Bienen School of Music

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