Music at the Juilliard School

Keyboards Audition information

Piano (BM)

Prescreen Repertoire

Applicants' hands and feet should be clearly visible.

• All pieces must be performed from memory. Exceptions may be permitted only in the case of some 20th and 21st-century pieces. Permission must be granted by the Juilliard piano faculty upon request.
• Applicants whose programs do not meet the following requirements will not be scheduled for an audition. Any changes to the audition program made after submitting the application must be approved by the department chair.

One Chopin Etude.

1. One of the following:
2. - An entire sonata by Beethoven (excluding Opp. 14, 49, and 79), or
• - One of the following Haydn sonatas: Hob. 20, 23, 32, 46, 49, 50, 52, or
• - One of the following Mozart sonatas: K. 281, 284, 310, 332, 333, 457, 533, or 576, or
• - One of the following Schubert sonatas: D. 568, 664, 784, 845, 850, 894, 958, 959, 960, or the Wanderer Fantasie, D. 760.
3. - A substantial composition by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, or Mendelssohn. (Etudes, nocturnes, short dances, waltzes, or comparable pieces are not acceptable.) *No individual movements or partial works will be permitted in this category.

Live Audition Repertoire

All pieces must be performed from memory. Exceptions may be permitted only in the case of some 20th and 21st-century pieces. Permission must be granted by the Juilliard piano faculty upon request.

• Applicants whose programs do not meet the following requirements will not be scheduled for an audition. Any changes to the audition program made after submitting the application must be approved by the department chair.
• All applicants who are invited to a live audition are required to take a written exam of basic musicianship skills and an in-person musical skills evaluation. All audition components take place on the same day.
• The entire audition program should reach a minimum of 45 minutes. Shorter programs may be subject to approval by the piano faculty.

Bach: A prelude and fugue from The Well-Tempered Clavier or another work containing a fugue. (No transcriptions permitted.)

1. One of the following:
• - An entire sonata by Beethoven (excluding Opp. 14, 49, and 79), or
• - One of the following Haydn sonatas: Hob. 20, 23, 32, 46, 49, 50, 52, or
• - One of the following Mozart sonatas: K. 281, 284, 310, 332, 333, 457, 533, or 576, or
• - One of the following Schubert sonatas: D. 568, 664, 784, 845, 850, 894, 958, 959, 960, or the Wanderer Fantasie, D. 760.
2. - A substantial composition by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, or Mendelssohn. (Etudes, nocturnes, short dances, waltzes, or comparable pieces are not acceptable.) *No individual movements or partial works will be permitted in this category.
3. - One virtuosic etude by Chopin.
4. - A substantial work, or a collection of shorter works, of the applicant’s choice which is:
• in a different style and by a composer not listed in the previous requirements, and not less than six minutes.

Organ (BM)

Prescreen Repertoire

Prescreening is not required for this major.

Live Audition Repertoire

Organ auditions will take place on The Juilliard School’s Holtkamp organ in Paul Hall. A complete list of stops and specifications can be accessed here.

1. - A prelude and fugue for organ by J. S. Bach.
2. - An organ composition by a 19th-century composer.
3. - An organ composition by a representative 20th/21st-century composer.
4. - Applicants may be asked to sight-read.

Harpsichord (BM)

The Juilliard School does not offer undergraduate programs for harpsichord performance major.

                                                                                                                                                       Updated on 03/14/2019