Undergraduate Audition Requirements

Piano accompaniment is not required for brass auditions at the University of Louisville. 

EUPHONIUM/TUBA: 

Students auditioning as undergraduate music majors on euphonium or tuba:

Prepare two works which showcase your lyrical or expressive playing, and your technique. These may be contrasting etudes or two solo selections of your choice. When choosing, consider works that you are comfortable playing, but also demonstrate the best of your abilities.

The following solos are suggested possibilities because they contain contrasting musical styles and challenges. 

Suggested euphonium solos:

• Barat: Introduction and Dance
• Barat: Andante and Allegro
• Clinard: Sonata for Unaccompanied Euphonium
• Curnow: Rhapsody for Euphonium
• DeLuca: Beautiful Colorado
• Guilmant: Morceau Symphonique
• Sparke: Party Piece
• White: Lyric Suite

Suggested tuba solos:

• Capuzzi: Andante and Rondo
• Gregson: Tuba Concerto
• Haddad: Suite for Tuba
• Hindemith: Sonata for Basstuba and Piano
• Lebedev: Concerto in One Movement (Concerto no. 1)
• Marcello: Sonata No. 1 in F Major
• Miles: Suite in One Movement
• Persichetti: Serenade no. 12

Dr. Clint McCanless: 502-852-4342, Email
 

HORN (FRENCH HORN): 

Please choose your list (all four pieces) in a fashion that showcases all aspects of your playing.

• An exposition of ONE of the following works OR standard work representative of your playing: 
  • Mozart Concerti: 1, 2, 3, or 4, Concert Rondo
  • Franz Strauss Concerto 1, Nocturno, any of the Theme and Variations Op. 2 or 13
  • Richard Strauss Concerto 1, Op. 11
  • Dukas Villanelle
  • Saint-Saens: Romance Op. 36, Romance Op. 67, Morceau de Concert
  • Beethoven Sonata Op. 17
  • Gliere: Concerto Op. 91, Intermezzo, Nocturne, Romance
  • An etude by Kopprasch, Gallay, Shoemaker, Kling, Gugel, etc. 
• Shostakovich Symphony 5, #17-21. Horn 1 
• 3. ONE excerpt from the wind band canon OR a solo you have performed in a wind band setting. There are many options that encompass this category-find what you are proud of. Examples could include:
  • Bernstein Suite from "West Side Story," arr. Paul Lavender 
  • Grainger Irish Tune from County Derry Solo
  • Grainger Lincolnshire Posy, Rufford Park Poachers
  • Holst First Suite in Eb Chaconne solo
  • Holst Second Suite in F, Song of the Blacksmith
  • Jenkins American Overture
  • Schoenberg Theme and Variations, VI 

There are many great horn moments in wind band literature. Get creative with your choice! Standard excerpts are available.

• 4. ONE excerpt from the opera canon. Some examples could include:
  • Beethoven Fidelio overture (horn 2)
  • Bellini I Capuleti e i Montecchi, I Puritani, La Sonnambula
  • Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel (any)
  • Puccini Tosca: Act III, Madame Butterfly
  • Rossini Barber of Seville overture
  • Weber Oberon overture
  • Standard excerpts are available 

Dr. Devin Cobleigh-Morrison: 502-852-1873, Email

TROMBONE:

TENOR TROMBONE: 1 Melodious Etudes for Trombone Selected from the Vocalises of Marco Bordogni; ; Morceau Symphonique by Guilmant or Concertino by Ferdinand David (first movement only)

BASS TROMBONE: 1 Melodious Etudes for Trombone Selected from the Vocalises of Marco Bordogni; pick 1 solo: Patrick McCarty Sonata (movement 1 and 3/Lebedev Concerto in One Movement, Telemann Fantasies (select one suite)

Brett Shuster: 502-852-5526, Email

TRUMPET: 

Prepare two works which showcase your lyrical or expressive playing, and your technique. These may be contrasting etudes or two solo selections of your choice. When choosing, consider works that you are comfortable playing, but also demonstrate the best of your abilities. The following solos are suggested possibilities because they contain contrasting musical styles and challenges. 

Suggested repertoire:

• J.B. Arban Characteristic Study from the Complete Method
• Theo Charlier Etude from 36 Transcendental Etudes
• J.L. Small Etude from 27 Melodious and Rhythmical Exercises
• Solo from Nine Grand Solos de Concert, compiled and revised by Georges Mager
• Solo from Contest and Performance Solos, The Bernard Fitzgerald Trumpet Collection
• Trumpet Concerto or Sonata

Reese Land: 502-852-7857, Email

All instruments except DRUMS where noted:

Each selection should be 3-5 minutes in length. Your audition should be played in combo format with our faculty.

