PLU Music Audition Repertoire

Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion

● Only one musical selection is needed, though you may prepare more than one provided it fits into the 5 minute audition time. Your selection(s) should show your best tone quality and demonstrate both lyrical and technical playing.
● Acceptable repertoire includes a movement (or portion of a movement) from a sonata or concerto, a solo etude for your instrument, a small selection of orchestral excerpts for your instrument, or some combination of the above.
● Percussionists should perform on at least two different instruments.

If you have any questions regarding brass, woodwinds and percussion audition repertoire, please contact: Dr. Zach Lyman, Coordinator of Wind, Brass, and Percussion Studies.

Jazz

If you are performing a jazz piece at your scholarship audition, here are some guidelines:

● Whether you are a jazz vocalist or instrumentalist, you should prepare a jazz “standard,” defined as a jazz composition (ex.: “Blue Bossa”) or a piece from the Great American Songbook commonly used as a vehicle for jazz (ex.: “All of Me”). These are readily available in commercially sold jazz “fake books” such as The New Real Book, published by Sher Music Co.
● Sing or play through the composed melody for one chorus, then improvise for a chorus if you are able.
● Do not use as your audition piece a portion of your part from a big band arrangement (ex.: Letter B from the third trumpet part).
● Jazz pianists should either present an unaccompanied jazz solo piece or you may bring a playback device with an accompaniment track, such as an mp3 player or a device with iReal Pro software.
● Jazz bassists should play a chorus of melody, play an accompanying bass line for a chorus, then improvise for a chorus.
● Drummers, rather than playing a jazz piece, should be prepared to demonstrate a few bars of different styles: swing, Latin (samba, bossa nova, Afro-Cuban 6/8), ballad (using brushes), and funk/rock styles. You will also be asked to improvise a brief solo in a style of your choice.

If you have any questions regarding jazz audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Cassio Vianna, Director of Jazz Studies.

Piano

Prepare two contrasting pieces, with one from the Baroque or Classical period (e.g., a piece by Bach, or a movement from a sonata by Haydn/Mozart/Beethoven), and the second from the Romantic or Modern era.

If you have any questions regarding piano audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Oksana Ejokina, Coordinator of Keyboard Studies.

Strings: Viola

● Major and minor scales and arpeggios in three octaves with various bowings
● A movement of unaccompanied Bach, or an etude from the standard repertoire for viola (Mazas, Rode, Campagnoli, Fuchs, or similar study)
● A standard solo of the student’s choice

If you have any questions regarding viola audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Svend Ronning, Coordinator of String Studies.

Strings: Double Bass (Orchestra)

● Major and minor scales and arpeggios in two octaves with various bowings
● Two Contrasting Movements (slow and fast) from a sonata (Vivaldi, Marcello, Eccles, Hindemith, etc.), or a movement from a standard concerto (Capuzzi, Dragonetti, Dittersdorf, Koussevitzky, Bottesini, Vanhal, etc.)
● A standard solo of the student’s choice

If you have any questions regarding double bass audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Svend Ronning, Coordinator of String Studies.

Strings: Harp

● An etude (Pozzoli, Bochsa or LaRiviere, or similar study), or a section of the Level 2 or 3 warm up from “On Playing the Harp” by Yolanda Kondonassis
● A standard solo of student’s choice

If you have any questions regarding harp audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Svend Ronning, Coordinator of String Studies.

Strings: Guitar (Jazz Emphasis)

● Major and minor scales in two octaves.
● Prepare a jazz “standard,” defined as a jazz composition (ex.: “Blue Bossa”) or a piece from the Great American Songbook commonly used as a vehicle for jazz (ex.: “All of Me”). These are readily available in commercially sold jazz “fake books” such as The New Real Book, published by Sher Music Co.

If you have any questions regarding jazz guitar audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Cassio Vianna, Director of Jazz Studies.