Auditions Carnegie Mellon University School of Music

Voice Audition Information

Voice (MM)

Master’s candidates must exhibit the equivalent preparation and presentation to that required for completion of the BFA at Carnegie Mellon University, and be able to demonstrate career potential in the classical music field. 

Voice applicants are required to submit a pre-screening video recording. Invited auditioners will be notified in early January and audition confirmations will be sent no less than two weeks before the live audition date.

Pre-screening requirements:

Four selections:

1. 1 One song or aria in English
2. 2 One song or aria in Italian
3. 3 One oratorio aria in a language of your choice
4. 4 One song or aria in a language of your choice: 

l  Songs may be from the art song repertoire or a combination of art songs and arias from opera, operetta, and oratorio. 

l  No more than TWO selections may be arias. 

l  Music should be selected from a variety of stylistic periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century, for example).  

l  Musical Theater, Jazz, "CCM" (Contemporary Commercial Music), and original compositions will not be accepted.  

Live audition requirements:

FIVE SELECTIONS:

1 One song or aria in English

2 One song or aria in Italian

3 One song or aria in German

4 One song or aria in French

5 One song or aria in a language of your choice

l  All selections must be performed in their original language, from memory.  

l  Each of the five selections should represent a variety of musical styles and periods, and at least one selection MUST be from the standard 20th/21st century literature (You may refer to this PDF for a suggested list of American and British composers who have contributed to 'standard' 20th/21st century literature).  

l  At least one selection MUST be from an oratorio (any language), and when applicable, should include a recitative.  

l  Audition materials may contain no more than THREE arias.  

In addition, prospective graduate students are to provide the panel with a copy of their most recently performed degree recital. The faculty panel will also review the resume and repertoire lists submitted as part of the online application.

A collaborative pianist is provided only for on-campus voice auditions. Please email a PDF copy of your audition music, if it is outside the standard repertoire, to music-admissions@andrew.cmu.edu clearly indicating your name and birth date at least one week prior to your audition.  

At the live audition, all applicants are expected to present their Carnegie Mellon School of Music appointed collaborative pianist with clean, double-sided copies of their repertoire in a 3-ring binder.  Please do not present music in plastic sheet protectors.

                                                                                                                                                       Updated on 04/17/2019