Auditions Undergraduate Repertoire

Undergraduate Music Audition Repertoire by Program

In some programs, auditions may include ear testing and sight reading

Students should bring resumes, a photo and repertoire lists

Applicants unable to attend a live audition should send VHS or DVD audition tapes to Attn: Dr. Paul Horan, NYU Steinhardt, Music and Performing Arts, 35 W. 4th Street Suite 777, New York, NY 10012 . Please clearly indicate your name, program applied to, contents of tape or CD and NYU ID, if applicable (Transfers and Graduate students have until April 15 to send in tapes).

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THE DEPARTMENT AT 212-998-5424

Brass & Woodwinds:
Classical performance majors must play two pieces in contrasting styles. (Includes all orchestral Brass and Woodwind instruments including classical saxophone.)

Composition:
A portfolio (CD and score) of three compositions. Perform two pieces in contrasting styles on an instrument of your choice.

Jazz Composition:
A portfolio (CD and score) of three compositions and a VHS video tape or DVD performing two contrasting pieces on an instrument of your choice.
ONLY Video and DVD’s are accepted as the main source material for auditions. For further information please contact the Jazz office at (212) 998-5446 or email David Schroeder at ds38@nyu.edu

Jazz Performance:
(All instruments) A VHS video tape or DVD performing three jazz standards with contrasting tempos and styles demonstrating improvisation and interactive skills within a live trio or quartet setting. ONLY Video and DVD’s are accepted as the main source material for auditions. For further information please contact the Jazz office at (212) 998-5446 or email David Schroeder at ds38@nyu.edu

Music Business:
Read more here.

Music Education: Bring a 300-500 word essay to the audition. The essay needs to address the following:
Consider a significant issue in education and reflect on its importance to you as a teacher/learner. As you consider an issue develop an argument that addresses some of the following aspects of education:
-curriculum development
-teaching practices
-assessment
-race/class/gender
-the role of education/music education in society

Orchestral Instruments: two pieces in contrasting styles, one of those styles could include a selection from the jazz repertoire
Piano: three pieces in contrasting styles, one of those styles could include a selection from the jazz repertoire
Voice: two pieces in contrasting styles; choose from two different periods or two different languages, one of the contrasting styles could include a music theater piece

Music Technology:
Information here.

Piano Performance:
Major/minor scales, a Bach piece including a fugue, 2 movements of a Beethoven Sonata excluding Opus 14, 49, and 79, one Romantic piece, and one 20th-century or 21st-century piece.

Percussion Performance:

Snare Drum: Delecluse solo #1 or Cirone solo Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade or Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
Marimba: 1 Two or Four Mallet solo of your choosing
Timpani: (1) Firth solo etude or "March" by Elliot Carter from "Eight Pieces for Solo Timpani” and (2) Tchaikovsky 4th, Mvt 1, start from letter T (to end of passage) or Beethoven Symphony #1 Scherzo Mov’t
Xylophone: Gershwin's Porgy and Bess or Kabalevsky Colas Breugnon
Multi Solo: optional Final solo in Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat

String Performance:

Double Bass: 1) A short (or portion of an) Etude displaying technical proficiency; 2) Two contrasting movements from a Vivaldi, Marcello Sonata or comparable work.
Viola: 1) A movement from an unaccompanied Bach Suite (originally for cello) or Sonata or Partita (originally for violin) memorized; 2) A concerto movement; 3) A movement of a standard work.
Violin: 1) One movement from the unaccompanied sonatas and Partitas by Bach memorized; 2) A first or last movement from a standard Romantic concerto and/or other virtuostic solo piece memorized; 3) A movement of a sonata from the standard repertoire.
Cello: 1) Two contrasting movements of Bach Suite memorized; 2) One movement of a standard concerto, either first or last movement memorized; 3) An additional work of your choice.
Harp: 1) One Pozzoli Etude; 2) Beethoven Variations on a Swiss Air or 1st movement of Naderman Sonata #2 or #6; 3) A work of your choice; 4) Sight reading.

Vocal Performance:

For Classical Voice audition requirements, please see Classic Voice Auditions

For Music Theatre audition requirements, please see Music Theatre Auditions

For further information regarding Auditions or to speak to a Program Director or Advisor please call Music and Performing Arts Professions at (212) 998-5424

Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions - 35 W. 4th Street, Suite 777 - New York, NY 10012 - (212) 998-5424