Audition Week 2021 will be held from Monday, February 15, 2021 through Friday, February 19, 2021. Applicants should plan to submit video recordings as live auditions will likely be impossible due to state and university regulations related to COVID-19. Please refer to our Special Instructions below for detailed information regarding your recorded audition.
Though recorded auditions and portfolio materials for regular auditions will be submitted by February 1st, certain departments will also be holding virtual interviews during audition week (2/15 ā 2/19). The admissions office will be scheduling the interviews after the application deadline of December 1st. A complete list of areas that will hold virtual interviews is TBA. Please check back through the fall semester for updates.
Pre-Screened Areas:
In areas that require pre-screening, applicants should submit their application and pre-screening videos by the application deadline of December 1st. Pre-screening repertoire is available here. Students who pass the pre-screening round will be notified in early January and will then be required to supplement their pre-screening videos or prepare a new video audition with the live audition repertoire which you may find listed here. Students should have their complete audition video recorded and uploaded to their application no later than February 1, 2021.
All other Areas:
Students who are auditioning for areas which do not require pre-screening will be required to submit a full video audition recording of the live audition repertoire no later than February 1, 2021. Video recordings will be reviewed by the faculty during audition week.
For areas that require interviews as part of an admission decision (which include Composition, Computer music, Music for New Media and Recording Arts), students who have passed pre-screening will submit their complete portfolios by February 1, 2021 and will also be scheduled for a remote interview with the faculty during audition week.
Early Decision auditions will be held remotely and via recorded audition. Students who wish to audition for Early Decision will be required to submit their application and a complete video recording or portfolio of the audition repertoire by November 1, 2020. For areas that require interviews as part of an admission decision (which include Composition, Computer music, Music for New Media and Recording Arts), students will be scheduled for remote interviews during the first week of December. Students will be notified of an admission decision by December 15, 2020.
EarlyĀ DecisionĀ InformationĀ andĀ Obligations
May auditions will be held remotely and via recorded audition. Students who wish to audition for Late Admission will be required to submit their application and a complete video recording or portfolio of the audition repertoire by May 1, 2021. For areas that require interviews as part of an admission decision (which include Composition, Computer music, Music for New Media and Recording Arts), students will be scheduled for remote interviews during the second week of May. Students will be notified of an admission decision by June 1, 2021.
Auditions in May are available to the following instrument and degree areas:
If you submit a recording for the regular admissions period, you must still submit your application (and pre-screening video, if applicable) by the December 1st deadline, butĀ you will be allowed to upload your recorded audition to your status page any time before February 1st.Ā Early decision applicants must submit a recording by the November 1st deadline. For late applicants, please submit your recorded audition by the April 15th deadline.
1) Equipment: we are aware that especially during this time, students may not have access to high quality recording equipment or recording locations. However, we encourage you to use the best quality microphone and video recorder you can access. If you use a smart phone, we encourage you to place it on a tripod or other stand for optimum placement and steadiness during the recording.
2) Lighting: to the extent possible please make sure the lighting focuses on you and your instrument. Videos that are too dark will make it hard for the faculty to observe technique during your audition.
3) Placement and sound levels: the video recorder and microphone should be at a distance that shows you and your instrument clearly and the recording level should be high enough that fortissimo passages extend the sound level indicator into the lower end of the red zone on the recording device. Generally, winds, brass, and string players should stand or sit at approximately a 45 – 60 degree angle to the camera with a few exceptions. Please consider the following:
Brass and woodwind players should make sure that the embouchure and finger technique can be seen on the recording. Take care to avoid having a music stand directly in front of your face or hands.
Singers should sing directly into the video camera or slightly off center. Please include the accompanist in the video if possible.
Violinists and violists should make sure that the fingerboard can be seen as well as the bow arm. Cellists and bassists should position the camera so the faculty can see everything down to just below the bridge.
Pianists should make sure that faculty can see the entire keyboard and hands as well as body position.
If possible, please state your name and the degree you are applying for at the beginning of the video recording. Please speak slowly and clearly. You do not need to announce the pieces you are playing. You may stop and start the video recorder between pieces and between movements of pieces but otherwise please play the movement or work completely through without stopping or editing.
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