All prospective and transfer students must first submit an application for admission to the Steinhardt School at New York University before scheduling an audition below. You can find information on the application process through the appropriate admissions office.
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Office of Graduate Admissions
Doctoral candidates should visit the Doctoral page for separate instructions and should contact the program director directly for an audition.
Audition Dates and Registration Information
Composition: Dates below are for undergraduates only (Graduate Auditions are not required). Please note for the dates below, accompanists not required nor provided.
Saturday, November 12, 2011 (Undergraduate Open House & Early Decision I auditions)
Sunday, February 5, 2012 (Freshman Applicant Audition, only audition date for Early Decision II)
Sunday, February 26, 2012 (Final Freshman Applicant Audition)*
Saturday, March 31, 2012 (Transfer Applicant Audition Only)
*The last day for Freshman applicant auditions is February 26. Your composition portfolio should include 3 original works in different instrumentation and style. The portfolio may either be mailed to Professor Sebastian Danila at the address below before the audition, or brought along to the audition itself (portfolios should be mailed in the case of video auditions).
Please include scores and CD (if possible). If you have questions, please contact Professor Sebastian Danila at sdanila@msn.com regarding questions about auditions or the undergraduate and graduate composition programs, or contact Dr. Ron Sadoff at ron.sadoff@nyu.edu regarding questions about the Mus.M. in Scoring for Film.
***If you cannot audition in person, you may submit an audition video online instructions here or send materials to:
Attn: Professor Sebastian Danila
NYU Steinhardt / Major ________________
Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
35 W. 4th Street, Suite 777, New York, NY 10012
Please clearly indicate the applicant's name, program applied to, and NYU ID number (if applicable) on any DVD. All submissions for Regular Decision should be received by January 1 or as soon as possible after the submitted application. Early Decision I audition videos should be received by November 1st, and Early Decision II audition videos should be received by January 1st. Also please note that the February 6th audition is the only one available for Early Decision II students.
Click here to use an online form to schedule your audition after you have applied
Required Repertoire
Auditions will include a short interview about your history as a composer and may include testing of music theory fundamentals.
Undergraduate
A portfolio (CD and score) of three compositions. Perform two pieces in contrasting styles on an instrument of your choice. One of these pieces may be a composition of your own, but at least one (and, if you prefer, both) of them must be a work by a composer other than yourself. Please note: accompanists not required nor provided.
Graduate
Master's: Applicants should submit a portfolio of three or four scores of varying instrumentation, accompanied by a CD recording of at least two of the works.
For applicants submitting for the Scoring for Film and Multimedia Sequence, the portfolio should contain three or four concert works, but, in addition, may also include film cues or multimedia works on DVD or Quicktime.
Ph.D.: Applicants should submit a portfolio (CD and score) of four compositions in a variety of media, as well as evidence of their writing (e.g. analysis or term paper).