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Each program within the school has a specified set of requirements
for the evaluation of applicants.
Master of Music in Performance Audition Requirements
Applicants must request an audition time and date from the School
of Music Office of Admission and Financial Aid.
**
NEW ** Request an audition through our online system
Auditions are held on campus and throughout the United States
during January and February. Candidates who are not able to
audition in person may instead submit a high-quality recording.
All percussion auditions must be performed on campus or via recording. Please
be advised that faculty members in all instrument areas may NOT
be hearing auditions on every published on-campus audition date.
Additionally, space may be limited on particular audition dates.
Consequently, applicants should not schedule travel until it
has been confirmed by the Northwestern University School of Music
Admission Office that there is space on the requested date. Auditions
must be requested online.
Please read the General
Application and Audition Policies and Procedures (PDF)
for more information on applying to a Performance Master’s
degree at Northwestern.
Master of Music in Non-Performance Areas (Music Studies) Audition
and Application Requirements
Master’s and Doctoral Conducting Audition Requirements
Choral Conducting
Orchestral Conducting
Wind Conducting
Sample Schedule
of Conducting Audtions (PDF) (For reference only!)
Doctor of Music Audition Requirements
Music Composition
Music Technology and New Media
Certificate in Performance & Doctor of Music in Performance
Audition Requirements
Certificate in Performance & Doctor of Music in Performance audition information
Doctor of Music in Piano Performance and
Pedagogy
Doctor of Music in Piano Performance
and Collaborative Arts
Bassoon
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from the list below, or music of comparable quality.
Whenever possible, music should be selected from a variety of
stylistic periods. The audition program should consist of four
different compositions, or in some cases three compositions and
orchestral excerpts. Instrumentalists should be prepared to play
all major, harmonic minor and melodic minor scales, two octaves
slurred.
- Sonata by Saint-Saëns, Etler, or Hindemith
- Concertos by Mozart and Weber
- One of the following:
- Jacob Partita
- Osborne Rhapsody
- Persichetti Parable
- Selections from Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major
- Orchestral
excerpts
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Cello
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from this list or music of comparable quality. Whenever
possible, music should be selected from a variety of stylistic
periods. The audition program should consist of four different
compositions, or in some cases three compositions and orchestral
excerpts. Students should be prepared to play scales in
all keys.
- Études by Duport and Popper
- One or two movements from a Bach suite
- Movement from concertos by Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Schumann,
Elgar, Shostakovich
- Other pieces from standard repertoire
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Clarinet
Clarinetists
wishing to audition must submit a preliminary recording
of the following selections at least one month prior to their
desired audition date:
- Two contrasting études from the Rose 32
- Mozart Concerto, first movement
- One prepared piece of the applicant's choice
Those invited to the campus will be required to prepare the
following repertoire:
- Mozart Concerto
- A minimum of two contrasting major pieces
from the standard clarinet repertoire
- A selection of three or four orchestral
excerpts of contrasting character
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Double bass
Please note that these requirements
were recently altered. Applicants who have prepared
their audition repertoire based upon previously published information
are welcome to continue with their planned program.
Applicant should be able to demonstrate the ability to play
three octave scales and arpeggios in all keys.
Additional required repertoire
includes:
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Euphonium
Two contrasting solo pieces demonstrating style, tone, range,
rhythm, and technique. Major scales and sight reading are required.
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Flute
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from this list or music of comparable quality. Whenever
possible, music should be selected from a variety of stylistic
periods. The audition program should consist of four different
compositions, or in some cases three compositions and orchestral
excerpts. Students should be prepared to play scales in all keys.
Flutists wishing to audition on campus must submit a preliminary
tape of the selections they plan to perform at the audition at
least one month prior to their desired audition date.
- Bach Sonata in B Minor or E Minor
- Concertos by Mozart, Ibert, and Nielsen
- Sonatas by Prokofiev and Martinu
- Dutilleux Sonatine
- Frank Martin Ballade
- Schubert Introduction and Variations
on Trockne Blümen
- Orchestral excerpts
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Guitar
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from this list or music of comparable quality. Whenever
possible, music should be selected from a variety of stylistic
periods. The audition program should consist of four different
compositions, or in some cases three compositions and orchestral
excerpts. Students should be prepared to play scales in all keys.
