Undergraduate and Graduate Auditions

VIOLIN

• Three Contrasting pieces from the following list, or the equivalent:
  • A movement from the Bach Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas (a B minor movement and its double together count as one movement)
  • A movement from a standard concerto such as Bruch, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Wieniawski, or Sait-Saens
  • An etude, showpiece, or contemporary work

VIOLA

• Major and minor scales and arpeggios in 3 octaves
• An Etude of Kreutzer, Campagnoli, Fuchs, or equivalent
• A movement of a Bach Gamba Sonata or unaccompanied suite or an equivalent baroque piece
• A work from the classical, romantic, or contemporary literature chosen by the candidate to demonstrate his/her present level of competency

'CELLO

• Major and minor scales in 3 octaves; arpeggios in 3 octaves
• An etude the level of Duport Volume II; Franchomme; Gruetzmachet Volume I
• A work the level of Faure Elegy; Bruch Kol Nidrei; Saint Saens Allegro Appassionato; Bach Suite 1; Beethoven Sonata 1
• Sight-reading

DOUBLE BASS

• Major and minor scales and arpeggios in 2 octaves
• An etude from Simandl Book II and one of the following:
  • an etude from Slama 66 Etudes
  • an etude from Sturm Book I
• Two movements (slow and fast) from a sonata by Marcello or Vivaldi
• A work from the classical, romantic, or contemporary literature chosen by the candidate to demonstrate his/her present level of competency
• An excerpt from the classical or romantic orchestral repertoire
• Sight-reading

VOICE

An accompanist will be provided at all auditions. Students should bring the printed music for the songs they will be performing. Interested applicants should prepare a memorized audition consisting of three vocal pieces:

• A 17th or 18th century Italian aria
• An art song in German or French
• A song in English from the 20th century (either classical or musical theater)

FLUTE

• Major, harmonic minor, chromatic scales (2 or 3 octaves)
• Two contrasting movements of a J.S. Bach Sonata or Mozart Concerto
• Any French recital piece
• Sight-reading

WINDS/BRASS (OBOE, CLARINET, SAXOPHONE, BASSOON, FRENCH HORN, TRUMPET, TROMBONE, TUBA)

• All major scales - 2 octaves; chromatic scale - 2 octaves
• One of the following:
  • An etude or characteristic study that demonstrates the present level of competency on the instrument
  • One movement from a classical, romantic or contemporary concerto or sonata or solo piece
• Sight-reading

• Selected basic rudiments (rolls, paradiddles, flams, etc.)
• One intermediate or advanced solo or etude
• Sight-reading

• Selected scales 2 octaves
• One solo or etude which demonstrates the present level of competency on marimba or xylophone

• Ear test (matching pitches, interval identifications, etc.)
• One etude or solo which demonstrates the present level of competency on two or four drums

• (If students have limited experience on mallets or timpani, they are encouraged to contact Professor Kolor at tpkolor@buffalo.edu to arrange for suitable substitute repertoire.)

PIANO

• Three contrasting pieces, (memorized):
  • J.S. Bach
  • One movement from a classical sonata
  • 19th or 20th century.
• The candidate will be asked for scales and/or sight-reading

ORGAN

• Two work by J.S. Bach
  • A choral prelude
  • A larger work
• A 17th century French, German, or Italian piece
• A 19th or 20th century work
• The candidate may be asked for scales and/or sight-reading

• A sonata by Scarlatti
• A larger work of J.S. Bach
• A piece from the French School
• The candidate may be asked for scales and/or sight-reading

• Two to three contrasting works
• Knowledge of all major and minor scales and arpeggios is recommended
• For more details, contact UB guitar faculty Dr. Shin <sungmins@buffalo.edu>

VIOLIN

• Two movements from the Bach Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas (a B minor movement and its double together count as one movement)
• A movement from a standard concerto
• A contemporary work
• An additional work, such as a showpiece, Paganini caprice, movement of a sonata, or other selection of your choice

