auditions require the submission of a portfolio of original compositions, recordings, and an interview with the Composition faculty.

Applicants will be contacted by the Composition faculty upon completion of the Acceptd application.

Music Education applicants must audition on their major instrument, according to the guidelines above. In addition, Music Education applicants will interview with the Music Education faculty.

Applicants will be contacted by the Music Education faculty upon completion of the Acceptd application.