Your Invitation to Audition
Welcome to Audition Week at the Peabody Institute! To make the experience as smooth as possible, we have prepared this information to help you navigate the more routine aspects of your visit, including placement tests, transportation, and lodging.
Auditioning applicants must have submitted proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster (if eligible) and been verified by our office. If you did not submit proof of vaccination, you have already been switched to a recorded audition. Those submitting a recorded audition do not need to submit proof of vaccination or an attestation form. Peabody Conservatory reserves the right to cancel your live audition and require you to submit a recorded audition in the event the public health situation requires us to move to a fully remote audition week.
To allow for spacing, due to COVID regulations, we ask that you arrive at Peabody no earlier than two hours prior to your first scheduled event.
In order to visit our campus, each individual visitor is required to complete a COVID Attestation Form within 24 hours of your being on campus. We ask that each applicant bring only one guest to campus. If you are bringing a guest, please submit a form for each member of your party. No visitor is allowed on the Peabody campus without an attestation form submitted within 24 hours prior to your arrival.
When you arrive, please report to one of the following entrances:
Please have your COVID Attestation confirmation email accessible on your phone for our staff to verify. Upon check-in, you will be able to pick up your complete schedule to learn of any revisions in the time and place of your audition (if any). Admissions staff and volunteers will be available to assist you between the hours of 8:30am and 4:00pm.
From the Main Entrance – When you first arrive on campus, come directly to 17 E. Mt. Vernon Place. Walk straight ahead and down the stairs into the Arcade. Check-In will be to your right.
From the Peabody Parking Garage – Go to the far corner of the second floor and follow signs saying “Main Entrance,“ “Concert Hall,” “Check-In,” or “Arcade.” It’s all the same place. Check-In will be open from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. The check-in process is important, even for current Peabody students. If you do not check in, we may mistake you for a “no-show” and re-assign your audition time to someone else.
Be at the assigned room at least 10-15 minutes in advance of your audition. You may be asked to shift your audition time if the auditions are running early or late. Early arrival will be especially important if your audition occurs late in the day. Applicants may arrive on campus no more than 2 hours prior to their first scheduled audition/interview.
Practice rooms in Leakin Hall will be available to our visitors during Audition Week. Your check-in packet will instruct you where to go. We have asked you to prepare much more music than you can perform in the time allotted for your audition, so expect the faculty to ask for excerpts from your audition repertoire.
Dancers will participate in a 2 hour group audition, and then have a short solo audition. Both are required. Each faculty member will evaluate your acceptability to the school as well as to their teaching studios.
Finally, each faculty member will give you a one-to-ten rating. Taken together, this will be the primary data used for accept/reject decisions, teacher assignments, and the awarding of performance scholarships.
No-shows can cause significant issues on audition day. If you must cancel your audition, we welcome you to submit a recorded audition instead. Please notify us ASAP if this is the case. This is essential for creating a smooth, enjoyable audition experience for everyone.
Scheduling constraints and the vastly different set-up requirements for each major make arranging auditions a difficult task. However, if you have a mandatory conflict that cannot be rescheduled, call us, and we will try to work out a solution.
Baltimore has its share of difficult weather, but auditions go on regardless—even if The Johns Hopkins University is closed. For confirmation, visit Peabody’s website or Johns Hopkins University’s website. Any special weather announcements will be there. If you want to plan ahead, there are some things you can do if the very thought of snow gives you hives.
Plan to travel to Peabody the day before your audition. Early arrival will allow time for delays and also give you a chance to get some rest and some practice before starting with your activities. If you are planning to drive here, especially from within the northeast corridor, check out the Amtrak schedule as a back-up. The trains are pretty reliable in bad weather, and we are only a short distance from the train station. In all cases, get here as soon as you can. Even if you miss your audition time, we can usually work you in.
The entrance process for special degree programs (eg. Music Ed, Recording Arts) includes a scheduled interview. The faculty will explore your interest in the subject areas, looking for students likely to have a positive experience if accepted to Peabody. Here are some details:
DMA, Music Theory GA, Ear Training GA, and Keyboard Studies GA interviews will be entirely virtual. DMA Conducting, Wind Conducting, and Piano applicants will be scheduled for a DMA interview after auditions (or the first round of auditions, if applicable). If you are on campus at Peabody at the time of your interview, space will be available for you to attend your interview. Zoom links for some of these interviews will provided in the coming weeks.
Some assistantship interviews are scheduled directly with the departments. This means you will not see a line item in your audition/interview schedule for that assistantship. You will work directly with the department to be screened for consideration. You can find this information on the Assistantships page of the Peabody website.
Most assistantship interviews are scheduled for 10 or 15 minutes. As with your audition, it is important to arrive early in case the schedule has been altered to accommodate last-minute changes. At Peabody, Graduate Assistants work closely with faculty, so an “Assistantship Interview” functions like a job interview. Here are a few special cases:
Applicants to the Music for New Media and Computer Music programs will be required to take an online music theory test, Foundations Benchmark. If you are required to take this test, you have already been added to the Johns Hopkins Blackboard site and should have received a request to create a new account. Please check your spam filter if you did not receive this email. If you have not received the email to create a Blackboard account, please contact Dr. Stephen Stone (sstone1@jhu.edu).
