Undergraduate Strings Audition Requirements

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Prescreen is required for all Frost School of Music applicants, and unless specified, prescreen requirements are the same as listed below. 

 

All classical string applicants should be prepared to discuss with the audition committee your aspirations and goals, as well as take the opportunity to prepare a question for the committee. 

Cello

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  • Prescreening & Audition

    All applicants

    • Any 3-octave major or minor scale with arpeggio
    • An etude from any one of the following: Popper, Piatti, Duport, Grutzmacher, Schroeder
    • Two contrasting movements from the Six Suites for Cello of J.S. Bach.  One movement should be a Prelude. Performance majors should play from memory

    Performance Majors

    First movement of a cello concerto from the standard repertoire.  Repertoire suggestions:
    • Dvorak, “Concerto in B Minor”
    • Haydn, “Concerto in C or D Major”
    • Schumann, “Concerto in A minor”
    • Shostakovich
    • Elgar 1st and 2nd movement together (or last movement)

    All Other Majors

    • Any movement of a concerto
    • Any movement of a Bach Suite
    • Any etude
    • Scale and arpeggio of candidate’s choi

Double Bass

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  • Prescreening & Audition

    The following repertoire is recommended but similar works may be substituted and approved by the faculty upon request one month prior to the audition.
    • One required solo (choose from the following): 
      • First movement of any standard concerto (Bottesini, Dittersdorf, Dragonetti, Koussevitsky)
      • One slow and one fast movement of a pre-approved Baroque Sonata (Marcello, Vivaldi, Bach, etc.)
      • Any Bach Cello Suite movement and edition of your choice
    • Two required orchestral excerpts: Beethoven, “Symphony No. 5 Scherzo and Trio”
      • Choose 1 (one) of the following excerpts:
        • Wagner, “Prelude to Die Meistersingers”
        • Mozart, “Symphony No 40 Mvt 1”: twenty measures before letter C to five measures after letter C (Zimmerman ed.)
        • Beethoven, “Symphony No. 9 Mvt. IV”: Recitative followed by 16 of the Ode to Joy (the second “Allegro assai”)

Viola

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  • Prescreening

    The pre-screen recording should consist of selections from the following. Select contrasting sections from the options below which best demonstrate your ability. The following repertoire is recommended but similar works may be substituted if approved by the faculty.
    • A Prelude and dance movement from a Bach Cello Suite, or two contrasting movements from a Bach Solo Violin Sonata or Partita
    • A movement from a classical or major concerto, or an original work for viola of the candidate’s choice.

  • Audition

    Performance Majors

    The following repertoire is recommended but similar works may be substituted and approved by the faculty upon request one month prior to the audition.
    • A Prelude and dance movement from a Bach Cello Suite, or two contrasting movements from a Bach Solo Violin Sonata or Partita
    • A movement from a classical or major concerto
    • An original work for viola of the candidate’s choice
    • Note: The Bach and concerto should be performed by memory

    All Other Music Majors

    • A Prelude and dance movement from a Bach Cello Suite, or two contrasting movements from a Bach Solo Violin Sonata or Partita
    • A movement from a classical or major concerto, or an original work for viola of the candidate’s choice

Violin

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  • Prescreening & Audition

    All applicants

    • Any major scale. Play 3 octaves: slowly for tone and intonation (3 to a bow); faster for technique and intonation (6 to 12 to a bow).
    • 1st movement of a major Concerto
    • Two contrasting movements from a Bach Sonata or Partita
    • An additional work of the applicant's choice