Please prepare the following three pieces: 

• One 12-bar blues piece. Play the melody and at least three choruses, quarter note equals 120 to 180. Bass/Guitar/Piano players must play at least two choruses of accompaniment in addition to the melody and their solos.
  • Charlie Parker: Billie’s Bounce
  • Clifford Brown: Sandu
  • Milt Jackson: Bag’s Groove
  • Thelonious Monk: Blue Monk
  • Or like selections
• One standard jazz tune in a swing style, from the great American Songbook and/or jazz idiom. Tempo marking between 160 to 200 bpm. Must include the melody and at least two choruses of solo. No original compositions. Selections such as the following would be appropriate:
  • Autumn Leaves
  • All The Things You Are
  • Summertime
  • Four
  • Impressions
  • Or like selections
• And one of the following:
  • A jazz ballad of your choice which must include at least one chorus of solo. If Piano or Guitar, you may perform the entire selection solo. No original compositions. 
  • OR a Latin or straight eight-note tune of your choice.  Play the melody and at least two choruses at a tempo that is appropriate for the composition. No original compositions. Selections such as the following would be appropriate:
    • Blue Bossa
    • Girl From Ipanema
    • Song For My Father
    • Maiden Voyage
    • Black Orpheus
    • Or like selections

Instrument Specific Requirements:

PIANO: Demonstrate ability to comp rootless voicings in left hand while playing melody and soloing in right hand. Demonstrate one chorus comping as if another instrument were soloing once your solo is complete.

GUITAR: After solo, demonstrate one chorus of comping over the progression as if another instrument were soloing. Rootless voicings are preferred.

BASS: After playing the melody and before soloing, demonstrate the appropriate comping style (walking, bossa nova, etc.) for one chorus on the progression for the given tune.

DRUMS

Rather than playing the selections listed above, demonstrate the following styles in either 32 or 12 bar form. Solo drum format is preferred.

• Demonstrate the following styles in either 32 or 12 bar form:
  • Swing (medium [Q=120] and fast [Q=280])
  • Bossa Nova
  • Funk
  • 12/8 Afro Cuban
• Demonstrate the ability to play in the following meters in either 32 or 12 bar form:
  • 4/4
  • 3/4
  • 6/8
• Demonstrate the ability to play with brushes
• Trade:
  • 8’s over a 32 bar tune
  • 4’s over a 12 bar tune

The jazz faculty are listening for:

• Improvisation - the improvisation ability to create new motifs, melodies, and rhythms that are suggested by the harmonic structure (chord progression) of the composition.
• Jazz Style – able to demonstrate an understanding of the subtleties of the jazz idiom.
• Tone Production - the ability to achieve a quality of sound appropriate to the instrument and to the style of the music.
• Technique - the degree to which the performer has acquired control of the instrument.
• Rhythm - the ability to establish and maintain a consistent groove.
• Intonation - proper tuning of the instrument and in tune playing. 

Jazz Bass: Chris Fitzgerald: 502-852-1857, Email
Jazz Composition & Arranging: Gabe Evens: 502-852-0746, Email
Jazz Drums: Terry O'Mahoney: Email
Jazz Guitar: Craig Wagner: 502-852-5609, Email
Jazz Piano: Gabe Evens: 502-852-0746, Email
Jazz Saxophone: Dave Clark: 502-852-1859, Email
Jazz Studies: Dave Clark: 502-852-1859, Email
Jazz Trumpet/Trombone: Ansyn Banks: 502-852-1858, Email

Students should perform works in the following categories that accurately represent their current level of achievement.

Required:

• One 2 Mallet and/or 4 Mallet keyboard work (with or without piano accompaniment)
• One Snare Drum work (rudimentary or orchestral style)
• Snare Drum Rudiments

Optional:

• One Multiple percussion work
• One Timpani work (2, 3, or 4 Drums)
• Drum set: Various styles (Jazz, Bossa Nova, Afro, Cuban, etc.

Exceptions can be made for special circumstances. 

Three or more pieces of contrasting style periods: 

• One work from the Baroque era
• A Sonata-Allegro movement of a Sonata from the Classical period
• A work or works written in the 19th century and/or a work or works written in the 20th and 21st centuries 

Memorization required. 

