Specific Audition Requirements for Certain Programs

Each of the applied faculty has a slightly different approach to auditions. In general, students auditioning should have a good command of major and minor scales. You will be asked to play prepared pieces that demonstrate your technical and musical ability in contrasting styles, and you may also be asked to sight read. There will also likely be a brief interview. For the specific audition requirements for each instrument, see below or contact an appropriate applied faculty member. If you do not see special requirements for your instrument listed here, our faculty has not specified any.

• Bassoon
• Choral Conducting (graduate)
• Classical Guitar
• Oboe
• Percussion
• Piano
• Strings (undergraduate)
• Trumpet
• Voice

Bassoon

Please contact Peter Simpson with any questions or see his basson studio website.

Audition Material:

• Three octave chromatic scale, slurred, as fast as you can accurately play.
• Three octave B major scale, tongued, as fast as you can accurately play.
• One fast movement, and one slow movement from a work of your choice. For example, the two movements could come from a Galliard Sonata.

Choral Conducting (graduate)

A pre-screening DVD is required for both MM and DMA Choral Conducting applicants. Deadline for submission is Feb. 10.

1. A short video of the candidate rehearsing (not conducting) a choir or choirs (10-15 mins).
2.  A resume or vita
3. For DMA’s only: A brief writing sample of an academic nature, e.g. an excerpt from a masters level research paper.
   

After reviewing these materials successful applicants will be invited to campus for a live audition.

Guitar

Read the Audition and other Information for Guitar, by Dieter Hennings, Professor of Music and Director of Guitar Studies at UK:

• Preparing for Life as a College Guitar Major
• Audition Information

Percussion

Read the Audition and other Information for Percussion, by James Campbell, Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at UK.

• Percussion Studies at UK
• Preparing for Life as a College Percussion Major
• Undergraduate Audition information for percussion
• Graduate Audition information for percussion (including the new DVD pre-audition requirement)

Oboe

For an undergraduate entrance audition, you should prepare the following:

1. Two contrasting selections -- movements of the same work, or contrasting pieces. You may use an Etude for one of these selections.
2. Play a chromatic scale UP AND DOWN, and SLURRED from the lowest note possible, to the highest note you know and back down.
3. You may be asked to stay for a short lesson or to do some sightreading as well.

For questions about your audition or to prepare for a graduate audition, contact Prof. Nancy Clauter.

Piano

Undergraduate Piano Performance

Prepare at least fifteen minutes of music, two or three pieces of contrasting styles, preferably memorized. Also review and be prepared to play any scales or other technical material you have studied. You will also be asked to sight-read some unfamiliar piano scores. Please contact Irina Voro with any questions you may have.

Graduate Piano Performance

Please see the Admittance Requirements for the DMA program in piano for repertoire requirements. Contact Irina Voro with any questions you may have.

Undergraduate Strings

Applicants should prepare 2 or 3 contrasting works, preferably including a movement of a standard concerto  and a movement of unaccompanied Bach. The audition will last about 15-20 minutes, and may include major and minor scales and sight-reading.

Trumpet

Visit trumpet professor Mark Clodfelter's page for Trumpet Studio Audition Requirements.

Voice

Undergraduate Voice

See the information here.

Graduate Voice

See the information here including the new pre-audition DVD requirement