Piano/Keyboard

All prospective students desiring to audition in piano/keyboard should demonstrate the ability to perform works of at least comparable difficulty to those listed below. More difficult material will, of course, be welcomed; however, quality of performance is the principle factor in determining whether a student qualifies for the program.

Audition Guidelines

It is recommended that students desiring to major in piano performance (Bachelor of Music in Performance) should include works selected from at least three of the four categories listed below.

Minors should choose two pieces, contrasting in style, from two of the four listed categories.

Fine Arts Scholarships are available for piano majors and minors, but non-major participants are not eligible. Auditions will last approximately 10-15 minutes. Students may 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. 

Degrees available for pianists:

• Bachelor of Music in Performance
• Bachelor of Music Education
• Bachelor of Music with Elective Studies in Business
• Bachelor of Arts in Music

Various combinations of the four music major programs are possible by pursuing a combined curriculum (i.e., Bachelor of Music in Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education).

If you have other questions regarding audition requirements, please direct them to Dr. Nicholas Roth at 515-271-2857 or nicholas.roth@drake.edu).