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Graduate program auditions

We invite you to audition to be part of the School of Music. Please view the requirements for the type of audition preparation needed. All prospective students are required to audition to receive acceptance into our program.

Ways to audition

Live auditions

Live auditions will be held on January 18, 2025 on the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno campus. To reserve your audition slot please call the music office at (775) 784-6145.

Live audition applicants must complete their music scholarship application in advance of their audition.

Video audition

If you are unable to attend an in-person audition but wish to be considered for program admission and scholarships, you may submit video links of your audition selections. After preparing your repertoire and completing your video recordings, you must submit all video audition materials by February 1, 2025. Video auditions are to be submitted at the same time as scholarship applications in step 3 below.

Applying and audition steps

Don't forget you need to apply and be admitted to the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno as a graduate student prior to auditioning for consideration as a student in the School of Music.

  1. Apply to the Graduate School
  2. Audition for the School of Music: Either call (775) 784-6145 after January 1 to reserve your live audition time, or upload your audition videos to the School of Music Scholarship Application in step 3.
  3. Apply for School of Music scholarships
  4. Complete
  5. Contact the lead faculty in your program

Audition requirements

  • Bass
    • Any two or three-octave scale
    • A short piece or a movement from a sonata or concerto
    • If sending via video submission, the candidate may include examples from a recent Senior Recital.
  • Bassoon
    • Exposition of the Mozart or Weber concerto
    • Piece for bassoon and piano, composed after 1900, of level comparable to the Paris Conservatoire contest pieces such as: Saint-Saens Sonata, Tansman Sonatina, Bozza Recit, Sicilienne et Rondo or Concertino,Duclos Faggotino
    • The following Orchestral Excerpts:
      • Marriage of Figaro
      • Tchaikovsky 6
      • Scheherazade mvmt 2 opening and cadenzas
      • Two others of your choice
    • A short piece or movement that best demonstrates your musical voice and interests. Please be prepared to share your reasons for choosing the work.
  • Cello
    • A Prelude and another movement from J.S. Bach Cello Suite
    • A movement of a standard concerto
  • Clarinet
    1. Scales: Knowledge of all major and minor scales - for recorded auditions, please choose four that best demonstrate your range and ability.
    2. One movement from a Romantic or Classical Era concerto or sonata.
      • Example repertoire:
        • Brahms - Clarinet Sonatas
        • Mozart - Clarinet Concerto
        • Poulenc - Clarinet Sonata
        • Weber - Clarinet Concertos or Concertino
    3. One unaccompanied work written no earlier than the 20th century.
      • Example repertoire:
        • Larsen - Dancing Solo
        • Osborne - Rhapsody
        • Stravinsky - Three Pieces
        • Tower - Wings
    4. Two contrasting orchestral excerpts that best demonstrate your ability.
  • Composition

    Students are required to submit a short portfolio of compositions (three-to-four pieces). Recordings or computer-generated representations of scores are appreciated, but not required.

    Portfolios and recordings can be sent to:

    Jean-Paul Perrotte
    jperrotte@unr.edu
    Associate Professor of Composition
    Director of Electro-Acoustic Lab

  • Conducting (Choral)

    Pre-screening materials:

    • Video links from a performance with the applicant’s choral group
    • Links to a recording (audio or video) of a short performance of the applicant singing (if possible)
    • A sample of scholarly writing
    • An updated CV and contact information for three professional references

    Successful pre-screen candidates will be invited to campus for an interview, aural skills assessment and live conducting audition.

    Pre-screening materials should be e-mailed to:

    Reed Chamberlin
    Director, School of Music
    rchamberlin@unr.edu

  • Conducting (Orchestral)

    Pre-screening materials:

    • Video links from a performance and/or conducting workshop
    • Links to a recording (audio or video) of a short performance on the applicant’s principal instrument
    • A sample of scholarly writing
    • An updated CV and contact information for three professional references

    Successful pre-screen candidates will be invited to campus for an interview, aural skills assessment and live conducting audition.

