Audition Requirements for Keyboard

Piano

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All prospective students desiring to audition in piano should demonstrate the ability to perform works of at least comparable difficulty to those listed below. More difficult materials will, of course, be welcome; however, quality of performance is the principle factor in determining whether a student qualifies for the program. It is recommended that students desiring to major in piano performance (BM degree) should include works selected from at least three of the four listed categories. Minors and non-majors should choose two pieces, contrasting in style, from two of the four listed categories. Auditions will last approximately 15-20 minutes. Students will be asked to read at sight and play scales and arpeggios. Memorization of audition materials is recommended.

1. Baroque: Inventions, Sinfonias, easier Preludes and Fugues, or easier suites of J. S. Bach.
2. Classical: Easier Sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.
3. Romantic: Nocturnes, Waltzes, or Mazurkas of Chopin; Intermezzi of Brahms; character pieces of Schumann, Mendelssohn, etc.
4. Impressionistic and 20th-Century: Preludes of Debussy; Sonatinas of Bartok; various works of Ravel, Schonberg, Prokofieff, Shostakovitch, Dello Joio, etc.

The degrees available to piano students are:

Bachelor of Music in Performance
Piano Pedagogy Minor
Bachelor of Music Education
Bachelor of Music with Elective Studies in Business
Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music


Various combinations of the four music major programs are possible by pursuing a combined curriculum, for example a Bachelor of Music in Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education.

If you have other questions regarding piano audition requirements not covered in this information sheet, you may direct them to Dr. Nicholas Roth at x2857.