Auditions and Juries

Advisory audition

Proficiency audition

B.M. audition

Senior Recital audition

Scholarship audition for continuing students

Scholarship audition for new students

Standard classical repertoire examples by instrument

Advisory Audition (at the end of Music 30A)

All students in Music 30A, including music minors, will be scheduled for a juried audition on their major instrument or voice at the end of fall quarter.

Note: that this audition is advisory only. You will be heard by a faculty committee of three members, who will be asked to judge your current performance ability: elementary, lower intermediate, advanced, etc. The purpose of the Advisory (Music 30) audition is to apprise you of your present level and to inform you of what, if any, work is needed for you to pass the required Proficiency (Music 100) Audition next year. You will receive a copy of the evaluation form with the committee's comments, as will your private instructor. Performance levels must be demonstrated on a standard orchestral instrument, piano, harpsichord, voice or guitar. You should prepare two contrasting pieces and major and minor scales.

If you are a declared music minor, or intend to declare a minor, and therefore feel that you should not be required to take this audition, you must request permission from the Applied Music Coordinator.

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Proficiency Audition (at the end of Music 100A)

All students in Music 100A, including those emphasizing composition and those who were judged at an "Upper Intermediate" or "Advanced" level on the Advisory Audition must audition at the end of fall quarter.

At that time, all B.A. students should exhibit at least an upper-intermediate level on their major instrument or voice, as defined by the following guidelines:

1. tone production of high quality;
2. all major and minor scales over the range of the instrument (except voice);
3. performance of two contrasting prepared pieces.

B.A. students who may not yet be prepared to pass the audition should nonetheless play at least one piece. Original compositions are not permitted. Students must provide the jury committee with a copy of their audition pieces.

B.A. students must attain an upper-intermediate level to continue in the major. Two-quarter extensions may be allowed by the audition committee in rare circumstances; students must audition at the end of each quarter and demonstrate significant improvement each time. B.A. students who have demonstrated an upper-intermediate level on the Proficiency Audition are not required to take subsequent juries, although they are urged take at least one jury yearly for feedback from faculty other than their applied instructors.

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Bachelor of Music Auditions

Auditions for admittance to the B.M. program will be held on campus at the end of each Fall quarter.* A member of the Bachelor of Music Committee will sit on the juries. Students must get the approval of their applied instructor in order to audition. Students should be prepared to play three pieces or movements of a contrasting nature from at least two different stylistic periods. (Two contrasting movements from the same sonata or concerto may count as two of the three required pieces.) Students who have attained an advanced level on a previous audition are still required to audition.

Upper division students: Only students on an advanced performing level who have scheduled a recital date in their junior year, and who have auditioned no more than twice (the last audition possible being Fall of the senior year), will be allowed to change to a BM degree.

*Only junior transfer students entering UCSC in Winter Quarter may audition for the BM program in the Spring.

Continuing B.M. students are required to take two juries per academic year, at the end of fall and the end of spring quarters at the same time as auditions for B.A. students (Saturday following the last day of instruction), for continuing review and criticism on their major instrument. Repertoire for the auditions must be approved by the applied instructor. If a student does not attain, or maintain, an advanced level, the Bachelor of Music Committee will re-examine the student’s continued participation in the B.M. program in consultation with the applied instructor.

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Senior Recital Audition

In order to present a senior recital, a student must attain an advanced level on the Proficiency Audition by June of her/his junior year.

In unusual cases, exceptionally accomplished undergraduate composers may be considered for a senior recital in composition. To be considered for such a recital, student composers must submit a portfolio of their works by the beginning of spring quarter of their junior year to the faculty member who has been their primary composition teacher. Portfolios will be assessed by all regular composition faculty (Cope, Jones, Kim, Nauert); senior recitals will be approved or disapproved by the end of spring quarter.

To all instructors whose students are planning to play a senior recital: all the ensemble pieces should be coached or supervised personally by the instructor.

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Scholarship Audition for continuing students

Competitions are held each May. To compete, a student must be nominated by her/his teacher. For first-year students, and transfer and re-entering students, auditions will be held at the end of fall quarter at the time of juries to accommodate those who were not enrolled the previous spring.

