Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Music Audition Requirements | Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Strings Audition Information

 

Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass

It is not required that you perform your audition with piano accompaniment, and the Conservatory cannot provide an accompanist for you. But for those who would like to work with a pianist, String faculty member Rhonda Rider can provide a list of local collaborative pianists for hire. A grand piano will be available in the audition room.

Audition materials should include:

  • An etude or short virtuosic work that best demonstrates your ability to shift freely around the whole range of the instrument with good control of bowing articulation
  • Two movements of unaccompanied Bach (bass players may substitute with another work of their choice)
  • A complete first or last movement of a standard concerto
  • A work of the applicant’s choice (a 20th-century work is recommended)
  • Preparation of a melodic and a harmonic minor scale of your choice in three to four octaves, performed with a minimum of four notes slurred per bow, plus the corresponding arpeggios (the arpeggio cycle of Flesch or Galamian is preferred and should be performed three notes slurred to a bow)
  • Sight reading at the live audition

 

Updated on 09/17/2018