Woodwinds

To receive full consideration for admission and graduate assistantships, submit your application by December 1. The School of Music cannot guarantee an audition, interview, admission, or graduate assistantship if the application is received after this deadline.

Assistantships

All applicants are automatically considered for appropriate graduate assistantships. Please notify the Graduate Music Office (gradmusic@ou.edu) if you do not wish to be considered. Please note that assistantships are usually awarded for the Fall and Spring semesters together. We very seldom have assistantships available for anyone entering in a Spring semester. We do not award assistantships for Summer sessions.

Application Procedure

By the December 1 deadline, please submit the online application (see Graduate Admissions page) and all materials described below.

Area faculty will review all application and pre-screening materials. Candidates will be invited (via email) to audition based on the quality of the completed application on file.

Application materials specific to this degree

The following prescreening items must be submitted through the online graduate application system by December 1:

A repertoire list of significant solo and chamber repertoire studied and performed.
- Submit using the Ditial Portfolio tab in the online application.
Prescreening recordings: Please submit performance videos totaling at least 20 minutes of music. Music may include any combination of repertoire that showcases your highest level of playing and artistry. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to the primary instrument professor in advance to discuss their proposed prescreening and audition music.
- Recordings should be in video format
- Submit files (and/or links to online recordings) using the Digital Portfolio tab in the online application.

Application materials required for all graduate degrees

These items must be submitted to the online graduate application system.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Submitted to the online application under the Supplemental Materials tab.
- While style and format are free to vary, your document should include the following information:
  - Personal Contact Information
  - Education, including institutions attended and degrees earned (when applicable)
  - Employment history (including teaching experience for music education majors)
  - Noteworthy performances, conference presentations, or scholarly endeavors
  - Research publications, including thesis topics/titles, music compositions/arrangements, or other related scholarly work
  - Any academic/music honors, awards, or scholarships received
Statement of Purpose
- Submitted to the online application under the Supplemental Materials tab
- The personal statement is intended to provide insight into the applicant’s desire to pursue a graduate degree in music. Applicants are expected to prepare and submit original work that reflects their own ideas, experiences, written communication skills. The use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools to write, draft, substantially revise, paraphrase, or otherwise generate content is not permitted. Minimal use of assistive AI for grammar, spelling, etc. is allowable. By submitting the Statement of Purpose, applicants affirm that the work is their own, original, and complies with this policy. The program reserves the right to request clarification regarding submitted materials if concerns arise regarding authorship or originality.
- Please compose a brief personal statement (approximately 2–3 pages of double-spaced, 12-point font text with 1-inch margins) regarding your desire to pursue a graduate degree in music. Include responses to the following prompts:
  1. How would you describe your professional path to this point?
  2. Why do you want to pursue this degree at OU?
  3. How do you want to grow musically, artistically, pedagogically, and/or intellectually during your graduate studies?
  4. What skills, expertise, and experiences do you bring to graduate study at OU?
  5. Describe your post-degree plans (i.e., How will you apply your newly acquired academic knowledge and expertise?).
Three letters of reference
- Submitted to the online application under the Supplemental Materials tab
- Your three reference letters should include:
  - At least one letter from: your studio professor, ensemble conductor, chamber coach, etc., or a person who has considerable knowledge about your abilities as a performer or composer.
  - At least one letter from: a person who can speak to your abilities as a scholar of music.

Audition Details and Requirements

Area faculty will review all application and pre-screening materials. Candidates will be invited (via email) to audition based on the quality of the completed application on file. Applicants who pass prescreening will work with Dr. Myles Boothroyd (myles.boothroyd@ou.edu) to schedule anaudition.

Live auditions are preferred and will receive priority consideration for graduate assistantships. Video auditions may be accepted with special permission from the audition committee. Audition repertoire and other requirements are the same for both live and recorded auditions.

With the approval of their applied teacher, a current OU undergraduate music major planning to apply to the MM program within twelve months of graduation may submit their senior degree recital in lieu of a formal audition. Recital repertoire must meet the MM audition requirements outlined below and be attended or otherwise reviewed by the audition committee.

MM woodwind applicants should prepare approximately 20 minutes of music.
Applicants are encouraged to reach out to the primary instrument professor in advance to discuss their proposed audition repertoire.
Repertoire should consist of music appropriate for graduate level study and may include orchestral excerpts and/or etudes.
The audition should represent a broad breadth of contrasting styles.
Applicants are encouraged to include music of underrepresented composers, but this is not required.
All MM auditions will include an interview with members of the woodwind faculty.
Live auditions will be unaccompanied.

Audition Dates

MM auditions will be scheduled on the following dates.

Graduate Woodwind Audition Dates
January 31, 2026
February 7, 2026 (no Bassoon auditions)
February 21, 2026