Jacobs School of Music

Woodwind Audition Information

Bassoon

BM, BME, and BSOF

All applicants should prepare:

• Two contrasting movements of a concerto or sonata from the Baroque or Classical period;
• One movement of contrasting work of your choice;
• One technical etude (Ferling or Milde Concert Study);
• The chromatic scale (your full range); major and minor (harmonic, melodic) scales and major and minor triads (all at least 2 octaves).

Clarinet

BM, BME, and BSOF

B.M. applicants should prepare:

• Major and minor (harmonic, melodic) scales through 7 sharps and flats;
• One slow etude;
• One fast etude; and
• Two contrasting solos from the standard repertoire.

B.M.E and B.S.O.F. applicants should prepare:

• All major and minor (harmonic, melodic) scales through four sharps and flats;
• One slow etude;
• One fast etude; and
• One solo from the standard repertoire.

B.M.E. and B.S.O.F. students may audition on B-flat soprano or bass clarinet.

Flute

BM, BME, and BSOF

Screening (video) Repertoire:

Applicants should perform the first two movements of a C.P.E Bach sonata, a J.S. Bach sonata or a Mozart concerto and three minutes of a piece in a contrasting style (not 18th century).

Audition Repertoire:

Applicants should prepare all movements of a C. P. E. Bach sonata, a J.S. Bach sonata, or a Mozart concerto (cadenzas not required), and one complete work in a contrasting style (not 18th century).

Oboe

BM, BME, and BSOF

Applicants should prepare:

• Two contrasting etudes from Barret, A Complete Method for the Oboe, or Ferling, 48 Famous Studies;
• Two contrasting movements from a major concerto or a sonata by Bach, Handel, Telemann, or Vivaldi;
• One movement of a standard major concerto of the applicant's choice;
• Three orchestral excerpts; and
• All major and minor scales. If submitting a final audition tape in lieu of an in person audition, please prepare the following required scales:
• E-flat Major-quarters, eights, and sixteenths (at approx. quarter=60)
• E-flat Major-sixteenths (at approx. quarter=80-100)
• E-Major-sixteenths (at approx. quarter=80-100)
• F-sharp melodic minor-eights and sixteenths (at approx. quarter=80-100)
• B harmonic minor-eights and sixteenths (at approx. quarter=80-100)

All scales are slurred two octaves. No metronome is needed

Saxophone

BM, BME, and BSOF

• Screening:
• Two etudes (one technical, one lyrical by Ferling, Lacour, Mule or Voxman).
• One complete solo work from the standard repertoire (such as a work by Creston, Desenclos, Dubois, Glazunov, Heiden, Ibert, Maurice, Milhaud, Tomasi, etc.).
• Four full-range major scales and corresponding triads of the applicant's choice, four full-range harmonic minor scales and corresponding triads of the applicant's choice, and the full-range chromatic scale.

• Live Audition (Note: Solo repertoire and etudes should differ from screening round selections): 
• Two etudes (one technical, one lyrical by Ferling, Lacour, Mule or Voxman).
• One complete solo work from the standard repertoire (such as a work by Creston, Desenclos, Dubois, Glazunov, Heiden, Ibert, Maurice, Milhaud, Tomasi, etc.).
• Applicant should have all major and harmonic minor scales and corresponding arpeggios prepared, as well as the chromatic scale.

BM in Jazz Studies, BS in Music and an Outside Field (Jazz Studies Emphasis)

Classical repertoire: Two contrasting movements (lyrical and technical) from standard works (such as Creston, Glazounov, Heiden, Ibert, Maurice, etc.). An etude may be substituted for one of the movements.

• Jazz repertoire: Play the melody and improvise on three tunes from memory: a blues, a tune selected from the list below, and one additional tune that is not a blues, "rhythm changes" tune, or ballad.

Required audition repertoire (select one):

All Things You Are                            Joy Spring
Groovin' High                                   Confirmation
Half Nelson                                     On Green Dolphin Street
Stella by Starlight                            Have You Met Miss Jones?
What Is This Thing Called Love?         There Will Never Be Another You 

• Scales full range: major scales (and their modes), whole tone, diminished, and ascending melodic minor scales (and their modes).  For the screening recording, include only the following full-range scales on Bb, B, C, and C#: major, harmonic minor, diminished (WH), and diminished-whole tone. Play C major and harmonic minor entirely staccato: play the others slurred.
• Note: If invited to audition in person, auditionees will play two audition events, one for the saxophone faculty (all material--classical and jazz) and one for members of the Jazz Studies faculty (jazz material only).
• Auditionees may be asked to sight-read chord changes and typical jazz ensemble parts.

Multiple Woodwinds

BM in Woodwinds (Multiple) (three or five instruments)

Students interested in the B.M. Woodwinds (Multiple) degree must first be admitted to the B.M. (single instrument), B.M.E., or B.S.O.F. degree program. Admission to the multiple woodwinds degree program is by audition on two secondary instruments after the first semester of study on the primary instrument.

Updated on 09/12/2018