UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance - University of Michigan

Voice Audition Information

MM & Specialist in Music (SM) in Performance

All graduate voice applicants must audition in Ann Arbor to receive merit award consideration.

Pre-screening Requirements

Applicants to the Master of Music in Voice Performance or the Specialist in Music in Voice Performance must upload by December 1 an unedited audio recording of four vocal selections for preliminary examination before an audition will be scheduled. Please include one (and only one) operatic aria, one 20th century work, one (and only one) oratorio aria, and one additional song of the applicant’s choosing.

Please do not speak on the recording. No introduction is necessary. Create a separate track for each vocal selection. The Department recommends using an iPhone, smartphone, or similar recording device to create pre-screening recordings, with a recommended microphone placement of 4’–8′ from the singer.

Upon a favorable evaluation of this recording, your resumé, repertoire list, and undergraduate transcripts, an audition may be scheduled.

The pre-screening recording requirement is waived for current U-M undergraduate voice majors applying to the MM program, or current U-M graduate voice majors applying to the Specialist in Music program. Please contact the Auditions Coordinator (music.auditions@umich.edu) to obtain a pre-screening waiver. The Artistic Profile is still required.

Audition Requirements

Prepare four selections in differing styles including a work in English, French, German, and Italian. Of the four selections, only one operatic or one oratorio aria will be permitted. One selection must have been written after 1940.

Additionally, prepare eight measures of secco recitative (i.e., simple, with minimal accompaniment) from an 18th century opera or oratorio in one of the four languages above.

Memorization of all works, including the aria, is required. 

You are encouraged to provide your own accompanist, though an SMTD accompanist will be provided in Ann Arbor.

Voice Performance (DMA)

All graduate voice applicants must audition in Ann Arbor to receive merit award consideration.

Pre-screening Requirements

Please upload your resumé, comprehensive repertoire list, and pre-screening recordings by creating an Artistic Profile. Applicants to the DMA in Voice Performance must upload by December 1 an unedited audio recording of six vocal selections for preliminary examination before an audition will be scheduled. Please include one (and only one) operatic aria, one twentieth-century work, one (and only one) oratorio aria, and three additional songs of the applicant’s choosing.

Please do not speak on the recording. No introduction is necessary. Create a separate track for each vocal selection.

Upon a favorable evaluation of this recording, your resumé, repertoire list, and collegiate transcripts, an audition may be scheduled.

The pre-screening recording requirement is waived for current U-M graduate voice majors applying to the DMA program. Please contact our Auditions Coordinator (music.auditions@umich.edu) to obtain a waiver.

In-person Audition Requirements

• Prepare six selections, including one operatic aria (only one), one oratorio aria (only one), and a twentieth-century work. The twentieth-century work should not be an arrangement by a twentieth-century composer (e.g., Copland’s Old American Songs) but an actual composition by a twentieth-century composer. The six selections should demonstrate facility in French, German, Italian, and English.
• Additionally, prepare eight measures of secco recitative (i.e., simple, with minimal accompaniment) from an 18th century opera or oratorio in one of the four languages above.   
• Memorization of all works is required. 

Bring your own accompanist if possible. The school will provide an accompanist for persons auditioning in Ann Arbor. All auditions must be done in person.

Required Materials

To apply for admission, all applicants to the DMA must submit an Artistic Profile and an official application, transcripts, and recommendations. The deadline for applications is December 1.

International applicants whose language is not English must submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or the Michigan English Language Battery (MELAB) score before the audition may be scheduled.

No action will be taken on your application until your application file is complete.

Admission to the doctoral program does not guarantee that the student will ultimately complete the course requirements, become a candidate, or receive the degree. Admission implies only that the applicant has the requisite background and should be given the opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability. A master’s degree in the applicant’s proposed field of specialization, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for admission.

 Updated on 10/05/2018