Bienen School of Music - Northwestern
University
Conducting Audition Information
Master of Music: Conducting
(Choral, Orchestral and Wind)
Prescreening
required; must be video recording
Applicants
must have completed beginning and advanced conducting classes for admission to
the Master of Music in Conducting.
For Prescreening:
Demonstrate
conducting skills in both rehearsal and performance situations. Additional
audio recordings of performances may be submitted, especially if the audio
aspect of the video recording is not high quality.
For Final Audition:
- Applicants invited to campus for a live
audition will be informed of the scores to be prepared. Candidates will
need to obtain and study the scores in preparation to conduct and rehearse
all or any part of them. Scores may be marked any way the applicant
wishes. All auditions will take place with one of the University’s major
ensembles, and both rehearsal and performance conducting will be tested.
- A written analysis is required for all
audition pieces. This document should be brought to the audition for the
faculty to review.
- An interview with the conducting faculty
will be scheduled. The interview allows the faculty to: ascertain the
applicant’s goals, ambitions, and needs; assess the candidate’s ability to
communicate and project their own personality; evaluate the strength of
the applicant’s motivation to pursue a graduate degree and subsequent
career in conducting.
Doctor of Musical Arts:
Conducting (Choral, Orchestral and Wind)
Prescreening
required: must be video recording
Applicants
must have completed a Master of Music degree in Conducting for application to
the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting.
For Prescreening:
Submit a
video recording that demonstrates conducting skills in both rehearsal and
performance situations. Additional audio recordings of performances may be
submitted, especially if the audio aspect of the video recording is not high
quality.
For Final Audition:
- Applicants invited to campus for a live
audition will be informed of the scores to be prepared. Candidates will
need to obtain and study the scores in preparation to conduct and rehearse
all or any part of them. Scores may be marked any way the applicant
wishes. All auditions will take place with one of the University’s major
ensembles, and both rehearsal and performance conducting will be tested.
- A written analysis is required for all
audition pieces. This document should be brought to the audition for the
faculty to review. (written analysis not required for choral conducting)
- An interview with the conducting faculty
will be scheduled. The interview allows the faculty to: ascertain the
applicant’s goals, ambitions, and needs; assess the candidate’s ability to
communicate and project their own personality; evaluate the strength of
the applicant’s motivation to pursue a graduate degree and subsequent
career in conducting. Choral conducting will include an assessment of
language skills, such as Italian, German, and French.
- Applicants will take a conducting exam.
Abilities in ear training, terms, and score analysis will be tested.
Updated on 09/04/2018