Students should be prepared to play three pieces or movements of a contrasting nature from at least two different stylistic periods. (Two contrasting movements from the same sonata or concerto may count as two of the three required pieces.) Auditions will last approximately 10 minutes; faculty may interrupt you during your piece. This has no bearing on their judgment. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of performance at these auditions, not on overall talent, potential, or financial need. If a piece is written with accompaniment, students must use an accompanist. If they do not, they are disqualified.

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Scholarship Audition for new students

Competitions are held each year. Contact the Music Department office for current postmark deadline. Scholarships are awarded to incoming students, based on performance. These are lump-sum scholarships credited toward tuition costs. Strong performers are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for a scholarship, send a non-returnable cassette of your playing, two pieces or movements of a contrasting nature from different stylistic periods. (Two contrasting movements from the same sonata or concerto may count as two pieces.) Label the cassette with your name, address, phone number, instrument and composers and titles of the works included. Submit tapes to:

Music Department Scholarships
244 Music Center, UCSC
Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Examples from the Standard Classical Repetiore

Bass - Marcello Sonata; Scarlatti Sonata in C minor; Corelli Sonata in D major.

Bassoon - Weissenborn Studies, Book I; Ouradous Daily Scales and Exercises; Milde Op. 24, 25 Etudes in all keys.

Cello - Saint-Saëns Allegro Appassionata ; Bach Prelude to G major Suite, Allemande to C major suite; Popper Etude No. l in C major.

Clarinet - Mozart Clarinet Concerto; Hindemith Sonata; Weber Concertino; Saint-Saëns Sonata.

Flute - Donjon Etudes de Salon; C.P.E. Bach sonatas; Bloch Suite Modale; Mozart concertos in G or D; J. S. Bach sonatas; Fauré Fantasie; Hindemith Sonata.

Guitar - Bach lute suites (any movement); Villa-Lobos Preludes 1-5; Sor Studies (Segovia edition); Brouwer Studies; Ponce Preludes; Luys de Narvaez Diferéncias sobre Guardame las vacas.

Harpsichord - Bach Well-Tempered Clavier (any prelude or fugue except Book I, Prelude 1); Scarlatti Sonata.

Horn - Kopprasch Studies, Book 1 or 2; Mozart concertos Nos. 2 or 3; B. Heiden Sonata for Horn; P. Dukas Villanelle.

Oboe - Telemann Sonata in A minor; Marcello Oboe Concerto; Albinoni Concerto in D major; Hindemith Sonata.

Percussion - Portraits in Rhythm, Study 1 or 2 (snare drum); Begamo Style Studies, l-6 (mallets); Bach Bourrée Anglaise for solo flute (mallets); Telemann Canonic Sonatas; Peters Introduction and Waltz for 4 toms and cymbal.

Piano - Any prelude and fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier; Mozart sonatas K. 280, 570, 309, 332, 333; Beethoven Sonata Op. 14; any Chopin nocturne (except the c minor, op. post.); any Brahms Intermezzo, Capriccio, or Rhapsody; any Debussy Prelude (Livres I or II) or movement from the Suite Bergamasque; any of the Gershwin Three Preludes; any of the Bartok Three Rondos; any Rachmaninoff Prelude.

Saxophone - Klosé Etudes; Gurewich Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra.

Trombone - Blazevich Studies in Clefs; Rochut Melodious Etudes.

Trumpet - Bozza Badinage; Gibbons Suite; Latham Suite; Hovhaness Prayer of St. Gregory.

Voice - Pieces in at least 2 languages are required: Schubert Die Forelle ; Fauré Après un Rêve; Mozart "Vedrai Carino" from Don Giovanni; Debussy Beau Soir; Stravinsky Ricercare I (Cantata); Machaut (Ballade) Dousamis.

Violin - sonatas and concertos of Händel, Corelli, Tartini, Vivaldi.

Viola - études of Mazas, Sitt, Kreutzer.

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