DMA Audition Requirements by Instrument

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of solo music including at least two works or excerpts of a work representing different styles and an etude of virtuosity at the level of those by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky or Ligeti
• The repertoire presented must reflect a high degree of musical, artistic and technical proficiency, and should be equivalent in level to a Master of Music degree recital.

Live Audition

• 60 minutes of memorized music representing at least four different styles, of which 20 minutes will be heard; must include:
  • At least one substantial work
  • The étude of virtuosity performed on the pre-screening audition
• The level of repertoire presented must reflect a high degree of musical, artistic and technical proficiency, equivalent to a Master of Music degree recital

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of music divided equally between Instrumental Chamber Music, including duos and song literature for voice and piano

Live Audition

• 60 minutes of music, of which 20 minutes will be heard; must include:
  • Two contrasting movements from a sonata by Beethoven or Brahms
  • One chamber piece from the 20th century
  • Not less than five Art songs including but not limited to at least one piece by Schubert, Wolf and Debussy
  • Sight reading, and accompanying oneself at the piano while singing a song of one's choice.

Applicants must bring their own soloists or they may contact Prof. Torin Chiles tchiles@uwo.ca for assistance in securing soloists from Western.

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of repertoire, representing at least three languages and three contrasting styles
• The recording should be unedited, and created within the preceding 6 months.

Live Audition

• 30 minutes of memorized music, of which 20 minutes will be heard; must include eight contrasting selections representing:
  • At least one composition sung in each of French, German, Italian, and English (Other languages welcome, but must include these four)
  • One, but not more than two operatic arias
  • One work composed after 1960
  • A variety of periods, styles, and tempi
  • Balanced recital program.
• Applicants will choose the first work to be sung and the audition panel will choose successive works as time permits.
• Candidates should be prepared to respond to questions regarding works performed, style and structure of the piece, technical challenges presented, the programmatic and historical background and the composition's relationship to other works of the same composer, period or genre.
• Successful candidates will exhibit advanced technical and interpretive ability.

Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.

The performance should reflect a high degree of musical, artistic and technical proficiency.

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of repertoire to be chosen from the live audition repertoire
• Include at least two contrasting works

Live Audition

Approximately 60 minutes of repertoire should be prepared, from which the audition panel will select; featuring at least 3 different musical styles, including:

• at least one movement from a Mozart Concerto   
• one work from the contemporary repertoire
• at least one movement from a concerto other than Mozart.          

Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.

The performance should reflect a high degree of musical, artistic and technical proficiency.

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of repertoire to be chosen from the live audition repertoire
• Include at least two contrasting works

Live Audition

Approximately 60 minutes of repertoire should be prepared, from which the audition panel will select; featuring at least 3 different musical styles, including:

• at least one movement from a major concerto such as Bartok, Walton, Schnittke, Hindemith
• one work from the contemporary repertoire
• at least 3 contrasting movements from a Bach Suite.         

Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.

The performance should reflect a high degree of musical, artistic and technical proficiency

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of repertoire to be chosen from the live audition repertoire
• Include at least two contrasting works

Live Audition

Approximately 60 minutes of repertoire should be prepared, from which the audition panel will select; featuring at least 3 different musical styles, including:

• 3 contrasting movements from Bach Suite IV, V or VI
• one work from the contemporary repertoire
• the first or last movement from a concerto by Haydn, Schumann or Dvorak.

Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of music from a studio recording and/or live performance; must include:
  • one or two movements of a standard piece and contrasting musical styles

Live Audition

• Prepare 50 minutes of music, of which 20 minutes will be heard: 
  
  • One or two movements of a standard early work for classical (e.g., Mozart, Devienne, Weber)
  • One or two movements of a Romantic era work (e.g., Brahms, Schumann)
  • A 20th/21th century works with piano accompaniment (e.g., Berg, Penderecki, Poulenc,Muczynski)
  • A 20th/21st century unaccompanied work (e.g., Stravinsky, Ran, Mandat, Martino)
  • The following orchestral excerpts:
    • Kodaly, Dances of Galanta (solo on first page)
    • Mendelssohn, "Scherzo" from Mid-Summer Nights Dream (dotted quarter = 84)
    • Rimsky-Korsakov, Capriccio Espagnol
    • a slow excerpt of your choice.

  Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of music selected from the guidelines below

Live Audition

• 30 minutes of prepared music, of which 20 minutes will be heard; must include: 
  •  A major étude from one of the following books:
    • Charlier, 36 Etudes Transcendantes
    • Bitsch, 20 Etudes
    • Arban, 14 Characteristic Studies
    • Bach/Piper, The Well-Tempered Player
    • Curnow, ed., Advanced Concert Studies
    • Vannetelbosch, 24 Studies
    • A major sonata or concerto (complete)
    • Three orchestral excerpts
    • Bb and C trumpet and either piccolo or Eb trumpet
  • Sight reading

Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.

Pre-screening video recording

A face-to-the-camera video recording is required of the applicant conducting a rehearsal and interacting with an ensemble they regularly conduct, and a brief resumé of conducting experience. The musical portion of the recording should be approximately 20-30 minutes and include literature of the applicant's choice. Selections may be incomplete, and a variety of different styles is encouraged. An example of the applicant conducting in performance is desirable but not required. The recording should also include the applicant speaking about the following:

• Speak briefly about yourself and your musical background.
• Describe the conductor's role in rehearsal and in concert.
• Describe your goals in pursuing studies in conducting.
• A brief descrition of your foreign language study and background, if any.

Live Audition

In February, after video recordings have been reviewed, applicants may be invited to campus to do a short rehearsal, and/or they may be invited to a Zoom interview. Conducting excerpts and score study assignments will be assigned in advance.

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of music that best represent the applicant’s interests and recent work
• Include at least two contrasting compositions.

Live Audition

• Prepare 50 minutes of music from which the audition committee will choose a 20-minute audition program 
• Selections should include compositions written in various styles and include at least one work written in the late 20th or early 21st century
• Candidates may review repertoire selections with Prof. Thompson ahead of time: bthomp24@uwo.ca

Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.

Pre-screening video recording

• 20 minutes of music selected from the guidelines below.

Live Audition

• 45 minutes of prepared music, of which 25 minutes will be heard; must include:

Tenor Trombone candidates:

• A major étude from one of the following books:
  • Bordogni/Rochut - Vocalises
  • Bitsch, 15 Rhythmic Studies
  • Blazhevitch, Clef Studies
• 2 contrasting major solo works (complete)
• 3 contrasting orchestral excerpts
• A short example of candidate's proficiency on alto trombone and/or bass trombone (pre-screening video only)
• Sight reading (live audition only)

Bass Trombone candidates:

• A major étude from one of the following books:
  • Bordogni/Rochut - Vocalises (8vb possible)
  • H.W. Tyrell, 40 Advanced Studies for Bb Bass
  • Blazhevitch, 70 Studies for BBb Tuba 
• 2 contrasting major solo works (complete)
• 3 contrasting orchestral excerpts
• A short example of candidate's proficiency on tenor trombone, and/or contrabass trombone, and/or tuba (pre-screening video only)
• Sight reading (live audition only)

Applicants must bring their own pianist. A list of professional accompanists will be provided upon request.