Graduate program auditions

• Any two or three-octave scale
• A short piece or a movement from a sonata or concerto
• If sending via video submission, the candidate may include examples from a recent Senior Recital.

• Exposition of the Mozart or Weber concerto
• Piece for bassoon and piano, composed after 1900, of level comparable to the Paris Conservatoire contest pieces such as: Saint-Saens Sonata, Tansman Sonatina, Bozza Recit, Sicilienne et Rondo or Concertino,Duclos Faggotino
• The following Orchestral Excerpts:
  • Marriage of Figaro
  • Tchaikovsky 6
  • Scheherazade mvmt 2 opening and cadenzas
  • Two others of your choice
• A short piece or movement that best demonstrates your musical voice and interests. Please be prepared to share your reasons for choosing the work.

• A Prelude and another movement from J.S. Bach Cello Suite
• A movement of a standard concerto

1. Scales: Knowledge of all major and minor scales - for recorded auditions, please choose four that best demonstrate your range and ability.
2. One movement from a Romantic or Classical Era concerto or sonata.
   • Example repertoire:
     • Brahms - Clarinet Sonatas
     • Mozart - Clarinet Concerto
     • Poulenc - Clarinet Sonata
     • Weber - Clarinet Concertos or Concertino
3. One unaccompanied work written no earlier than the 20th century.
   • Example repertoire:
     • Larsen - Dancing Solo
     • Osborne - Rhapsody
     • Stravinsky - Three Pieces
     • Tower - Wings
4. Two contrasting orchestral excerpts that best demonstrate your ability.

Students are required to submit a short portfolio of compositions (three-to-four pieces). Recordings or computer-generated representations of scores are appreciated, but not required.

Portfolios and recordings can be sent to:

Jean-Paul Perrotte
jperrotte@unr.edu
Associate Professor of Composition
Director of Electro-Acoustic Lab

• One video link showing 10-15 minutes of rehearsal, including pieces of contrasting styles, which can be edited to include multiple rehearsal segments.
• One video link showing 8-10 minutes of performance (front-facing camera angle), which can be edited to include multiple performance segments.
• A recent sample of scholarly writing
• A CV including contact information for three professional references.

Pre-screening materials:

• Video links from a performance and/or conducting workshop
• Links to a recording (audio or video) of a short performance on the applicant’s principal instrument
• A sample of scholarly writing
• An updated CV and contact information for three professional references

Successful pre-screen candidates will be invited to campus for an interview, aural skills assessment and live conducting audition.

Pre-screening materials should be e-mailed to:

Jason Altieri
Director of Orchestras
jaltieri@unr.edu

Pre-screening materials:

• Video links from a performance and rehearsal
• Links to a recording (audio or video) of a short performance on the applicant’s principal instrument
• A sample of scholarly writing
• An updated CV and contact information for three professional references

Successful pre-screen candidates will be invited to campus for an interview, aural skills assessment and live conducting audition.

Pre-screening materials should be emailed to:

Reed Chamberlin
Director of Bands
rchamberlin@unr.edu

• A standard euphonium concerto
• A euphonium sonata or an unaccompanied solo
• Five Standard Orchestral/Band excerpts, one of which must be from the orchestral repertoire.

Examples:

• Pictures at an Exhibition
• The Planets
• Don Quixote
• Ein Heldenleben
• Wagner

• An exposition from a standard flute concerto
• A flute sonata or unaccompanied solo
• One etude selected from the following:
  
  • Casterade: 12 Etudes
  • Jean Jean: Modern Etudes
  • Hugues: 40 New Studies
• Four Standard Orchestral Excerpts that showcase your range, technical proficiency and melodic lyricism

Example Repertoire:

• Mozart: Concerto in D or G
• Nielsen: Concerto
• Ibert: Concerto
• Liebermann: Sonata
• Prokofiev: Sonata
• Fukushima: Mei
• Messian: Le Merle Noir
• Coleman: Danza de la Mariposa

If sending via video submission, the candidate may include examples from a recent Senior Recital.

Contact Ed Corey for audition requirements prior to submitting an application.

Ed Corey
Lecturer of Guitar
coreyh@unr.edu

• A four-octave scale in any given key with related four-octave arpeggios
• Two pieces of contrasting styles that best show performer's level of technical and musical skill
• Any standard repertoire orchestral excerpt

• An exposition from a standard horn concerto
• A horn sonata or an unaccompanied solo
• Three Standard Orchestral Excerpts that showcase your range, technical proficiency, and melodic lyricism

Example repertoire:

• Mozart: Horn Concertos 2 or 4
• Strauss: Horn Concerto 1 or 2
• Jacobs: Horn Concerto
• Ewazen: Sonata
• Bozza: En Foret
• Messiaen: Des Canyons aux étoiles
• Martin: Lament

Live option: Perform three jazz standards with rhythm section (provided); play the melody and take a solo on each selection.

• Optional: One original composition or one non-jazz piece of your choice.

