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College of Music
Giving & Alumni
College of Music
Admissions

Voice Audition Material

Doctor of Musical Arts

Applicants must submit a prescreening recording no later than Dec 1.

Upload the videos to the Digital Portfolio section of the College of Music Supplemental Application. You will be given access to the Digital Portfolio after the College of Music Supplemental Application is submitted. This recording (video preferred; audio-only acceptable) must be received no later than December 1st (fall applicants). Recordings will be reviewed by a committee beginning the week following the December 1st deadline. You will be notified via e-mail as to whether or not you have been invited for a live audition. The recording quality must be sufficient to make a reasonable judgment of ability. Recordings should include one German lied, one French mélodie, two arias (at least one must be an opera aria), and one English art song. Piano or orchestral accompaniment is required except in the rare instance where the selection is designed as an a capella piece. In this case, the other selections should be with either piano or orchestra. There should be no selection offered as a capella that has a designed accompaniment.

Live Audition (for those invited):

  • Perform twenty minutes of music;
  • Languages must include English, French, German and Italian;
  • Repertoire required: Art Songs, one Opera Aria, one Baroque or Classical Aria, and one 20th or 21st century work.;
  • Be prepared to give a ten-minute detailed lecture on one of the audition selections and to answer questions from the audition panel regarding the entire program;
  • Applicants must provide their own accompanist. If needed, we can provide names of accompanists for you to contact.
  • Follow performance audition details

DMA Performance Audition Details

  • All domestic applicants must audition in person. (The area must approve any exceptions.)
  • International applicants applying for scholarships and assistantships must audition in person. (The area must approve any exceptions.)
    All other international applicants may submit a recording for provisional acceptance and audition in person in the first semester in residence.
  • Applicants who do not pass an audition the first time may audition one more time the following semester.
  • A second failed audition precludes any further consideration for admission into the DMA program.
  • Applicants will be notified of audition results by the end of March.

The audition consists of:

  • A twenty-minute performance from the recital program
  • A ten-minute lecture on the music
  • The program should be varied in regard to different periods, styles, and tempi of music.
  • The applicant will begin the audition with a selection of her/his choice.
  • The audition committee will choose the other selections from the program.
  • The applicant should be prepared to lecture on any work on the recital program.
  • Possible topics might include the formal structure and style of a piece; its compositional techniques and devices; its relationship to other works of the same composer, period, or genre; technical problems; the dramatic setting of an aria; or the historical background of an opera.

Piano accompaniment is required for voice auditions only. Applicants should bring their own pianist to the audition. (If this is not possible, the College of Music will attempt to put you in contact with pianists who are interested in playing for doctoral auditions.)

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