Dates for In-Person Auditions:
February 21st & 22nd, 2025
- All applicants who audition prior to March 1st, 2025 will be considered for Music Merit Scholarships.
- If alternative dates are necessary or you would like to submit a pre-recorded audition, please contact Ariah Mann at 406-243-6881 or ariah.mann@umontana.edu
- Please access the School of Music step-by-step audition process.
Audition Requirements:
Brass
French Horn
- Major scales.
- Chromatic scale demonstrating the student's range on the horn.
- One lyrical solo/etude AND one technical solo/etude OR a piece representing both technical and lyrical playing.
Solos and Etudes should be selected to demonstrate the student’s tone, range, rhythm, intonation, and technique.
For more info:
Professor Madeleine Folkerts
406-243-6881
madeleine.folkerts@umontana.edu
Trumpet
- Major scales.
- Chromatic scale demonstrating the student's range on the trumpet.
- One lyrical solo/etude AND one technical solo/etude OR a piece representing both technical and lyrical playing.
Solos and Etudes should be selected to demonstrate the student’s tone, range, rhythm, intonation, and technique.
For more info:
Dr. James Smart
406-243-6881
james.smart@umontana.edu
Trombone
- Major scales.
- Chromatic scale demonstrating the student's range on the trombone.
- One lyrical solo/etude AND one technical solo/etude OR a piece representing both technical and lyrical playing.
Solos and Etudes should be selected to demonstrate the student’s tone, range, rhythm, intonation, and technique.
For more info:
Professor Robert Tapper
406-243-6881
robert.tapper@umontana.edu
Tuba and Euphonium
- Major scales.
- Chromatic scale demonstrating the student's range on the tuba or euphonium.
- One lyrical solo/etude AND one technical solo/etude OR a piece representing both technical and lyrical playing.
Solos and Etudes should be selected to demonstrate the student’s tone, range, rhythm, intonation and technique.
For more info:
Dr. Benedict Kirby
406-243-6881
benedict.kirby@umontana.edu
Requirements for scholarship consideration are the same as the entrance requirements listed above.
Graduate Brass Audition Requirements
- ALL Major and minor scales.
- One lyrical piece from the standard solo literature.
- One technical piece from the standard solo literature.
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
Jazz Studies (instrumental only)
- You must meet the classical studio requirements for your instrument (see your studio area).
- In addition to the studio requirements, perform one jazz standard or blues (melody and improvisation). Bring a lead sheet of the tune (faculty will accompany you) or bring a play-along.
- Optional: Perform a transcription along with the recording.
Drummers: See Drumset requirements under Percussion (see below).
Bassists: In addition to the requirements above, you will be asked to walk a bass line on your selected tune.
Piano/Guitar: In addition to the requirements above, you will be asked to comp on your selected tune.
Graduate Jazz Studies Audition Requirements
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
Percussion
Student must perform on Snare Drum and at least one of the other areas listed below. Student must bring his/her own sticks and mallets. Instruments will be provided.
Snare Drum
Rudiments: Flam, Flam-tap, Paradiddle, 5 & 7 Stroke Roll, Single stroke roll [Play each open (slow) to closed (fast as possible) to open]
Buzz Roll: Play 16 count buzz roll starting pp, crescendo to ff and diminuendo to pp
Solo: Perform a prepared solo (rudimental or orchestral) of appropriate difficulty
Mallet Keyboard
Perform a prepared solo or etude of appropriate difficulty
Timpani
Perform a prepared solo or etude
Drumset
Styles: Demonstrate ability to play the following styles: medium swing, up tempo swing, bossa-nova, samba, 16-note based funk. Phrase every four bars with a light fill.
Soloing: Pick one or more of the above styles and trade fours with yourself (play 4 bars of time, 4 bars or solo and repeat). You may also play a prepared written solo.