- Contrasting movements from a Bach lute suite
- Sonata, fantasy,
or theme and variations by Sor, Giuliani, Mertz or Regondi
- Major work by Britten, Brouwer, Ginastera, Henze, or Walton
- One movement from a concerto by Rodrigo, Castelnuovo-Tedesco,
Villa-Lobos, Ponce, or equivalent repertoire
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Harp
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from this list or music of comparable quality. Whenever
possible, music should be selected from a variety of stylistic
periods. The audition program should consist of four different
compositions, or in some cases three compositions and orchestral
excerpts. Students should be prepared to play scales in all keys.
- First movements of Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp, Handel
Concerto, and Ginastera Concerto
- Ravel Introduction et Allegro
- Debussy Danse sacrée and Danse profane
- Orchestral excerpts:
- Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
- Ravel Tzigane
- Strauss Don Juan
- Ravel Alborada del Grazioso
- Bartók Concerto for Orchestra
- Debussy La Mer
- Cadenzas:
- Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake, Sleeping
Beauty by Tchaikovsky
- La Bohème (Act III) and Madama
Butterfly (Act I) by Puccini
- Wagner Tristan und Isolde, "Prelude" and "Liebestod"
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Horn
Required repertoire includes:
- Choice of one from each of the following categories:
- Concertos by Hindemith, Mozart, or Strauss
- Sonatas by Beethoven or Hindemith, Reynolds Partita,
or Schumann Adagio and Allegro
- Orchestral excerpts:
- Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 6 and 9 (fourth horn solo)
- Brahms Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3
- Ravel Pavane
- Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (low
tutti section)
- Wagner short call
- Strauss Ein Heldenleben and Till Eulenspiegel (opening
call and third horn)
- An unaccompanied solo
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Oboe
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from this list or music of comparable quality. Whenever
possible, music should be selected from a variety of stylistic
periods. The audition program should consist of four different
compositions, or in some cases three compositions and orchestral
excerpts. Students should be prepared to play scales in
all keys.
- Concertos by Cimarosa, Marcello, Handel, Mozart, Vivaldi,
R. Strauss
- Sonatas by Telemann, Handel, Hindemith
- Schumann Three Romances
- Britten Six Metamorphoses
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Percussion
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from this list or music of comparable quality. Whenever
possible, music should be selected from a variety of stylistic
periods.
Students wishing to audition on campus must submit a
preliminary audition recording at least one month prior to
the desired date of audition. Preliminary audition recordings
should include the following:
- Marimba:
- Two-mallet Bach movement
- Excerpt or movement from a contemporary four-mallet
work (3 to 4 minutes)
- Snare Drum:
- Delecluse Étude No. 1
- short rudimental snare drum solo from either Pratt
or Wilcoxen
- Timpani:
- Coda from the first movement of the Beethoven 9th Symphony
The audition program should consist of four different compositions,
or in some cases three compositions, and orchestral excerpts.
Students should be prepared to play scales in all keys. Auditions
may also include drum set and world percussion (steel drum,
tabla, frame drum, etc.). Sight-reading required.
Audition should include snare drum, timpani, and keyboard percussion.
- Suggested solo repertoire:
- Sonatas and partitas for solo violin or suites for
solo cello by Bach
- Azure or Scirroco by Burritt
- Maslanka Variations on Lost Love
- Sueyoshi Mirage
- Schwantner Velocities
- Rumble Strips or Sendimental
Structures by Stout
- Vinão Khan Variations
- Two excerpts from the standard repertoire on each of the
following: snare drum, xylophone, and timpani (auditions may
also include drumset)
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Piano
(Performance, Performance and Collaborative Arts, Performance
and Pedagogy)
Program should be memorized and must include the following:
- A contrapuntal baroque composition equivalent in difficulty
to a three-voice fugue from The Well-Tempered Clavier by
Bach
- A complete classical sonata, preferably by Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven or Schubert
- A romantic work
- A work from the impressionist or contemporary period
- An étude of virtuosity
Sight reading is required. Applicants must submit a list of
repertoire studied during the previous four years.
Additional Piano Pedagogy Audition Requirements
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Saxophone
The titles suggested illustrate the
kind and quality of music appropriate for an audition. Applicants
are free to choose a program that will best show their ability,
using music from this list or music of comparable quality. Whenever
possible, music should be selected from a variety of stylistic
periods. The audition program should consist of four different
compositions, or in some cases three compositions and orchestral
excerpts. Students should be prepared to play scales in
all keys.
- Sonatas by Albright, Maslanka, Harbison, Yoshimatsu, Denisov
- Concertos by Larsson, Feld, Finney, Gotovsky, Dahl, Husa,
Ibert
- Compositions by Desenclos, Bolcom, Berio, Lennon or Wuorinen
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String Performance and
Pedagogy
Applicants must complete a performance audition; see appropriate instrument
for details.
