Specific Audition Requirements for Certain Programs

Each of the applied faculty has a slightly different approach to auditions. In general, students auditioning should have a good command of major and minor scales. You will be asked to play prepared pieces that demonstrate your technical and musical ability and you may also be asked to sight read. There will also likely be a brief interview. For the specific audition requirements for each instrument, see below or contact the appropriate applied faculty member.

Bassoon

Please contact Peter Simpson with any questions or see his basson studio website.

Audition Material:

• Three octave chromatic scale, slurred, as fast as you can accurately play.
• Three octave B major scale, tongued, as fast as you can accurately play.
• One fast movement, and one slow movement from a work of your choice. For example, the two movements could come from a Galliard Sonata.

Classical Guitar

Perform two pieces from the classical guitar literature that display your ability to interpret classical style music and demonstrate your technical proficiency. The two pieces should be from different eras. For example, Sor and Villa-Lobos or Bach and Giuliani. In addition, there will be a sight reading exam, a questionnaire to fill out and a brief interview.

Percussion

Read the Audition and other Information for Percussion, by James Campbell, Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at UK.

• Percussion Studies at UK
• Preparing for Life as a College Percussion Major
• Undergraduate Audition information for percussion
• Graduate Audition information for percussion

Piano

Undergraduate Piano Performance

Prepare at least fifteen minutes of music, two or three pieces of contrasting styles, preferably memorized. Also review and be prepared to play any scales or other technical material you have studied. You will also be asked to sight-read some unfamiliar piano scores.

Graduate Piano Performance

Please see the Admittance Requirements the the DMA program in piano for repertoire requirements.

Undergraduate Strings

Applicants should prepare 2 or 3 contrasting works, preferably including a movement of a standard concerto  and a movement of unaccompanied Bach. The audition will last about 15-20 minutes, and may include major and minor scales and sight-reading.

Trumpet

Visit trumpet professor Mark Clodfelter's page for Trumpet Studio Audition Requirements.

Voice

Undergraduate Voice

See the information here.

Graduate Voice

See the information here.