School of Music | College of Fine Arts - Boston University

Strings 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.

Violin (BM)

Prescreen & Live audition Repertoire

The repertoire for the prescreening and live audition is the same.

Applicants should prepare at least two solo works, one from memory. We suggest the following:

• One movement of solo Bach.
• One movement of a standard concerto or sonata.

• For the live audition only (not prescreening), each applicant also should be prepared to play an étude or study. Three-octave scales, arpeggios, and sight-reading may be requested as well.

Accompanists are provided for violin auditions in Boston. Applicants should bring legible and easily managed piano scores to the audition. This can be from a book, a separately bound copy, or double-sided music in a binder. It is not necessary to send scores in advance.

Viola (BM)

Audition Repertoire

• One movement of an unaccompanied Bach Suite.
• One movement of a standard concerto or sonata.
• An étude or study
• All major and minor scales and arpeggios

Sight-reading may be requested in the audition.

Accompanists are provided for viola auditions in Boston. Applicants should bring legible and easily managed piano scores to the audition. This can be from a book, a separately bound copy, or double-sided music in a binder. It is not necessary to send scores in advance.

Cello (BM)

Prescreen & Live audition Repertoire

The repertoire for the prescreening and live audition is the same.

• One movement of an unaccompanied Bach suite.
• One movement of a standard concerto or sonata.
• For the live audition only (not prescreening), each applicant also should be prepared to play an étude or study.
• All major and minor scales, arpeggios, and sight-reading may be requested in the audition.

Accompanists

Accompanists are provided for cello auditions in Boston. Applicants should bring legible and easily managed piano scores to the audition. This can be from a book, a separately bound copy, or double-sided music in a binder. It is not necessary to send scores in advance.

Double Bass (BM)

Prescreen & Live audition Repertoire

The repertoire for the prescreening and live audition is the same.

• A movement from Bach Cello Suites
• A movement from the standard solo literature, OR the 1st Movement from a standard bass concerto, including the published cadenza
• Two (2) standard orchestral excerpts.

Memorization is not required

Harp (BM)

Live audition Repertoire

• Orchestral excerpts.
• Two contrasting solo works, one of which should be an original composition for harp (the other work may be a transcription.)
• One étude.

Updated on 09/24/2018