Auditions Carnegie Mellon University School of Music

Brass Audition Information

Trumpet (MM)

All applicants to the trumpet studio are expected to prepare the following audition requirements

l  Two contrasting etudes (one lyric, one technical) from etude books such as: 

ü  Charlier Etudes Transcendantes 

ü  Bitsch, Vingt Etudes 

ü  Pietzsch, 22 Virtuosity Studies 

ü  W.M. Smith, Top Tones

l  Two Solos: 

ü  Haydn Concerto in E flat (with cadenza) 

ü  A French solo work such as: 

1. Honegger, Intrada 
2. Tomasi, Concerto for Trumpet 
3. Enesco, Legend

l  Four or Five orchestral excerpts such as: 

ü  Beethoven, Leonore 2 or 3 

ü  Mussorgsky/Ravel, Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade) 

ü  Respighi, Pines of Rome (offstage solo) 

ü  Stravinsky, Petrouchka (Ballerina’s dance and waltz) 

ü  Ravel Piano Concerto in D 

ü  R. Strauss, Don Juan (lyric solo)

Trombone (MM)

All applicants to the graduate trombone studio are expected to perform an audition recital of 15-20 minutes, including a minimum of five works showing representative repertoire of various periods. Although there are no set requirements for this audition, please choose a solo piece, a movement from a concerto, three orchestral excerpts, and etudes that show tone, musicianship, and technique. Know that you may also be asked for major and minor scales.

Horn (MM)

All applicants to the gradate horn studio are expected to prepare the follow audition requirements:

l  Solo: Bozza En Foret OR Strauss Concerto No. 2 - 1st movement 

l  Perform 5 orchestral excerpts, 2 of your choice and 3 from the following: 

ü  Beethoven Symphony No. 7: 1st horn part, 1st movement, exposition call 

ü  Beethoven Symphony No. 9: 4th horn part, 3rd movement 

ü  Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night's Dream: 1st horn part, Nocturne 

ü  Shostakovich Symphony No. 5: 1st horn part, 1st movement, tutti section before high solo and high solo 

ü  Strauss Ein Heldenleben: 1st horn part, intro call

l  All major and minor scales 

l  Sight-reading

Euphonium (MM)

All applicants to the euphonium studio are expected to perform an audition recital of 15-20 minutes, including a minimum of five works showing representative repertoire of various periods. Although there are no set requirements for this audition, please choose a solo piece, a movement from a concerto, three band or orchestral excerpts, and etudes that show tone, musicianship and technique. Know that you may also be asked for major and minor scales.

Tuba (MM)

Applicants to the graduate tuba studio should prepare a major concerto (such as Vaughan Williams, John Williams, or another of similar difficulty), and at least two additional selections, one of which should be a solo or etude in a style which contrasts the concerto, and one of which should be performed on CC tuba. In addition, the applicant should prepare at least five standard orchestral excerpts, three or more of which should be performed on CC tuba.

                                                                                                                                                       Updated on 04/17/2019