Applicants interested in teaching assistantships in string pedagogy
(not prerequisites to admission to the degree
program itself), please submit:
- a resume listing pedagogical background including significant
teachers, books/methods studied, and other major influences
- a statement of short- and long-term teaching goals and how
Northwestern could assist you in achieving them
- an in-depth description of prior teaching experience, listing
age and ability levels of students, length of time teaching,
and repertoire taught
- a video showing the teaching of a beginner and a more advanced
level student
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Trombone
(Tenor)
Required repertoire (no substitutions):
- Solo piece: Martin Ballade
- Orchestral excerpts:
- Berlioz Hungarian March (2nd
trombone)
- Mozart Requiem, "Tuba Mirum" (2nd
trombone)
- Ravel Bolero
- Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3
- Schumann Symphony No. 3, fourth movement
- Wagner Ride of the Valkyries (B Major section only)
- Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra
- Rossini William Tell Overture
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Trombone (Bass)
Required repertoire (no substitutions):
- Solo pieces:
- Spillman Concerto, first movement
- Bach Sarabande (no repeats)
- Orchestral excerpts:
- Berlioz Hungarian March
- Haydn The Creation, No. 26
- Mahler Symphony No. 7, first movement
- Schumann Symphony No. 3, fourth movement
- Ride of the Valkyries (B Major section
only) and Das Rheingold (last 15 bars) by Wagner
- Rossini William Tell Overture
- Kodály Hary Janos, “Battle and
Defeat of Napoleon”
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Trumpet
Required repertoire (no substitutions):
- Solo: Honegger Intrada
- Études: Charlier Études Transcendantes
No. 2; Bitsch Étude.
- Other contrasting solos and/or études of your choice.
- Orchestral excerpts:
- Stravinsky Petrouchka 1947
- Mahler Symphony No. 5, first movement
- Optional: other orchestral excerpts of your
choice
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Tuba
Two contrasting solo pieces demonstrating style, tone, range,
rhythm, and technique. Major scales and sight reading are required.
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Viola
Program should include:
- one or two movements from a Bach Suite
- a m ovement from a concerto by Bartók, Hindemith,
or Walton
- other pieces from standard repertoire
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Violin
Memorization required. Program should include:
- a full standard concerto
- contrasting movements from a Bach sonata
- a 20th-century composition
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Voice
Vocalists who wish to audition on campus
must submit a preliminary audition tape at least one month
prior to their desired audition date. To be competitively
considered, on-campus auditions are strongly recommended.
- Four memorized selections from the art song/aria repertoire
- At least one selection in Italian
- At least one selection in
English
- One in either French or German
Arias must be performed in original keys and languages.
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Master of Music in Non-Performance Areas (Music Studies)
Music Education Application
Requirements
Applicants must submit an admission essay, a videotape or DVD
of teaching and musicianship
as described below. Applications will be reviewed after all items
have been received. Those applicants wishing to have private
applied instruction must audition. Please see audition
requirements for your primary instrument.
Admission Essay
Submit an essay as evidence of your scholarly writing ability. Choose
one of the following topics, and answer thoroughly
in three to four double-spaced pages:
- From your perspective as a specialist
in instrumental, choral, or general music, what are the
goals of your curriculum? How do you plan curriculum,
instruction, and assessment to foster students' lifelong engagement
and involvement in music?
- What do you consider to be the most
pressing problems facing music education today? How do
you see yourself contributing to the solution of some of
these problems?
Documentation of Teaching and Musicianship
Submit a videotape or DVD that demonstrates your teaching ability
and musicianship. Although videotapes of musical performances
are helpful, we are most interested in seeing how you work with
students in daily classroom and rehearsal settings. For
this reason, you may want to send a sample of several representative
clips of your teaching. The entire recording should be
no longer than 30 minutes.
- During at least one of these teaching episodes, demonstrate
your musicianship by modeling for students using an instrument
or your voice. This episode should be lengthy enough
to convey how you draw upon your musicianship while teaching.
- Attach a brief description of the setting and your goals
for each teaching episode.
- Be sure to mark all videotapes or DVDs with your name.
Interview
An interview is required either in person (most
desirable) or by telephone. If you plan to visit Northwestern,
contact the Office of Music Admission
and Financial Aid to arrange a meeting with Janet Barrett.
