Undergraduate Double-Degree Program

Bassoon

Prescreening Requirements:

• An étude
• A concerto movement
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Requirements:

• An etude
• A concerto movement
• A 20th-century work
• A work of your choice

Cello

Prescreening Repertoire:

• A movement from an unaccompanied Bach suite
• A movement of a concerto
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• Two contrasting movements from an unaccompanied Bach suite
• A movement of a standard concerto
• A movement of a sonata
• A work of your choice

Clarinet

Prescreening Repertoire:

• An étude
• A concerto movement
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• An etude
• A concerto movement
• A 20th-century work
• 2 orchestral excerpts of your choice (example, Beethoven - Symphony No. 6, Mendelssohn - Scherzo from Midsummer Night's Dream)
• A work of your choice

Composition

Prescreening:

• A portfolio of scores that best represent the applicant's creative potential 
• Recordings of the works submitted (preferably not in MIDI format)
• A recording of the applicant playing an instrument or singing

Final Interview:

Composition applicants who pass prescreening will be invited to campus for a live interview/audition with Professors Tower and Tsontakis. They will be asked to bring with them their portfolio of works and will be asked to play a piece on the instrument of their choice. International students, and those for whom travel to the Bard campus presents a hardship, may have a skype interview.

Dizi

Pre-screening and Final Audition Repertoire: 

• A traditional/melodic piece
• A technique piece (or part of a concerto)

Double Bass

Undergrad Prescreening Repertoire:

• An étude
• A movement from a Bach solo suite
• A work of your choice

Advanced Performance Studies (APS) Prescreening Repertoire:

• A movement of solo Bach (6 cello suites) of your choice
• The exposition from one of the standard double bass concertos
• Mozart Symphony #39, first movement, Allegro to letter C
• Brahms Symphony #2, first movement, E to F

Final Audition Repertoire (for both undergraduate and APS applicants):

• A movement of solo Bach (6 cello suites) of your choice
• A work of your choice
• Mozart Symphony #39, first movement, Allegro to letter C
• Brahms Symphony #2, first movement, E to F

Erhu

Pre-screening and Final Audition Repertoire:  

• A traditional/melodic piece
• A technique piece (or part of a concerto)

Flute

Prescreening Repertoire:

• An étude
• A concerto movement
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• An etude
• A concerto movement
• A 20th-century work
• A work of your choice

Guzheng

Pre-screening and Final Audition Repertoire: 

• A traditional piece
• A new (contemporary) work

Harp

Prescreening Repertoire:
       Two pieces of the following level of difficulty:

• Bach/Grandjany études
• Marcel Tournier: Feerie
• Nina Rota: Sarabande and Toccata
• Handel: Concerto in B-Flat Major

Final Audition Repertoire:

1. Two contrasting solos of the following level of difficulty:

• Handel: Concerto in B-flat Major
• Faure:  Impromptu
• Britten:  Suite for Harp

2. Two orchestral excerpts of student's choice, such as:

• Wagner: Liebestod
• Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
• Ravel: Tzigane
• Britten:  Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
• Stravinsky: Symphony in 3 Movements, 2nd mvt

3. Sight reading to be provided at audition.

Horn

Prescreening and Final Audition Repertoire:

• An étude
• A concerto movement

       And two of the following excerpts:

• Wagner: Short Call from Siegfried's Rheinfahrt
• Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
• Shostakovich: Low tutti from Symphony No. 5 (1st movement)
• Brahms: Symphony No. 3 (3rd movement)
• Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (opening)

Oboe

Prescreening Repertoire:

• An étude
• A concerto movement
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• An etude
• A concerto movement
• A 20th-century work
• A work of your choice

Percussion

Prescreening Repertoire:

• Marimba: Mallet solo (5-12 minutes)
• Timpani: An étude of choice. The following are recommended: Elliott Carter Eight Pieces for Solo Timpani, Richard Hochrainer Etuden Für Timpani, Jacques Delecluse Vingt Etudes
• Snare Drum: An étude of choice. The following are recommended: Cirone Portraits in Rhythm, Delecluse Douze Etudes, Smith Publications' The Noble Snare Collection
• Something Else (optional): Send us something else that makes you a unique musician. Possibilities could include orchestra excerpts, steel drum playing, multiple percussion solo, drumset, even another instrument

Final Audition Repertoire:

• Marimba:
  • Four mallet solo (5-12 minutes in length)
  • Two mallet solo (transcription of J.S. Bach or other substantial work)
  • Two mallet sight-reading may be asked at live audition
• Timpani:
  • An étude of choice. The following are recommended: Elliott Carter Eight Pieces for Solo Timpani, Richard Hochrainer Etuden Für Timpani, Jacques Delecluse Vingt Etudes
  • Interval knowledge and basic tuning may be examined
• Snare Drum:
  • An étude of choice. The following are recommended: Cirone Portraits in Rhythm, Delecluse Douze Etudes, Smith Publications' The Noble Snare Collection
  • Sight-reading may be asked
• Chamber Music:
  • Candidate will be asked to sight-read an excerpt from the chamber music repertoire with members of the percussion faculty. Music and instruments will be provided
• Something Else (optional): Please feel welcome to bring in something else that makes you a unique musician. Possibilities could include orchestra excerpts, steel drum playing, multiple percussion solo, drumset, even another instrument.

Piano

Prescreening Repertoire:

• A work by J. S. Bach
• A movement of a classical sonata
• A movement or work from the romantic era

Final Audition Repertoire:

• A work by J. S. Bach
• A movement of a classical sonata
• A movement or work from the romantic era
• A work composed in the 20th or 21st century
• A work of your choice

Pipa

Pre-screening and Final Audition Repertoire:  

• A traditional piece
• A new (contemporary) work

It is suggested to include one piece in lyrical style and one piece in martial style.

Ruan

Pre-screening and Final Audition Repertoire: 

• A traditional/melodic piece
• A technique piece (or part of a concerto)

Trombone

Precreeening Repertoire:

• An étude
• A concerto or sonata movement
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• An etude
• A concerto or sonata movement
• A 20th-century work
• A work of your choice

Trumpet

Precreeening Repertoire:

• An étude
• A concerto or sonata movement
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• An etude
• A concerto or sonata movement
• A 20th-century work
• A work of your choice

Tuba

Precreeening Repertoire:

• An étude
• A concerto or sonata movement
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• An etude
• A concerto or sonata movement
• A 20th-century work
• A work of your choice

Viola

Prescreening Repertoire:

• A movement from an unaccompanied Bach suite (originally for cello) or partita or sonata (originally for violin)
• A sonata or concerto movement 
• A work of your choice

Final Repertoire:

• Two contrasting movements from an unaccompanied Bach suite (originally for cello) or partita or sonata (originally for violin)
• A concerto movement or étude
• A movement of a sonata
• A work of your choice

Violin

Prescreening Repertoire:

• A movement from an unaccompanied Bach partita or sonata
• A movement of a standard concerto
• A work of your choice

Final Audition Repertoire:

• Two contrasting movements from an unaccompanied Bach partita or sonata
• A movement of a standard concerto
• A movement of a sonata
• A work of your choice