Boston University

School of Music | College of Fine Arts - Boston University

Brass Audition Information

 

Prescreening

Applicants to the following programs and instruments need to submit a prescreening video recording or portfolio for review before they can be invited to a live audition or interview.

  • Applicants to cello, double bass, flute, percussion, piano, trumpet, violin, or voice regardless of degree or program
  • Graduate Composition majors
  • All applicants to the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance
  • All applicants to the Artist Diploma

Prescreening recordings and portfolios are due by December 1. Applicants will be notified of prescreening results in early January.

 

Trumpet (MM) and Performance Diploma (PD)

Prescreening:

• Étude #1, 3, or 5 from Marcel Bitsch Vingt Études
• Étude #2, 4, or 6 from Marcel Bitsch 
Vingt Études
• Arthur Honegger 
Intrada
• Orchestral excerpts (all Trumpet 1):

  1. Schumann: Symphony No. 2 (mvt. 1, mm. 1-13); 
  2. J.S. Bach:Magnificat (mvt. 1, mm. 1-15);
  3. Gershwin: Concerto in F (mvt. 2, m.5 to Figure 1)

Audition:

• All selections from the prescreening list
• One movement from a solo of the applicant’s choosing
• Sight-reading (including standard orchestral excerpts) and playing by ear will also be tested

 

Trumpet (DMA)

Prescreening:

• Two movements (one slow, one fast) from a Baroque era concerto
• J. Haydn Concerto in E flat (mvt. 1, with cadenza composed by the applicant)
• One movement from a post-1930 sonata for trumpet and piano
• One movement from a post-tonal work
• Orchestral excerpts (all Trumpet 1):

  1. Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (Mambo, from the high solo to the end of the movement)
  2. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (mvt. 4, Letters C-D and T-U)
  3. Scriabin: Poem of Ecstasy (7 before Figure 11 to 9 before Figure 20)

Audition:

• All selections from the prescreening list
• Additional solo repertoire as offered by the applicant (optional)
• Sight-reading (including standard orchestral excerpts) and playing by ear will also be tested

 

Trumpet Artist Diploma (AD)

Prescreening:

• Two movements (one slow, one fast) from a Baroque era concerto
• J. Haydn Concerto in E flat (mvt. 1, with cadenza composed by the applicant)
• One movement from a post-1930 sonata for trumpet and piano
• One movement from a post-tonal work
• Orchestral excerpts (all Trumpet 1):

  1. Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (Mambo, from the high solo to the end of the movement)
  2. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (mvt. 4, Letters C-D and T-U)
  3. Scriabin: Poem of Ecstasy (7 before Figure 11 to 9 before Figure 20)

Audition:

• Material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program

 

Tenor Trombone (MM) and Performance Diploma (PD)

Audition Repertoire

• Two contrasting solo pieces
• An étude or study
• Four orchestral excerpts

 

Tenor Trombone (DMA)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare contrasting solo pieces and orchestral excerpts.

 

Tenor Trombone Artist Diploma (AD)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program.

*Artist diploma applicants are required to provide their own pianist for Boston auditions.

 

Bass Trombone (MM) and Performance Diploma (PD)

Audition Repertoire

  • Two contrasting solo pieces
  • An étude or study
  • Four orchestral excerpts

 

Bass Trombone (DMA)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare contrasting solo pieces and orchestral excerpts.

 

Bass Trombone Artist Diploma (AD)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program.

*Artist diploma applicants are required to provide their own pianist for Boston auditions.

 

Horn (MM) and Performance Diploma (PD)

Audition Repertoire

• One work or movement of a work from the Baroque or Classical period.
• One work or movement of a work from the Romantic period.
• One contemporary work or movement.
• Orchestral excerpts.

Memorization is required for the concerto/concerti and optional (but recommended) for the remaining repertoire.

 

Horn (DMA)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program. Memorization is required for the concerto/concerti and optional (but recommended) for the remaining repertoire.

 

Horn Artist Diploma (AD)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program. Memorization is required for the concerto/concerti and optional (but recommended) for the remaining repertoire.

*Artist diploma applicants are required to provide their own pianist for Boston auditions.

 

Euphonium (MM) and Performance Diploma (PD)

Audition Repertoire

• One piece from the Baroque or Classical period.
• One piece from the Romantic period.
• One contemporary piece.
• Orchestral excerpts.

 

Euphonium (DMA)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program.

 

Euphonium Artist Diploma (AD)

AD Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program.

*Artist diploma applicants are required to provide their own pianist for Boston auditions.

 

Tuba (MM) and Performance Diploma (PD)

Audition Repertoire

• One piece from the Baroque or Classical period.
• One piece from the Romantic period.
• One contemporary piece.
• Orchestral excerpts.

 

Tuba Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program.

 

Tuba Artist Diploma (AD)

Audition Repertoire

Applicants should prepare material equivalent to a master’s-level recital program.

*Artist diploma applicants are required to provide their own pianist for Boston auditions.

 

 

Updated on 09/24/2018