    Pre-screening materials should be e-mailed to:

    Jason Altieri
    Director of Orchestras
    jaltieri@unr.edu

  • Conducting (Wind Band)

    Pre-screening materials:

    • Video links from a performance and rehearsal
    • Links to a recording (audio or video) of a short performance on the applicant’s principal instrument
    • A sample of scholarly writing
    • An updated CV and contact information for three professional references

    Successful pre-screen candidates will be invited to campus for an interview, aural skills assessment and live conducting audition.

    Pre-screening materials should be emailed to:

    Reed Chamberlin
    Director of Bands
    rchamberlin@unr.edu

  • Euphonium
    • A standard euphonium concerto
    • A euphonium sonata or an unaccompanied solo
    • Five Standard Orchestral/Band excerpts, one of which must be from the orchestral repertoire.

    Examples:

    • Pictures at an Exhibition
    • The Planets
    • Don Quixote
    • Ein Heldenleben
    • Wagner
  • Flute
    • An exposition from a standard flute concerto
    • A flute sonata or unaccompanied solo
    • One etude selected from the following:
      • Casterade: 12 Etudes
      • Jean Jean: Modern Etudes
      • Hugues: 40 New Studies
    • Four Standard Orchestral Excerpts that showcase your range, technical proficiency and melodic lyricism

    Example Repertoire:

    • Mozart: Concerto in D or G
    • Nielsen: Concerto
    • Ibert: Concerto
    • Liebermann: Sonata
    • Prokofiev: Sonata
    • Fukushima: Mei
    • Messian: Le Merle Noir
    • Coleman: Danza de la Mariposa

    If sending via video submission, the candidate may include examples from a recent Senior Recital.

  • Guitar

    Contact Ed Corey for audition requirements prior to submitting an application.

    Ed Corey
    Lecturer of Guitar
    coreyh@unr.edu

  • Harp
    • A four-octave scale in any given key with related four-octave arpeggios
    • Two pieces of contrasting styles that best show performer's level of technical and musical skill
    • Any standard repertoire orchestral excerpt
  • Horn
    • An exposition from a standard horn concerto
    • A horn sonata or an unaccompanied solo
    • Three Standard Orchestral Excerpts that showcase your range, technical proficiency, and melodic lyricism

    Example repertoire:

    • Mozart: Horn Concertos 2 or 4
    • Strauss: Horn Concerto 1 or 2
    • Jacobs: Horn Concerto
    • Ewazen: Sonata
    • Bozza: En Foret
    • Messiaen: Des Canyons aux étoiles
    • Martin: Lament
  • Jazz

    Live option: Perform three jazz standards with rhythm section (provided); play the melody and take a solo on each selection.

    • Optional: One original composition or one non-jazz piece of your choice.

    Video option: Perform three jazz standards with rhythm section accompaniment or with recorded play-along; play the melody and take a solo on each selection.

    • Optional: One original composition or one non-jazz piece of your choice. This can be a solo recording, or a recording with other musicians.
  • Musicology

    Students should contact the program director for specific entrance and audition requirements.

    Louis Niebur
    Director of Graduate Studies
    Associate Professor of Musicology
    lniebur@unr.edu

  • Oboe
    • Three contrasting solo works from three different centuries. Can include selections from an undergraduate senior recital program.
    • Two Orchestral Excerpts
    • Two Etudes
  • Percussion
    • Four mallet marimba work (something suitable for an undergraduate senior recital)
    • Snare drum solo from the Delecluse Twelve Studies
    • Timpani Solo (Carter, Bergamo, Beck, Cahn or comparable)
  • Piano

    Candidates auditioning in person for the degree should prepare a program of at least 30 minutes of stylistically diverse, musically and pianistically challenging music comparable to the examples below. Those submitting video auditions should submit at least 40 minutes of music.