If your plans do not include a visit, e-mail
Dr. Barrett to arrange a phone interview.
Resume
Please submit a resume reflecting your professional
accomplishments to date (degrees, positions, additional teaching
activities, counseling or other leadership experience). .
Letters of Recommendation
Submit two letters of recommendation that speak
directly to your teaching ability. These letters might
come from a principal, superintendent, music supervisor, practice
teaching coordinator/advisor, mentor or other professional who
has had an opportunity to observe your work with students directly.
Letters addressing your ability to succeed in rigorous graduate
level studies would also be helpful.
Audition
An audition is not required
for admission to the masters program in music education. However,
if you wish to include private instruction as part of your program
of study, an audition is required. This audition
can be scheduled after your admission to the music education
program. Admission
to any area of applied study is at the discretion of the applied
faculty member.
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Music Education
and Piano Pedagogy
Applicants must fulfill all admission and audition
requirements for both Music Education and
Piano Performance and Pedagogy.
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Music
Education and String Pedagogy
This degree is intended for applicants who have already earned public school
teaching certification. It is possible to earn certification as part
of the degree program, but in that case completing all requirements will likely
involve more than two academic years. You may also obtain certification
through the two-year master’s program in music education, which includes
the opportunity for electives in string pedagogy.
Applicants must fulfill all admission and audition requirements
for both Music Education and String
Performance and Pedagogy.
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Musicology Application
Requirements
Applicants must submit a lengthy sample of their writing on music, preferably
a recent paper presenting results of musical analysis, bibliographic investigation,
or other appropriate work.
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Musicology and
Library Science Application Requirements
Applicants to this program must also apply to Dominican
University’s
Master of Library and Information Science program. If accepted to both
programs, applicants will complete one year of study at Dominican University
followed by one year of study at Northwestern University.
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Music Technology Application
Requirements
Applicants should submit examples of computer programs, compositions, or other
applicable materials demonstrating their work in applying technology to music.
Applications are currently not being accepted to the DM in Music
Technology.
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Music Theory Application
Requirements
Applicants must present evidence of analytical and research ability in the
form of a paper, prepared either in an undergraduate course or specifically
for the admission committee. Composition tapes and/or scores may also be
submitted if appropriate.
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Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy / Master of Music
in Jazz Pedagogy Application Requirements
Jazz Pedagogy (Application
not available for 2008-2009)
Applicants must submit an essay of interest and an audio and/or
VHS video audition tape exhibiting evidence of the applicant’s
competence in jazz improvisation, jazz composition and arranging,
or jazz pedagogy. A personal interview-audition is recommended,
consisting of a performance audition and either a teaching demonstration
or a rehearsal of one of the candidate’s arrangements or
compositions.
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Piano Performance
and Pedagogy
Applicants must complete a performance
audition. They must also submit an outline
of their pedagogical background and a list of materials/literature
used in their teaching. Candidates with teaching
experience, either professional or in a pedagogy course, should
submit a DVD of their skills in either of the following contexts:
- A 20-minute private lesson with a pre-college student of
the elementary or intermediate level
- A 20-minute segment from a piano class or group teaching
situation
Applicants whose teaching on the DVD is in a language other
than English must add a segment to the DVD on which they discuss
their teaching and interest in a graduate degree. This should
follow the teaching demonstration, and the candidate must speak
in English.
Doctor of Music applicants should submit, in addition to the
above, a paper (approximately two pages in length) describing
their career and other pedagogical interests.
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String Performance
and Pedagogy
Applicants must complete a performance
audition. See appropriate
instrument for details. Applicants interested in teaching
assistantships in String Pedagogy (not prerequisites
to admission to the degree program itself), please submit:
- A resume listing pedagogical background including significant
teachers, books/methods studies, and other major influences
- A statement of short- and long-term teaching goals and how
Northwestern University could assist you in achieving them
- An in-depth description of prior teaching experience, listing
age and ability levels of students, length of time teaching,
and repertoire taught
- A video showing the teaching of a beginner and a more advanced
level student
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Master’s
and Doctoral Conducting Audition and Application Requirements
Applicants must submit, along with all other required application
materials, a screening VHS videotape or DVD by January 1 showing
their conducting skills in both rehearsal and performance situations. Audio
tapes or CDs of performances may be submitted as well, especially
if the audio quality of the videotape is not superior. Candidates
whose screening tapes are favorably reviewed will be invited
to an on-campus audition, to take place in February or March. The
on-campus audition will consist of the following:
Conducting Audition
Each candidate should
obtain the score(s) for the audition work(s) to be sent with
the invitation and be prepared to conduct and rehearse all or
any part of the required score(s) requested. Scores
may be marked in any way. The audition will consist of
8-12 minutes on the podium with one of the University’s
major performing ensembles. Both “rehearsal” and “performance” conducting
will be tested.