VIOLA

• All major and minor scales and arpeggios
• An Etude from Kreutzer, Campagnoli, Rode or equivalent
• Two contrasting movements from a Bach Suite for unaccompanied cello 
  
• One movement of a sonata from the romantic or contemporary literature
• One movement of a concerto by Bartok, Hindemith, or Walton

'CELLO

• All major and minor scales and arpeggios in 4 octaves; scales in broken 3rds, 6ths and octaves
• Three of the following (two works must be prepared in their entirety):
  • An 18th –century sonata (Italian, French, German)
  • A solo suite of Bach, Reger or Hindemith
  • Beethoven: Sonata III, IV or V or Brahms: Sonata in F Major; Sonata in G Major, or a sonata by Shostakovitch, Kabalevsky or Martinu
  • A concerto of Lalo, Haydn, Dvorak, Elgar, Hindemith, Boccherini, Saint-Saens or Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations
• Sight-reading

DOUBLE BASS

• Two or three octave scales in all keys with corresponding tonic arpeggios (major and minor)
• An Etude from Storch-Hrabe Etudes Book 1
• Two movements from Bach Suite No. 1 for Violoncello (transcribed by S. Sterling); two movements from Capuzzi Concerto or similar work
• Sight-reading

VOICE

Applicants for the MM in Voice should present a program of at least 15 minutes of music spanning the major periods of solo literature from baroque to Contemporary, including at least one Romantic lied and one operatice aria. At least two foreign languages must be represented.

FLUTE

• Major, all minor, whole-tone, chromatic scales + arpeggios (2-3 octaves, be prepared for varying articulations)
• J S Bach: Partia in a minor OR Sonata in e minor OR Sonata in b minor
• Mozart: First movement of EITHER the Concerto in G Major OR the Concerto in D Major
• 5-7 minute work for composed for flute along (your choice) OR a virtuoso etude or study
• Standard Orchestral Excerpts from:
  • “Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy
  • “Daphnis and Chloe” by Maurice Ravel
  • “Scherzo” from ‘A Midsummernight’s Dream’, by Mendelssohn
  • “Petrouchka” by Stravinsky
• Sight-reading

OBOE

• A complete baroque sonata or concerto
• A work of the classical or romantic period, such as: Haydn Oboe Concerto; Mozart Oboe Concerto in C
• Mozart Quartet in F; Schumann Three Romances
• A modern work or an avant-garde work which demonstrates contemporary techniques such as: Strauss Oboe Concerto; Schuller Sonata; Vaughan Williams Concerto; Hindemith Sonata for Oboe (English horn); works or Singer; Hollinger, Takahashi.

CLARINET

Play one complete composition from each of the categories listed below:

• Viennese Classical and Early Romantic
  • Mozart Concerto for Clarinet in A Major, K. 622
  • von Weber Concertino, Op. 26
  • von Weber Concertino No. 1 in F minor, op. 73
  • von Weber Concertino No. 2 in Eb Major, op. 74
  • Spohr Concerto No. 1 in C minor
  • Spohr Concerto No. 2 in Eb Major
  • Spohr Concerto No. 3 in F minor
• Late Romantic and Twentieth Century
  • Debussy Premiere rapsodie
  • Saint-Saens Sonata, op. 167
  • Brahms Sonata No. 1 in F minor, op. 120
  • Brahms Sonata No. 2 in Eb Major, op. 120
  • Milhaud Sonatine
  • Poulenc Sonata
  • Stravinsky Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo
  • Nielsen Concerto

SAXOPHONE

• A baroque or classical composition as transcribed by Rasher or Mule
• A 20th-Century composition for saxophone such as : Bonneau Concerto, Caprice en Forme de Valse; Bozza Aria, Concertino, Improvisation et Caprice, Introduction et Danse; Creston Concerto, Sonata, Suite; Glazounov Concerto; Heiden Sonata; Hindemith Sonata; Ibert Aria, Concertino da Camera, Histories; Tsherepnine Sonatine sportive; Tomasi Ballade, Concerto