In addition to pieces from the standard repertoire, the UofL Piano Faculty encourages you to include works written by composers from your home country or pieces written by underrepresented composers such as women (e.g., Clara Schumann, Tania Leon), composers from Asia (e.g., Toru Takamitsu, Isang Yun), African Americans (e.g., George Walker, Florence Price) or others.

An interview with the piano faculty will be part of the audition process. Students must also email the School of Music admissions office or upload to your New Cards Gateway a repertoire list of works studied in the past five years as well as a short statement describing your background studying piano, the reason for your interest in the degree you have applied for and why you are considering UofL as a place of study.

BASS (DOUBLE BASS)

Be prepared to play 2-3 contrasting solo selections, standard orchestral excerpts, and major and minor scales.

Sidney King: 502-852-1844, Email

CELLO
Be prepared to play 2 or 3 contrasting pieces. Suggested repertoire consists of the following:

• A movement of a concerto
• A movement of solo Bach
• An etude
• A solo piece or sonata

Paul York: 502-852-4642, Email

GUITAR--CLASSICAL

GUITAR (CLASSICAL)
All prospective guitar students must display the following:

• Completion of Aaron Shearer's Classic Guitar Technique,Vol.I or a comparable classic guitar method.
• Preparation of at least 3 contrasting pieces preferably from different historical periods (i.e. Renaissance, Baroque, Classical/Romantic, 20th c./Contemporary). One of the pieces should be etudes by such composers as Aguado, Brouwer, Carcassi, Giuliani, Sor, Tárrega, or Villa-Lobos.
• Knowledge of applicable technical studies: Giuliani's 120 Right Hand Studies, Segovia's Diatonic Major and Minor Scales, Carlevaro's School of Guitar.
• Have sufficient sight-reading abilities.
• Audition repertoire must be performed from memory.

Dr. Stephen Mattingly: 502-852-5607, Email

VIOLA

Be prepared to play 2 or 3 contrasting pieces. Suggested repertoire consists of the following:

• One movement from the standard viola concerto literature

   AND one of these: 

• One movement of solo JS Bach from the Unaccompanied Cello Suites or Violin Sonatas and Partitas arr. for viola
• A solo piece or sonata movement
• An Etude (such as Mazas or Kreutzer

   Note: piano accompanist not required.

Dr. Kevin Nordstrom: 502-852-5616, Email

VIOLIN

• One movement of any Bach Solo Sonata or Partita 
• One movement of any standard Violin Concerto. The first or third movement of a Romantic, Classical or 20th century concerto is recommended.

Geoffrey Herd: 502-852-5616, Email

For your audition, please prepare two contrasting pieces of music. Usually this means one is in a moderate or slow tempo, which shows your ability to sustain good vocal tone, and one is in a livelier mood, which demonstrates articulation and vocal flexibility.

Songs can be in English or foreign language texts and should be in classical style. All audition selections must be performed from memory, without sheet music. We will provide a pianist for the audition. 

You should get advice on appropriate selections and, if possible, vocal training from a competent and knowledgeable voice teacher in preparation for the audition. 

The audition panel will also conduct a short interview and assess your musicianship with sight-singing and tonal recall exercises.  

Emily Albrink: 502-852-5492, Email
Katherine Donner: 502-852-5493, Email
Chad Sloan (area chair): 502-852-5249, Email

BASSOON: 

Applicants should play a major scale 2 or 3 octaves up and down and a chromatic scale, from Low B flat to the highest note the applicant is comfortable, and then back down. Applicants should also play two contrasting pieces (etudes or solos). 

Francisco Joubert-Bernard: 502-852-5574, Email

CLARINET:

Applicants should play three major scales of the applicant’s choice: two octaves each. Applicants should also play two contrasting pieces (entire works or movements of works). 

Matthew Nelson: 502-852-0872, Email

FLUTE: 

Applicants should play three major scales of the applicant’s choice: two octaves each. Applicants should also play two contrasting pieces (etudes or solos).

Leanne Hampton: 502-852-0537, Email

OBOE: 

Applicants should play three major scales of the applicant’s choice: two octaves each. Applicants should also play two contrasting pieces (entire works or movements of works).

Jennifer Potochnic: 502-852-5996, Email

SAXOPHONE: 

Applicants should play 2-3 works, or movements of works, of contrasting styles. Examples of appropriate repertoire include but are not limited to Ibert Concertino da Camera, Glazunov Concerto, Creston Sonata, Heiden Sonata, Maurice Tableaux de Provence, and Ferling Etudes. Applicants should also prepare all full-range major scales as well as a full-range chromatic scale.

Adam McCord: 502-852-0538, Email