Essay
Candidates should write an analysis of the required audition
pieces and be prepared to submit the document during the audition.
Interview
Candidates will meet most of
the faculty in the Conducting Program, including their prospective
primary professor and advisor, and then will be interviewed by
several faculty members. The
purpose of the interview is to ascertain applicant goals, ambitions,
and needs; to allow faculty to assess ability to communicate
and projection of personality, and to evaluate the strength of
applicant motivation to pursue a degree and career in conducting.
Aural Skills Test
Each applicant should
review aural skills in the areas of melodic dictation, two-part
dictation, harmonic dictation, pitch discrimination, and pitch
recognition at wide intervals. Soprano and bass “feelings” and
recognition of chord qualities will be covered as well. Pre-test
practice is highly recommended.
Written Examination
The written examination
is designed to test knowledge of conducting procedures, instrumental
and choral repertoire, orchestration, and ability to analyze
and read scores quickly and accurately. Certain
questions will deal with theory, music history, and form. To
review for this exam, practice score reading, transposition,
and analysis to increase speed and accuracy. Spend time
reconciling the printed score with sounds that are heard. Foreign
language terminology for instruments, expressions, time, and
technical instructions should be reviewed. Candidates,
regardless of area of interest, should be well acquainted with
all conducting areas (wind/band, choral, and orchestral).
2008 Conducting
Audition Schedule (PDF download)
Master of Music Conducting Audition Repertoire
- Choral (Auditions February 25 and 26, 2008)
- Bach: Magnificat in D (Barenreiter edition)
- No. 4 “Omnes
generationes”
- No. 7 “Fecit potentiam,”
- Bruckner: Christus factus est
Available at Choral Public
Domain Library
- Clausen: Ubi Caritas
Mark Foster MF 2156
- Orchestral (Auditions March 4, 2008)
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, “Italian Symphony”
- Wind/Band (Auditions March 4, 2008)
- Percy Grainger: Lincolnshire Posy (arr. by F.
Fennell) (Ludwig)
Doctor of Music Conducting Audition Repertoire
- Choral (Auditions February 25 and 26, 2008)
- Poulenc: Salve Regina (Editions Salabert)
- Greg Jasperse: Voice Dance (Shawnee Press)
- Copland: In the Beginning (pages
2-27 only) (Boosey and Hawkes)
- Orchestral (Auditions March 3, 2008)
- Wagner: Gotterdammerung
“Sunrise and Siegfried’s
Rhine Journey,”
Start 3 meas. before fig.14; cut from 9th meas.
of fig.16 to 9th meas. of fig. 26
- Wind/Band (Auditions March 3, 2008)
- Strauss: Serenade in E-flat, Op.7 (Kalmus)
- Stravinsky: Octet (Boosey & Hawkes)
Mvmt. 1
Conducting Audition Contact Information
Dr. Mallory Thompson, Director of Bands
Northwestern University School of Music
1965 South Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
Telephone: 847-491-3412
m-thompson2@northwestern.edu
Dr. Robert Harris, Director of Choral Organizations
Northwestern University School of Music
711 Elgin Road
Evanston, IL 60208-1200
Telephone: 847-491-3498
robahar@northwestern.edu
Victory Yampolsky, Director of Orchestras
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall
1977 South Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
Telephone: 847-491-7303
v-yampolsky@northwestern.edu
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Certificate in Performance,
Doctor of Music in Performance Audition Requirements
Applicants must submit a completed application and a preliminary screening
tape by January 1. The tape should contain 45 to 60 minutes of music
representing diverse styles and historical periods. Additionally, applicants
must submit a list of performance-ready works they have prepared for the live
audition, a resumé, and a repertoire list of all pieces they have studied
or performed. Applicants will not be invited to campus for an audition
without completing all of the above requirements.
Applicants whose preliminary screening tapes are reviewed favorably
will be invited to campus to audition for a faculty jury and
to interview with faculty. For the on campus audition,
candidates must prepare 60 minutes of music (45 minutes for piano
performance and pedagogy candidates and for collaborative arts
candidates) representative of a Certificate in Performance or
Doctoral level. The audition material should consist of
various styles and historical periods within their instrument’s
standard repertoire. Auditions typically last 30 minutes. The
pieces performed will be selected by the faculty jury from the
list of performance-ready repertoire provided in the application.
