Required Repertoire for Undergraduate Auditions
Brass
- 2 works (one lyrical and one technical) of contrasting styles and tempos from the standard repertoire including movements of sonatas, concerti or other solo works.
- An All-State audition etude. You may substitute the etude for solo work of comparable difficulty.
- All major and minor scales should be prepared.
Composition
Acceptance to the composition degree or composition minor requires submission of materials and an interview with composition faculty. Please send the following items to Dr. Karathanasis, Composition Area Chair (karathanasis@ou.edu) at least 2 weeks before the applicant’s selected audition (interview) date.
- Two pdfs of music scores falling under the general rubric of contemporary classical art music and two mp3 recordings of those works (live or MIDI renderings).
- Upon submission, the composition faculty will review the selections and applicants will be notified within a week as to their interview status. In-person interviews will take place during School of Music Audition Days.
If you are interested in taking secondary composition lessons (lessons outside of your major), please contact Dr. Karathanasis (karathanasis@ou.edu) for more information.
Jazz
For the Jazz area, the materials you need to prepare depend on the degree(s) you are considering pursuing.
BA in Jazz
For the BA in Jazz, two auditions are required with two different sets of repertoire. One audition will be performed for the jazz area and will include two contrasting jazz etudes and an F Blues Improvisation. The other audition will be performed for the applicable applied area (ie. trumpet for the brass area, string bass for the string area) using the audition requirements specified by that area (see area audition requirements on this page). If you have questions regarding the BA in Jazz auditions, please contact Prof. Jay Wilkinson, Coordinator of Jazz Studies at jazzprof@ou.edu.
Jazz Minor
For the Jazz minor, one jazz etude and an F Blues Improvisation are required.
Organ
2 or 3 pieces in contrasting styles from the following:
- A movement by J.S. Bach
- A 19th century French or German movement
- A 20th century work
Percussion
For more information about Percussion repertoire, see the Undergraduate Auditions page on the Percussion area website.
Piano
For the Piano area, the materials you need to prepare depends on the degree(s) you are considering pursuing.
Piano Major (BM: Piano, BM: Piano Pedagogy, BMA, BA)
- The audition program should include two, preferably three, pieces in contrasting styles performed from memory. Applicants are encouraged to highlight personal interests by including works of underrepresented composers, groups, cultures, and styles.
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Recommended repertoire should be comparable to:
- Baroque - A contrapuntal work by JS Bach such as Well Tempered Clavier
- Classical - A movement or movements from Beethoven Sonata Op. 10 No. 1
- Romantic - Chopin Nocturne, Clara Wieck Schumann Romance
- Impressionist, 20th, or 21st Centuries - Pieces from Bartok Mikrokosmos, Character Pieces of Cécile Chaminade, Florence Price Sonata movement (works for prepared piano cannot be accommodated)
A repertoire list of works that you have rehearsed and/or studied (even if you did not perform them in public recitals) should be presented at the beginning of the audition. Repertoire should be listed by historical period, and then alphabetically by composer. Bring 5 copies of your audition program to the audition.
Piano Minor
- At least one piece should be memorized.
- The audition program should include two or three pieces in contrasting styles.
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Recommended repertoire should be comparable to:
- Baroque - A two or three part invention by JS Bach
- Classical - A movement or movements from Clementi and Haydn Sonata
- Romantic - A short Waltz/Mazurka by Chopin, or a short character piece by Schumann
- Impressionist, 20th, or 21st Centuries - A prelude by Debussy or short piece by Bartok (works for prepared piano cannot be accomodated)
Strings
Violin
Students may substitute the audition requirements below, for the current year Oklahoma Violin Etude and Excerpts for the audition.
- A solo work from a representative etude or movement from a J.S. Bach solo sonata or partita.
- Fast movement of a standard violin concerto.
- Scales and arpeggios.
Viola
- Two (2) works of contrasting style from the standard viola repertoire. One of the selections is recommended (but not required) to be a fast movement from a standard concerto or sonata. If one of the 2 works chosen is a Bach Cello Suite (transcribed for viola), 2 movements of contrasting tempo are required.
- An etude demonstrating the applicant’s highest current level of technical accomplishment (e.g. an etude by Mazas, Dont, Bruni, Kayser, Kreutzer, etc.).
- 3-octave scales and arpeggios in parallel major and minor keys (e.g. D-Major
and D-Minor). Scales should be prepared both with separate bowing
(unslurred) and with 4-note slurs.
Cello
2 or 3 works from the following:
- An etude by Duport, Schroeder, Popper, Dotzauer, etc.
- A movement from a Bach Suite or other Baroque work (e.g. Vivaldi or Eccles
Sonatas). - A solo piece of the student's choice.
Double Bass
At least 2 contrasting works from the following:
- A movement from a Baroque work
- Etudes from the standard repertoire
- A work of the student's choice
- Orchestral excerpts
Harp
- 2 works of contrasting style. May include technical etudes and/or orchestral excerpts of the student's choice.
Guitar
- A selected major and minor scale from the Segovia edition of Diatonic Major and Minor Scales, including demonstration of all seven right hand patterns.
- 2 selected arpeggio studies by Giuliani, demonstrating the ascending and descending arpeggio preparation technique.
- A selected study of F. Sor from the Segovia edition of 20 Studies by F. Sor.
- A selected study from 25 Melodic and Progressive Etudes by Carcassi.
- A work of the student's choice.
Voice
Two contrasting classical songs or arias, both must be memorized. One must be in a Foreign Language (Italian, German, French, or Spanish) and one must be in English. A lyrical ballad from standard musical theatre may be used for the English piece. An accompanist will be provided.
Woodwinds
2 works (one lyrical and one technical) of contrasting styles and tempos from the standard repertoire including movements of sonatas, concerti or other solo works. May substitute etude for solo work.
