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.


Organ

All prospective students desiring to major in organ should be able to perform piano works of at least a comparable difficulty to those listed above under the piano audition requirements. It is not necessary to have organ background so long as the student has had sufficient keyboard background on the piano to begin organ instruction in college. Auditions will be approximately 15-20 minutes. The following categories contain suggestions of repertoire for those who have had organ study prior to college.

1. Baroque: Shorter preludes, fugues, toccatas, sonata movements, or chorale settings by J.S. Bach.
2. Classical: Any organ works by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.
3. Romantic: Shorter works of Franck, Mendelssohn, Brahms, or Schumann.
4. 20th Century: Shorter works of European or American composers such as Schroeder, Ahrens, Langlais, Messiaen, Hindemith, or Sowerby.


Audition requirements for the five degree programs available to organ students, listed below, include two organ pieces, contrasting in style. One must be an organ work of J.S. Bach. Students without prior organ study may elect to play two piano pieces, contrasting in style, from the categories listed above under piano audition requirements. One must be a keyboard work of J.S. Bach. Students will be asked to read at sight and play scales and arpeggios.

The degrees available to piano/organ students are:

Bachelor of Music in Performance
Piano Pedagogy Minor
Bachelor of Music in Church Music (Organ only)
Bachelor of Music Education
Bachelor of Music with Elective Studies in Business
Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music


Various combinations of the five music major programs are possible by pursuing a combined curriculum, for example a Bachelor of Music in Church Music 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. For questions relating to church music degree or organ, contact Dr. Carl Staplin at x2699 directly