Non-keyboard applicants may bring their own accompanist or must
pay for the services of a local accompanist (names will be provided
upon request) for the campus audition.
Applicants for the doctor of music degree program will be required
to complete a three-part diagnostic examination that will be
used to assess their scholarly writing and their specific knowledge
of music history and music theory. The examination will require
the construction of essays on three questions provided at the
time of the exam. In general the questions pertain to, but are
not limited to, theory, history, composers, repertoire, and scholarship
associated with the applicant's area of performance. The exam
will also require analysis of a score and/or synthesis of schools
of thought, in addition to calling for information on broad historic
movements within the allied arts and society. This is not a placement
examination; exam results are an important component of the overall
admissions decision. Applicants must attend the exam at their
assigned time. No laptops, notes, or dictionaries are permitted
during the exam, which has a two-hour time limit.
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Doctor
of Music in Piano Performance and Collaborative Arts Application
and Audition Requirements
Applicants for the doctor of music program in piano performance and collaborative
arts must submit a completed application and a preliminary screening tape or
CD by January 1. This recording should contain 45 minutes of music representing
four stylistic periods, as follows: 15 minutes of memorized solo piano literature
and 30 minutes of collaborative instrumental and/or vocal repertoire chosen
from the categories listed below. Applicants submitting a combination of vocal
and instrumental repertoire may combine them in any way that conforms to the
specified time limits. Additionally, applicants must submit a list of performance-ready
works, a resumé, and a repertoire list of pieces they have studied or
performed. Applicants will not be invited to campus for an audition without
completing all of the above requirements.
Applicants whose recordings are reviewed favorably will be invited
for an on-campus audition, interview, and entrance examination.
They must prepare 45 minutes of music for the on-campus audition,
which typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes and include the performance
of works selected by faculty members from the prepared 45-minute
program.
This program should include 15 minutes of memorized solo repertoire
and 30 minutes of collaborative repertoire.
- Instrumental works may be chosen from the classical period,
romantic period, and 20th-century and performed with one or
more partners.
- Vocal repertoire may be chosen from:
- Songs by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, or Wolf
- Songs by a French composer
- Songs by an American or British composer
- Operatic arias in Italian and/or German
Applicants may bring their own instrumentalists and singers
for the audition; if, however, the assistance of a Chicago-area
musician is needed, the applicant must contact the coordinator
of collaborative arts at least one month (or as soon as possible
after receiving an invitation) prior to the campus audition.
Northwestern will provide one singer and/or instrumentalist,
and the repertoire will be chosen in collaboration with the coordinator
of collaborative arts. The candidate must arrange rehearsal time
with their singers and/or musicians. The collaborative arts audition
will also include a sight-reading audition and an interview with
the coordinator of collaborative arts. In addition, the applicant
will be required to write an essay on a topic to be provided
that day; this essay relates to history, theory, scholarship,
repertoire, and composers associated with the applicant's performance
area and is used to assess the applicant's ability to write and
conduct research at the doctoral level.
For further information, please contact Elizabeth Buccheri at e–buccheri@northwestern.edu or
the Office of Music Admission
and Financial Aid.
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Doctor of
Music in Composition Application and Audition Requirements
Note: Applicants must apply directly to the Doctor of Music program
following the completion of an undergraduate or master's degree in music.
Applicants must submit a portfolio consisting of scores (and
preferably audiotapes or CDs) of three to five representative
compositions by January 1. Compositions should incorporate a
variety of media and show familiarity with current trends. Applicants
must also include a complete list of works and composition performances,
an analysis of a musical work composed no earlier than 1950,
and a second analytical or music history paper. Based on a preliminary
review of the composition portfolio, candidates may be invited
to campus for an interview with faculty and an entrance examination.
Candidates will not be invited to campus until all required materials
are received.
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Doctor of Music
in Music Technology and New Media Application and Audition Requirements
(Application not available for 2007-2008)
Each applicant must have a fully completed application on file,
including transcripts, letters of reference, and a portfolio
of creative works. The GRE is recommended but not required.
Qualifications: Applicants may be admitted with a Bachelor’s
degree for a three-year program or with a master's degree for
a two-year program. The student’s previous course work
should demonstrate an extensive commitment to creativity with
digital media even if the degrees do not bear a similar name.
The student must also demonstrate an extensive academic background
in music.
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