Auditions

• Any two or three-octave scale
• A short piece or a movement from a sonata or concerto

• F major scale and A major scale, 2 octaves, slurred up and tongued down
• Chromatic scale covering your full range, slurred up and tongued down
• From the Weissenborn Fifty Advanced Studies (op. 8 vol. 2)
  • Study #1
  • An articulated study of your choice, such as #2, 5, 8, etc.
• A solo piece that best demonstrates your abilities

• Any two or three-octave scale.
• One movement from a J. S. Bach Suite for Solo Cello
• A contrasting short piece or a movement from a sonata or concerto

Scales: Knowledge of all major and minor scales - for recorded auditions, please choose the four that best demonstrate your range and ability.

Solos: Please select two contrasting solos, etudes, or movements that best demonstrate your ability.

Example repertoire: 

• D'Rivera - Cape Cod Files
• Larsen - Dancing Solo
• Mozart - Clarinet Concerto
• Rose - 32 Etudes
• Weber - Concertino

Students auditioning to enter the Bachelor of Music in Composition degree program should submit at least three sample compositions. One sample may be an arrangement; however, two of the submissions must be original compositions. All compositions, unless totally electronic in medium, must be submitted in score form accompanied by recordings, either live or computer-generated MIDI.

In addition to submitting sample compositions, students must also complete an audition on their primary instrument or voice type.

Portfolios and recordings can be sent to:

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

• Two major scales (two octaves where feasible)
• A Chromatic scale (encompassing your full range, slurred or tongued)
• Two contrasting musical selections from a sonata, concerto or etude that highlight your technical proficiency and melodic lyricism

Example repertoire:

• Guilmant: Morceau Symphonique
• Barat: Andante and Allegro
• An etude from Tyrell 40 progressive studies for Trombone (Euphonium), an etude from Borgdoni (Rochut) Melodious Etudes, an etude from Voxman Selected Studies)

• Three major scales (two octaves, tongued up and slurred down)
• Chromatic scale, three octaves if possible, tongued
• Two musical selections from a sonata, concerto, etude, or orchestral work that highlight your technical proficiency and melodic lyricism

Example repertoire:

• Mozart: Concerto in G
• Faure: Fantasie
• Any sonata by Bach, Telemann, or Handel
• An etude from Melodious and Progressive Studies ed. Robert Cavally, Book 1, 2, or 3 (Southern Music company)
• Standard Orchestral Flute Excerpts

• A four-octave scale in any 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

• Two major scales (two octaves where feasible)
• A Chromatic scale (encompassing your full range, slurred or tongued)
• Two musical selections from a sonata, concerto, etude, or orchestral work that highlight your technical proficiency and melodic lyricism
• Sight reading may be requested for live auditions

Example repertoire:

• Mozart: Horn Concertos 1-4, or Concert Rondo
• Strauss: Horn Concerto 1 , Gliere: Concerto op. 91
• Saint-Saens: Morceau de Concert
• F. Strauss: Nocturno or Concerto op. 8
• Krohl: Laudatio, Standard Orchestral Horn Excerpts, Honor Band or All-State Audition Repertoire)

Live option: Perform two 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 two 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.

• Two major scales, preferably slurred
• A single work, or two contrasting short works (one of which could be an etude or ensemble excerpt), totaling no more than eight minutes, which demonstrate technical proficiency, sound production and phrasing

• Two mallet solo or etude (marimba or xylophone) without accompaniment. Additionally, a four-mallet marimba solo is not required, but encouraged.
• Snare drum solo or etude. (Concert style is required, but an additional marching/rudimental style solo is encouraged).
• Timpani solo or etude (2, 3, or 4 drum).

Examples of two-mallet solos for marimba/xylophone and four-mallet marimba solos:

• Etudes from Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone by Morris Goldenberg (two mallet)
• Etudes from Fundamental Method for Mallets by Mitchell Peters (two-mallet)
• Masterpieces for Marimba arranged by Thomas McMillan (two-mallet)
• Mitchell Peters 4 mallet marimba solos like Yellow After the Rain and Sea Refractions (four-mallet)
• Solos from Image by Bart Quartier (4 mallet)
• Solos from Marimba: Technique Through Music by Mark Ford (4 mallet)

Examples of concert snare drum and rudimental solos:

• Portraits in Rhythm by Anthony Cirone
• Intermediate Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters
• 14 Modern Contest Solos by John S. Pratt
• The All-American Drummer by Charley Wilcoxon

Examples of timpani etudes/solos found in the following method books:

• Fundamental Method for Timpani by Mitchell Peters
• Timpani Method by Alfred Friese and Alexander Lepak
• Modern Method for Timpani by Saul Goodman
• The Solo Timpanist by Vic Firth

Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance

Students auditioning in person should prepare a program of at least 15 minutes of stylistically diverse, musically and pianistically challenging music comparable to the examples below. Those submitting video auditions should submit at least 20 minutes of music.