Suggested Representative Solo Materials
Snare Drum
Wilcoxon, The All-American Drummer, 150 Solos Wilcoxon, Solos for the Advanced Swing Drumme, Pratt, 14 Contest Solos, Freytag, Rudimental Cookbook, Whaley, Recital Solos, Cirone, Portraits in Rhythm
Mallet Percussion
Goldenberg, Modern School for Xylophone, Vibraphone & Marimba (Play any of the etudes in the back), McMillan, Masterpieces for Marimba, Pimental/Moore, The Solo Marimbist, Whaley, Musical Studies for the Intermediate Mallet Player, Hatch, Challenge, Mitchell Peters (any of his solos), C.O.Musser (any of his solos)
Timpani
Firth, The Solo Timpanist, Schistine, The Developing Solo Timpanist, Whaley, Solos and Duets for Timpani
For more info contact:
Dr. Robert LedBetter
robert.ledbetter@umontana.edu
Graduate Percussion Audition Requirements
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
Piano
Two contrasting pieces from the standard repertoire (no arrangements please), at least one of which is memorized. Example: Bach Invention or Prelude & Fugue, Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven Sonata movements; Debussy Preludes; Chopin Nocturnes, Preludes; Brahms Intermezzi; 20th century works – Bartok, Prokofiev, Ginastera, and Shostakovich.
You are not limited to above-mentioned works or composers. In addition to your repertoire presentation, you will present scales and arpeggios, 4 octaves. You will also receive a sight-reading exam at the audition.
Organ
- At least 5 years of private piano study prior to entering the University. Prior organ study is not mandatory for acceptance into the organ program.
- Performance of two contrasting pieces from standard piano or organ repertoire.
- Examples (piano): SEE ABOVE
Examples (organ): Eight little Preludes and Fugues of Bach; chorale preludes by Buxtehude, Pachelbel, Walther, Chorale Preludes by Brahms; Mendelssohn sonata movements; church service music.
You are not limited to the above-mentioned works or composers. In addition to your repertoire presentation, you will play a hymn of your choice, and receive a sight reading exam. Requirements for scholarship consideration are the same as the entrance requirements lists above.
For more info:
Dr. Christopher Hahn
406-243-6881
christopher.hahn@umontana.edu
Dr. Nancy Cooper (organ)
406-243-6881
nancy.cooper@umontana.edu
Graduate Keyboard Audition Requirements
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
Composition
Undergraduate:
Undergraduate students should arrange to audition on their instrument. Students enter the program by taking Composition I during their first year.
Graduate:
A portfolio of original compositions, containing both scores and recordings (3-5 compositions demonstrating breadth of experience and variety of instrumentation)
For more info:
Dr. Bryan Kostors
406-243-6881
bryan.kostors@umontana.edu
Strings
Bachelor in Music Performance:- 3 octave major or minor scale
- A movement of unaccompanied Bach or another unaccompanied piece
- A movement of standard concerto or large-scale solo piece
Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Arts in Music, and Music Minor:
- 3 octave major or minor scale
- 2 pieces/movements from the standard repertoire that demonstrate contrasting style, tempo, technique, and articulation
Non-Music Major:
- 3 octave major or minor scale
- 10 minutes of music from standard repertoire that demonstrate contrasting style, tempo, technique, and articulation.
For All Auditions:
- Accompaniment is neither expected nor provided by the 猎奇重口. Auditionees who would like to perform with a pianist should arrange their own accompanists.
- Auditionees should perform solo pieces from memory or from purchased original sheet music. While the performing of copyrighted works from photocopies is discouraged, memorization is not required.
- Auditioning for entrance into the School of Music automatically puts the student into consideration for music scholarships. The audition requirements for entrance and scholarship are considered identical.
Suggested audition repertoire: This list represents samples of the level of repertoire expected for collegiate auditions and is not meant as an exclusive listing of works. Consult with your teacher and the 猎奇重口 faculty member for your instrument to finalize audition selections. Performance of works from the standard repertory should demonstrate contrasting style, tempo, technique, and articulation.
Violin
Concertos by Bruch, Mendelssohn, J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Vivaldi; Unaccompanied Bach Sonatas or Partitas; Telemann Fantasias, Mozart or Beethoven Sonatas, Schubert or Dvorak Sonatas. Pieces by Sarasate, Kreisler.
Viola
Concertos by Stamitz, Hoffmeister; Zelter, Telemann, J.C. Bach; Bruch Romance, Mozart SonatinainC; Bloch Suites for Viola. Marais, Marcello sonatas.
