Audition Information | New England Conservatory

Strings Audition Information

Prescreening portfolios are required of:

• All Composition and Jazz Composition applicants

Prescreening video recordings are required of:

• All Artist Diploma and DMA applicants, regardless of major
• All undergraduate, MM, and GD applicants to:

Violin (MM & GD)

Prescreen Requirements;

1. Exposition from the first movement of a major concerto for violin and orchestra written between 1800 and 1945. Stravinsky Concerto and Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 are also acceptable. If you select the Shostakovich No. 1, you must perform the fourth movement and cadenza instead of the first movement.
2. Two movements from an unaccompanied sonata or partita by J.S. Bach (the Chaconne is considered one movement)
3. One Paganini Caprice

Audition Requirements;

1. Complete major concerto for violin and orchestra written between 1800 and 1945. Stravinsky Concerto and Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 are also acceptable. (memorized)
2. Complete unaccompanied work for violin by J.S. Bach (memorized)
3. Two Paganini Caprices (memorized)
4. Complete sonata for violin and piano, of contrasting style from the selected concerto

Viola (MM & GD)

Prescreen Requirements;

1. The Prelude and any dance movement from a Bach Cello Suite, or two contrasting movements from a Bach solo violin sonata or partita
2. A major movement of a concerto
3. One complete sonata performed with piano

Audition Requirements (MM & GD);

Please consider the following to be guidelines rather than strict requirements; some flexibility in choice of repertoire is permitted.

1. A complete Bach cello suite, violin partita, or sonata (memorized)
2. A complete concerto (memorized)
3. A complete sonata
4. A piece of the applicant's choosing

One of the above should have been composed in the last 25 years (Ligeti sonata is allowed, but no other exceptions).

Audition Requirements (DMA)

Four complete works of contrasting styles, one of which has been composed in the last 25 years. The concerto and unaccompanied work should be performed from memory.

Cello (MM & GD)

Prescreen Requirements;

1. A major movement of a concerto
2. The Prelude and any dance movement from a Bach Cello Suite
3. Two contrasting movements of a standard sonata (e.g. Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff). The sonata must be performed with piano.
4. One of the following:
   • A showpiece such as Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso, Popper Elfentanz, or Davidoff At the Fountain
   • An Italian sonata by Boccherini, Valentini or Locatelli
   • A Popper Etude or Piatti Caprice

DMA applicants should follow the full DMA live audition guidelines for their prescreening.

Audition Requirements (MM & GD);

Please consider the following to be guidelines rather than strict requirements; some flexibility in choice of repertoire is permitted.

1. A complete concerto from the standard repertoire (memorized)
2. A complete Bach Suite (memorized)
3. A complete work written after 1940
4. One of the following: (memorized):
   • A showpiece such as Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso, Popper Elfentanz, or Davidoff At the Fountain
   • An Italian sonata by Boccherini, Valentini or Locatelli
   • A Popper Etude or Piatti Caprice

Optional: One movement of a standard sonata (e.g. Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff). If played, the sonata must be rehearsed and performed with a piano. A list of pianists is available from the Admissions Office.

Audition Requirements (DMA);

1. A complete concerto from the standard repertoire (memorized)
2. A complete Bach Suite (memorized)
3. One movement of a standard sonata (e.g. Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff). The sonata must be rehearsed and performed with piano. A list of pianists is available from the Admissions Office.
4. A 20th or 21st century work of major difficulty (e.g. Carter Sonata, Britten Solo Suite or Sonata, Poulenc Sonate, Hindemith or Kodaly solo sonatas).
5. One of the following: (memorized)
   • A showpiece such as Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso, Popper Elfentanz, or Davidoff At the Fountain
   • An Italian sonata by Boccherini, Valentini or Locatelli
   • A Popper Etude or Piatti Caprice

Double Bass

Audition Requirements (MM & GD);

1. Two contrasting movements of a major concerto (memorized)
2. One movement from a Bach Cello Suite (memorized)
3. Two contrasting orchestral excerpts
4. A short contemporary work

Audition Requirements (DMA);

1. A complete concerto or sonata with piano accompaniment (memorized)
2. Two contrasting movements from a Bach Cello Suite (memorized)
3. A contemporary solo piece
4. Standard orchestral excerpts of contrasting tempi and styles

Harp

Prescreen Requirements; (Dual Degree NEC/Tufts and NEC/Harvard applicants only):

1. One etude
2. One piece from the standard concert repertoire ranging 7 to 10 minutes in length 
3. Orchestral excerpt: Britten Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (cadenza only)

Audition Requirements (MM & GD);

1. One etude
2. Two pieces from the standard concert repertoire
3. Orchestral excerpt: Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique

Updated on 10/02/2018