All testing is completely online. If you have not received any information regarding testing, please contact Dr. Stephen Stone (sstone1@jhu.edu). Students accepted to Peabody will have an opportunity to be retested for music theory placement during orientation week before school opens.
Applicants for the MM in Music Theory Pedagogy, the DMA, or a graduate assistantship in Music Theory, ear training or Piano/Keyboard studies will take the Graduate Assistant and DMA test (GADMA). The GADMA test evaluates your knowledge of music analysis, tonal counterpoint, and twentieth century techniques. The following texts, available from a music store or book store, may prove helpful:
Note: Sample theory tests may be downloaded here.
All testing is completely online. The Graduate Ear training Placement Test is a written test involving chords and dictation in one and two voices. Additionally, there is an exercise in which you are to identify errors played while watching the music. If you have an opportunity to improve your skills between now and Orientation Week, you may retake the written placement exam at that time.
The DMA Music History Test is an entrance examination designed to test your knowledge of history and your ability to compose an essay. Several topics will be listed for you to select two areas to write on. 45 minutes should be allotted to complete each essay, for a total of 90 minutes. A sample test can be downloaded here.
This year due to COVID, we are planning several virtual information sessions on the following dates. The Director of Admissions and other key administrators will make a presentation about the school and the procedures used for admissions and financial aid. All are welcome to attend.
Virtual Parent Information Session (Admissions, Academic Affairs and Financial Aid)
Thursday, February 17 | 7-8:30PM (US-Eastern Standard Time)
Virtual Parent Information Session (Student Affairs & Security)
Monday, February 21 | 7-8:30PM (US-Eastern Standard Time)
Virtual Parent Information Session (Admissions, Academic Affairs and Financial Aid)
Tuesday, February 22 | 7-8:30PM (US-Eastern Standard Time)
A list of all planned Audition Week activities (both in-person and virtual) can be found in our Audition Week Newsletter. Please check back in February for additional updates. When you check-in, we will give you an updated copy including any last minute changes. Campus Tours will also be available for you to RSVP ahead of time (schedule available in February).
Peabody/Johns Hopkins has negotiated special rates at the following hotels. All are within walking distance of the Conservatory. When making reservations, tell them you are auditioning at Peabody. Baltimore hosts several large conventions each year— sometimes scheduled at the same time as Audition Week— so please make your reservations early.
101 W. Monument St. Baltimore, MD 21201
410-727-7101
Please use Corporate/Group Code 33761 under “Special Rates.”
24 W. Franklin Street Baltimore, MD 21201
855-914-1370
Price: $101 per night
8 East Pleasant Street Baltimore, MD 21202
410-576-1200
Price: $109 per night
120 E Lombard St. Baltimore, MD 21202
(800) 914-1370
222 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202
410-727-2222 or 800-873-6668
2 North Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21201
888-752-2636
NOTE: Due to a heavy volume of negative feedback, we strongly advise against making any reservation at the Midtown Inn on St. Paul Street.
Take I-70 East to I-695 South. Exit at I-95 North and follow the directions given below for the South
Take Interstate 95 north to I-395. Turn right on Conway Street off of I-395 and follow it until it ends at the Harbor. Turn left and stay on the left so that you follow Calvert Street as it heads north from the Harbor
(you will be turning left onto Calvert). After approximately ten blocks north on Calvert Street, turn left on Monument Street (the Washington monument should appear directly ahead of you). Take your first left onto St. Paul Street and turn right into the Peabody Garage. If there is no room in the Peabody lot (which gets pretty crowded) you may be asked to park in an alternate location.
Take interstate 95 South to the Baltimore Beltway, I-695. Go west. The Beltway will merge with Interstate 83. After a few miles, take I-83 South into the city. Exit at St. Paul Street. Approximately ten blocks south on St. Paul Street you will cross Mt. Vernon Place (there will be a park and a tall monument to your right). At the end of the next block, turn right into our parking garage. If there is no room in the Peabody lot
(which gets pretty crowded) you may be asked to park in an alternate location.
Peabody is located only a few blocks from the Amtrak station in Baltimore. It is an easy walk in good weather if you are not carrying much. However, we recommend a taxi if you have your instrument with you and want to keep your ears warm.
When you arrive at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, check with the ground transportation desk in the baggage area by belts number six and seven (near Pier C). There is a “Supreme Shuttle” service that costs about $25.00 one way and around $18.00 for each additional person. It will drop you off at any major hotel in the downtown area. Total travel time is about an hour. You must arrange a pick up by the Supreme Shuttle to get back to the airport. The phone number is 800-590-0000. You can also make on-line reservations at: supremeairportshuttle.com. Of course, you can also take a taxi cab which will drop you off at the door. The cost is roughly double that of the Supreme Shuttle. Another option is the Light Rail, which recently opened service from the airport to Baltimore Penn Station. The fare is $1.70 each way. It leaves the airport every 17 minutes and the total travel time is 45 minutes. Call 410-539- 5000 for the latest, or check their website. Cabs are readily available from the train station to Mt. Vernon Place (near all the hotels listed) for around $10.00.