• A Work from the Baroque Period
• A sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven, Hummel, or Schubert
• Works by Romantic, Impressionist and/or 20th/21st century composers

All pieces must be performed from memory. Exceptions may be permitted only in the case of some 20th/21st century pieces.

Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Music Minor

• Students auditioning should present two pieces of contrasting styles that best show their level of technical and musical skill.

Scales: 3 major scales (2 octaves where possible or full range). Full range chromatic scale (low Bb to high F or F#).

Solo: A single work, or two short contrasting works (one of which could be an etude or ensemble excerpt). Your solo should showcase your technical proficiency, sound production, and phrasing. 

Example repertoire:

• Himie Voxman, Selected Studies for Saxophone
• Wilhelm Ferling, 48 Famous Etudes
• Larry Teal, Solos for the Alto Saxophone Player
• Henry Eccles, Sonata
• Jeanine Rueff, Chanson et Passepied
• Jacques Ibert, Aria
• William Grant Still, Romance

• Two major scales (two octaves where feasible)
• Two contrasting musical selections from a sonata, concerto, or etude that highlight your technical proficiency and melodic lyricism

Example repertoire:

• Guilmant: Morceau Symphonique
• Barat: Andante and Allegro
• An etude from Tyrell 40 progressive studies from trombone
• An etude from Borgdoni (Rochut) Melodious Etudes for Trombone
• An etude from Voxman Selected Studies

• Two Major Scales (two octaves when possible)
• A Chromatic Scale (encompassing your full range, slurred or tongued)
• Two contrasting musical selections to be chosen from a movement of a concerto, sonata, etude, or ensemble excerpt. These selections should highlight your technical proficiency and melodic lyricism

Example repertoire:

• Arutiunian: Trumpet Concerto in Ab Major
• Arutiunian: Elegy, Arban: Characteristic Studies
• Balay: Petite Piece Concertante
• Geodecke: Concert Etude
• Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in Eb Major
• Hummel: Trumpet, Concerto in Eb Major
• Kennan: Sonata for Piano and Trumpet
• Ropartz: Andante et Allegro
• Turrin: Caprice, Voxman: Etude from the Selected Studies for Cornet or Trumpet, All-State Etudes)

• Two Major Scales (two octaves)
• A technical solo or etude
• A lyrical solo or etude

Example repertoire:

• Grigoriev: Studies for Tuba
• Bordogni: Legato Etudes Vol. 1
• Blazhevich: 70 Studies for Tuba
• Tyrell: 40 Advanced Studies for Tuba
• Hofmeister: 60 Studies for Tuba
• Woodruff: 24 Artistic Studies for Tuba
• Haddad: Suite for Tuba
• Hindemith: Sonata for Bass Tuba
• Vaughn Williams: Concerto for Bass Tuba, Mvmt. 1
• Holmes: Lento, Wilder: Suite No. 1 for Tuba
• Marcello: Sonata in F–Major
• Bach: Air and Bourree
• Dowling: His Majesty the Tuba)

Choose two keys, one from List A and one from List B. In each chosen key, prepare the major, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales, as well as the major and minor arpeggios. Scales and arpeggios may be played in 2 or 3 octaves (your choice). 

• Violin
  • List A: G, A, B-flat, B, C, D
  • List B: A-flat, D-flat, E-flat, E, F, F-sharp
• Viola
  • List A: C, D, E-flat, E, F, G
  • List B: D-flat, F-sharp, A-flat, A, B-flat, B

Two contrasting repertoire movements/selections, such as unaccompanied works, concerti, or concert pieces (they should differ in tempo and historical period). No orchestral excerpts or chamber music.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Maureen Yuen, Ph.D. (maureeny@unr.edu) with any questions about appropriate repertoire or technical requirements.

General expectations:

• All pieces must be memorized.
• Solo parts from choral works are not accepted.
  • Live Auditions: Bring sheet music for the pianist.  Please, no lead sheets.
  • Video Auditions: Use a live accompanist or a high-quality backing track (no vocal tracks).

Requirements by degree / program

• B.M. (Vocal Performance) & BME (Music Education)
  • Three contrasting pieces.  Two must be Western European Classical art songs or arias.
    • One piece in English
    • One piece in a language other than English
    • One piece of any genre, including classical
• B.A. in Music
  • 2 contrasting pieces
• Music Minor
  • 1 piece of your choice.
• B.A. in Musical Theatre
  • Please check the specific Musical Theatre degree page for details and audition dates.
• Recommended Anthologies:
  • First Book of Solos (Parts I, II, III)  - Joan Frey Boytim
  • 24 or 26 Italian Songs and Arias - Schirmer
  • Gateway to German Lieder - Alfred
  • French Song Anthology  - Hal Leonard
  • The Singer's Anthology of American Standards / Musical Theatre / Pop Rock Ballads - Hal Leonard