Cello
Concertos by Goltermann, Boccherini, Haydn, Saint Saens; Elgar, Dvorak, or Shostakovich; Sonatas by Beethoven, Brahms, Vivaldi, Eccles, or Sammartini; Stand-alone solo works such as Elegie by Faure or Kol Nidrei by Bruch; Unnaccompanied Suites by J.S. Bach; Contemporary solo cello works by Ligeti, Hindemith, Walton, or Corigliano.
String Bass
Concertos by Capuzzi, Dragonetti, Dittersdorf; Sonatas by Marcello, Vivaldi, Handel, Galliard, Eccles, Romberg, Telemann; Progressive Repertoire by George Vance, Books 46
Guitar
Concertos by Vivaldi, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Rodrigo, Giuliani. Solo works and/or Etudes by Dowland, Milan, Sanz, Visee, Weiss, Bach, Scarlatti, Sor, Giuliani, Llobet, Tarrega, Albeniz, Torroba, Ponce, Villa-Lobos, Brouwer.
Graduate String Audition:
- A movement of Unaccompanied Bach or other unaccompanied work.
- A movement from a standard concerto or sonata from the Classical era, Romantic era, or 20th Century.
- 3 octave scales. One major and one minor.
For more info:
Dr. Margaret Baldridge
406-243-6881
margaret.baldridge@umontana.edu
Voice
- All new/transfer students desiring to become music majors with voice as their instrument may audition for admittance into a voice studio and for scholarships. Voice talent scholarships are available only to music majors. Those students who wish to have voice lessons without being a music major must also audition.
- To schedule an audition please contact the School of Music Office (406.243.6880), or sign up for an audition time on the Voice Area bulletin board (across the hall from the main Music Office.)
- Please Arrive 10 minutes early to fill out an audition form.
- Undergraduates: Be prepared to sing 2 songs or arias by memory. One of the selections must be in a foreign language, if you are auditioning to be a Music Major or Music Minor. (For non-degree lessons you may sing two selections in English.) BFA-Musical Theater majors should prepare two memorized contrasting musical theater songs (32-bar cuts).
- An accompanist will be provided. You must bring a copy of your music for the accompanist (no a cappella songs). The music must be printed in the same key that you sing. Do not ask the accompanist to transpose.
- Those students who sing a scholarship audition in the spring will be notified of their acceptance status into the School of Music and applied studies.
- All new/transfer students who wish to become voice majors or musical theater majors must audition to be accepted into applied study (voice lessons).
- All music majors admitted to a voice studio must also register for and participate in a Vocal Ensemble.
Requirements for scholarship consideration are the same as entrance requirements listed above.
For more info:
Dr. David Cody
406-243-6881
david.cody@umontana.edu
Graduate Voice Audition Requirements
Contact the School of Music to set up an audition. (406) 243-6880. If you wish to apply for a Music scholarship or an assistantship, materials must be submitted and audition must be completed by March 1st.
Please prepare 5 memorized selections from art song, oratorio, masses, or opera, including:
- At least one aria from opera or oratorio.
- At least one piece written after 1985.
- A variety of languages, periods and styles. At least 3 of the following languages should be included: French, Italian, German and English.
Woodwind
Requirements for all new and transfer students wishing to enter into woodwind studios as music majors or minors are as follows:
- Chromatic scale ascending and descending full range of instrument in slurred 16th note patterns at quarter note=60.
- All major scales, ascending and descending two complete octaves* slurred 16th notes at quarter note=60.
*Clarinets: E,F,G scales should be performed 3 octaves.
*Saxophones and Oboes: F♯, G, Ab and A should be performed one octave.
*Bassoons: B♭, B and C should be performed 3 octaves. - Two contrasting solos or etudes demonstrating lyrical and technical command of the instrument.
- All students are expected to sight-read during the audition.
- Oboists and bassoonist are expected to have minimal basic skills in the art of reed making.
Requirements for scholarship consideration are the same as the entrance requirements listed above.
For more info:
Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick
406-243-6881
chris.kirkpatrick@mso.umt.edu
Graduate Woodwind Audition Requirements
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.