Video option: Perform three jazz standards with rhythm section accompaniment or with recorded play-along; play the melody and take a solo on each selection.

• Optional: One original composition or one non-jazz piece of your choice. This can be a solo recording, or a recording with other musicians.

Students should contact the program director for specific entrance and audition requirements.

Louis Niebur
Director of Graduate Studies
Associate Professor of Musicology
lniebur@unr.edu

• Three contrasting solo works from three different centuries. Can include selections from an undergraduate senior recital program.
• Two Orchestral Excerpts
• Two Etudes

• Four mallet marimba work (something suitable for an undergraduate senior recital)
• Snare drum solo from the Delecluse Twelve Studies
• Timpani Solo (Carter, Bergamo, Beck, Cahn or comparable)

Candidates auditioning in person for the degree should prepare a program of at least 30 minutes of stylistically diverse, musically and pianistically challenging music comparable to the examples below. Those submitting video auditions should submit at least 40 minutes of music.

• A major work containing a fugue by J.S. Bach, Shostakovich, Hindemith, etc.
• A sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven, Hummel, or Schubert
• A complete major work of the Romantic, Impressionist, or early 20th/21st Century periods
• A virtuoso etude from among those of Chopin, Liszt, Skryabin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Ligeti, or Bolcom

A program must represent at least three contrasting style periods. All pieces must be performed from memory. Exceptions may be permitted only in the case of some 20th and 21st-century pieces.

• Three contrasting solo works from three different centuries. Can include selections from an undergraduate senior recital program
• Two Etudes

• Two contrasting technical studies, lyrical and technical, from Bitsch, Bozza, Bordogni, Blazevich, Tyrell or the equivalent
• One solo selected by the student, demonstrating advanced musicality and technique
• Four contrasting orchestral excerpts for tenor trombone such as:
  • Ravel's Boléro
  • Mahler's Symphony No. 3
  • Wagner's Ride of the Valkyrie
  • Rossini's William Tell or La Gazza Ladra
  • Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel
  • Bruckner's Symphony No. 7
  • Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3 
• Four contrasting standard orchestral excerpts for bass trombone such as:
  • Bach's Sarabande from 5th Suite
  • Bruckner's Symphony No. 7
  • Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
  • Berlioz's Hungarian March
  • Kodály's Háry János
  • Rossini's William Tell or La Gazza Ladra 

• An exposition from a classical concerto: Haydn, Hummel, or Neruda
• A selection from a trumpet sonata, cornet solo, unaccompanied solo, or advanced etude
• A selection of three standard orchestral excerpts from the list below:
  
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (Mvt. 1 m. 1 – m. 25)
  • Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade)
  • Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 2 or No. 3 (off-stage solo)
  • Respighi: Pines of Rome (Mvt. 2 off-stage solo)
  • Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra (Mvt V. No. 201- No. 256; Trumpet 2)
  • Stravinsky: Petrouchka (Ballerina’s Dance)

Example Repertoire:

• Bitsch: Vingt Etudes
• Bozza: Rustiques
• Brandt: Concert Piece
• Charlier: 36 Transcendent Etudes for Trumpet
• Clarke: Maid of the Mist
• Hindemith: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano
• Hohne: Slavische Fantasie
• Kennan: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano
• Peaslee: Night Songs, Persichetti: Hollow Men
• Plog: Postcards
• Tomasi: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
• Vizzutti: Cascades

• Five orchestral or band excerpts of your choice
• One movement from a standard solo in the repertoire (from, or comparable to, those on the example list below)

Example repertoire:

• Vaughn Williams: Concerto for Bass Tuba
• Penderecki: Capriccio
• Plog: Three Miniatures
• Gregson: Concerto for Tuba
• Szentpali: Concerto for Tuba

Major, melodic and harmonic minor three-octave scales and major and minor three-octave arpeggios. Choose 2 keys, one from List A and one from List B:

Violin:

• List A: G, A, B-flat, B, C, D
• List B: A-flat, D-flat, E-flat, E, F, F#

Viola:

• List A: C, D, E-flat, E, F, G
• List B: D-flat, F#, A-flat, A, B-flat, B

Two contrasting movements from a J.S. Bach Violin Sonata or Partita for solo violin or from a J.S. Bach Cello Suite for viola.

One movement of a standard concerto.

Applicants are encouraged to consult with Dr. Maureen Yuen (maureeny@unr.edu) with questions about repertoire selection technical requirements.

Master of Music in Performance

• Five contrasting selections including opera arias, oratorio arias and art songs with at least one selection written after 1970 representing a diversity of styles and languages.
• A comprehensive repertoire list.
• A personal statement outlining musical inspiration and career aspirations is required.

Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance

• Five-to-seven contrasting selections including opera arias, oratorio arias and art songs with at least one selection written after 1970
• A comprehensive repertoire list
• A sample recital program
• A personal statement outlining career aspirations/research interests