    • A major work containing a fugue by J.S. Bach, Shostakovich, Hindemith, etc.
    • A sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven, Hummel, or Schubert
    • A complete major work of the Romantic, Impressionist, or early 20th/21st Century periods
    • A virtuoso etude from among those of Chopin, Liszt, Skryabin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Ligeti, or Bolcom

    A program must represent at least three contrasting style periods. All pieces must be performed from memory. Exceptions may be permitted only in the case of some 20th and 21st-century pieces.

  • Saxophone
    • Three contrasting solo works from three different centuries. Can include selections from an undergraduate senior recital program
    • Two Etudes
  • Trombone
    • A standard trombone concerto
    • A trombone sonata or an unaccompanied solo
    • Five Standard Orchestral Excerpts
  • Trumpet
    • An exposition from a classical concerto: Haydn, Hummel, or Neruda
    • A selection from a trumpet sonata, cornet solo, unaccompanied solo, or advanced etude
    • A selection of three standard orchestral excerpts from the list below:
      • Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (Mvt. 1 m. 1 – m. 25)
      • Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade)
      • Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 2 or No. 3 (off-stage solo)
      • Respighi: Pines of Rome (Mvt. 2 off-stage solo)
      • Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra (Mvt V. No. 201- No. 256; Trumpet 2)
      • Stravinsky: Petrouchka (Ballerina’s Dance)

    Example Repertoire:

    • Bitsch: Vingt Etudes
    • Bozza: Rustiques
    • Brandt: Concert Piece
    • Charlier: 36 Transcendent Etudes for Trumpet
    • Clarke: Maid of the Mist
    • Hindemith: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano
    • Hohne: Slavische Fantasie
    • Kennan: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano
    • Peaslee: Night Songs, Persichetti: Hollow Men
    • Plog: Postcards
    • Tomasi: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
    • Vizzutti: Cascades
  • Tuba
    • Five orchestral or band excerpts of your choice
    • One movement from a standard solo in the repertoire (from, or comparable to, those on the example list below)

    Example repertoire:

    • Vaughn Williams: Concerto for Bass Tuba
    • Penderecki: Capriccio
    • Plog: Three Miniatures
    • Gregson: Concerto for Tuba
    • Szentpali: Concerto for Tuba
  • Violin and Viola

    Major, melodic and harmonic minor three-octave scales and major and minor arpeggios. Choose 2 keys, one from List A and one from List B:

    Violin:

    • List A: G, A, B-flat, B, C, D
    • List B: A-flat, D-flat, E-flat, E, F, F#

    Viola:

    • List A: C, D, E-flat, E, F, G
    • List B: D-flat, F#, A-flat, A, B-flat, B

    Two contrasting movements from a J.S. Bach Violin Sonata or Partita for solo violin or from a J.S. Bach Cello Suite for viola.

    One movement of a standard concerto.

    Applicants are encouraged to consult with Dr. Maureen Yuen (maureeny@unr.edu) with questions about repertoire selection technical requirements.

  • Voice

    Master of Music in Performance

    • Five contrasting selections including opera arias, oratorio arias and art songs with at least one selection written after 1970 representing a diversity of styles and languages.
    • A comprehensive repertoire list.
    • A personal statement outlining musical inspiration and career aspirations is required.

    Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance

    • Five-to-seven contrasting selections including opera arias, oratorio arias and art songs with at least one selection written after 1970
    • A comprehensive repertoire list
    • A sample recital program
    • A personal statement outlining career aspirations/research interests


Graduate assistantships

The School of Music offers a range of graduate teaching assistantships, ranging from $9,500 to $21,000 per year. Assistantship amounts vary by graduate program.

Graduate programs

The School of Music offers multiple graduate tracks at the master's and doctoral level, ranging from a Master of Music in Music Education to a Doctor of Musical Arts.

Ensembles

The School of Music provides multiple ensemble opportunities, from Marching Band to jazz ensembles, for students to hone their musical craft.