Audition - Curtis Institute

Strings Audition Information

All string applicants must be prepared to play all major and minor scales and arpeggios in fluent tempo.

Violin (BM)

Applicants must submit a screening video with the application to be considered for the live auditions. Applicants will be notified in January of their live audition status.

Screening Repertoire

Applicants should submit a video (recorded in 2018) of the following. Movements may be individual recordings, but each movement should be one uninterrupted recording; please include at least one slow-tempo movement:

- One movement from a Mozart concerto

• - One movement from another standard repertoire concerto
• - Two movements from a Bach solo sonata or partita
• - A Paganini caprice

Live Audition Repertoire

All string applicants must be prepared to play all major and minor scales and arpeggios in fluent tempo. Applicants will play from memory:

- A complete concerto by Mozart

• - A complete sonata or partita for violin alone by J. S. Bach
• - A caprice by Paganini
• - Another complete standard concerto for violin

Viola (BM)

All string applicants must be prepared to play all major and minor scales and arpeggios in fluent tempo. Applicants will play:

- A complete suite for cello, or a complete sonata or partita for violin alone by J. S. Bach

1. - One of the following concertos, complete:
•   Bartók
•   Hindemith, Der Schwanendreher
•   Penderecki
•   Piston
•   Rózsa
•   Walton
2.   One movement of an unaccompanied work by Hindemith or Reger
3.   One of the following works, complete:
•      Bax, Sonata
•      Bloch, Suite (1919)
•      Brahms, Sonatas, Op. 120, No. 1 or No. 2
•      Clarke, Sonata
•      Franck, Sonata
•      Hindemith, Sonata, Op. 11, No. 4
•      Rochberg, Sonata
•      Schubert, "Arpeggione" Sonata
•      Schumann, Märchenbilder
•      Shostakovich, Sonata
•      Shulman, Theme and Variations
•      Vieuxtemps, Sonata, Op. 36
• Everything except selection #4 is to be played from memory.

Cello (BM)

All string applicants must be prepared to play all major and minor scales and arpeggios in fluent tempo. Applicants will play:

- A complete J. S. Bach suite

• - One of the sonatas by Beethoven or Brahms, complete.
• - An étude from Popper, Op. 73, or an étude by Piatti
• - One of the following concertos, complete:
•      Barber
•      Dvorak
•      Elgar
•      Haydn in C or D
•      Lalo
•      Prokofiev, Sinfonia Concertante
•      Saint-Saëns No. 1
•      Schumann
•      Shostakovich No. 1
•      Tchaikovsky, Rococo Variations
•      Walton
• Everything except the Beethoven or Brahms is to be played from memory.

Double Bass (BM)

Applicants must submit a screening video with the application to be considered for the live auditions. Applicants will be notified in January of their live audition status.

Screening Repertoire

Applicants should prepare a five- to ten-minute video recording of a work or works that best exhibits their skills. The choice should be similar to, but not limited to the Double Bass live audition repertoire.

Live Audition Repertoire

- Applicants will play from memory:

- A movement written before 1830, preferably from a solo work by Bach.

• - A movement written after 1830.
• - One other work from any period, which could be another movement from the required works above. The pieces may be 
•   originally written for double bass or transcribed from another instrument. The three choices should show the strengths of the 
•   applicant as completely as possible.
• - In addition, two prepared excerpts from the standard orchestral literature will be required (music may be used for this portion        only).

Harp (BM)

Before applying, all applicants should submit their proposed audition repertoire to the admissions office (admissions@curtis.edu) for faculty 

approval

Applicants will play from memory:

- One solo work from the Baroque OR Classical period.

• - One solo work from the 20th century.
• - One free-choice solo work of any period.
• - Two prepared excerpts from the standard orchestral literature (music may be used for this portion).
•  

All works should be performed from memory with the exception of the orchestra excerpts or special approval. All works should be prepared in their entirety; no single movements. Applicants will be accepted for audition depending on the level of their audition program.

All auditioning harpists may use Curtis harps to practice (48 hours prior to the audition only) and audition. Available harps:

Lyon & Healy 2 Style 30's

• Lyon & Healy Salzedo (audition harp only)

                                                                                                                                            Updated on 04/11/2019