BASSOON

• A complete baroque concerto or sonata
• A work from the classic or romantic period such as: Mozart bassoon Concerto; Weber Bassoon Concerto; Saint-Saens Sonata for Bassoon and Piano
• A modern, contemporary, or avant-garde work

FRENCH HORN

• All major and minor scales in two octaves
• Three etudes, one of which is staccato, one legato, and one slow, from Sixty Etudes
• Two movements from one of the following: Mozart Concerto for Horn; R. Strauss
• Concerto for Horn; Beethoven Sonata for Horn and Piano; Hindemith Sonata for Horn and Piano
• One of the following: P. Dukas Villanelle; Saint-Saens Morceau de Concert

TRUMPET

• Baroque: One complete work from composer such as: Purcell, Telemann, Molter, Gabrieli, Torelli, Handel
• Classical: One complete work from those listed below: Haydn Concerto in Eb; Hummel Concerto in Eb; Neruda Concerto
• Twentieth Century: One complete work from these: Arutunian Concerto; Pakmutova Concerto; Playel Concerto; Francaix Sonatine; Antheil Sonatine; Della Joio Sonata; Hubeau Sonata; Kennan Sonata.

TROMBONE

Play one complete composition from each of the categories listed below:

• David Concertino, op. 4; Rousseau Piece Concertante; Stojowski Fantasy; Salzedo Piece Concertante; Blazhevich Concerto No. 5, Concerto No. 10; Pryor Blue Bells of Scotland
• Block Symphony; Boutry Capriccio; Bozza Ballade; Creston Fantasy; Hartley Sonata Concertante; Hindemith Sonata; Larsson Concertino; Milhaud Concertino d'hiver; Serocki Sonatino; Serocki Concerto

TUBA

• All major and minor scales in two octaves
• One etude from each of the following: Blazenvitch Seventy Studies, Book 2; Bordogni 43 Bel Canto Studies; Kopprasch 60 Selected Studies
• Be prepared to play the following: Hindemith Tuba Sonata; Vaughn Williams Tuba Concerto; Spillman Tuba Concerto

PERCUSSION

Prepare one solo work from each of the following categories:

• Multiple percussion
• Keyboard percussion
• Timpani

The works chosen should demonstrate ones present level of technical and musical advancement and must be legitimate recital pieces, not etudes or studies which are obviously not mean for public performance. Transcriptions and/or arrangements of works originally written for other than percussion instruments are not acceptable as audition material.

PIANO - SOLO PERFORMANCE

The candidate should normally prepare three works that demonstrate musical and technical ability and a grasp of styles from eighteenth through twentieth centuries. At least two of these works shall be performed by memory. Sight-reading will be included.

PIANO - CHAMBER MUSIC AND ACCOMPANIMENT

• Prepare three works which fulfill the requirements as outlined in the admission requirements for Piano: Solo Performance, with the exception that only one work need be my memory
• Sightread one or more accompaniments
• Transpose a simple lied or other art song into keys up to a minor third above or below (not necessary) for audition
• The candidate will be given, two hours before they are to be heard, two works as described below; the candidate shall prepare them and then be permitted a brief consultation with a vocalist or instrumentalist before he performs them for the examining faculty
  • a nineteenth century lied or comparable work, or an instrumental solo piece
  • a nineteenth century aria, or instrumental concerto, or comparable work

ORGAN

• A prelude and fugue by Bach
• An ornamented chorale prelude by Bach
• A Mendelssohn sonata; a piece by Cesar Franck, or one or moremovements of a symphony by Widor or Vierne or other appropriate literature
• A contemporary piece, such as a Hindemith sonata; a work of Langlais, Durufle, Dupre or Alain
• Sight-reading

HARPSICHORD

• A sonata by D. Scarlatti
• Four movements from a Couperin suite
• A prelude and fugue from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier
• Sight-reading

GUITAR (Acoustic, Classical or Electric Guitars)

• Three to four contrasting works
• Knowledge of all major and minor scales and arpeggios is recommended
• For more details, contact UB guitar faculty Dr. Shin <sungmins@buffalo.edu>