School of Music | College of Fine Arts - Boston University

Voice 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.

Master of Music (MM) and Performance Diploma (PD)

MM/PD Repertoire

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

Applicants should prepare and perform from memory a total of five (5) selections as follows:

• One (1) selection each in English, Italian, German, and French art songs; the Italian selection may be a Baroque aria
• An operatic aria of your choice.

Accompanists

Accompanists are provided for voice 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.

Opera Institute

Repertoire

The prescreening video recording should include:

• Five (5) arias (one of which must be in English) of contrasting style, displaying the applicant’s abilities in various languages, musical periods, and styles.

If you are invited to a live audition, we ask that you prepare the following:

• Five (5) arias (one of which must be in English) of contrasting style, displaying mastery of various languages, musical periods, and styles. The arias may be the same or different ones used for the prescreening recording.
• One (1) straight theatre monologue in English to be recited at the audition.
• Please bring 3 resumes, 3 headshots, and 3 repertoire lists to give to the Opera & Voice faculty panel.

There will be a warm-up room available in 10-minute increments prior to your audition. However, we encourage you to warm up before you arrive. We look forward to meeting you.

Accompanists

Accompanists are provided for voice 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.

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Prescreening

Please present six (6) selections.

• Four art song selections one in each of the following languages: English, Italian, German, and French.
• One opera aria.
• One oratorio aria.

Live Audition

Applicants should prepare an audition program of recital length in four languages: English, Italian, German, and French. Two contrasting arias from opera, one aria from oratorio, and at least one song composed since 1950.

Accompanists

Accompanists are provided for voice 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.

Artist Diploma (AD)

AD Repertoire

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

Applicants should prepare an audition program of recital length in four languages: English, Italian, German, and French. Two contrasting arias from opera, one aria from oratorio, and at least one song composed since 1950.

Accompanists

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

Updated on 09/24/2018