Piano Auditions
Repertoire and Technique Requirements
Three contrasting pieces from the following historical style periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic or Twentieth/Twenty-First Centuries. Music Industry Studies auditioners may present only two pieces. We encourage repertoire by traditionally under-represented composers. The following websites are useful to find compositions by diverse composers - Institute for Composer Diversity and Music by Black Composers. Pop songs and self-composed music are not suitable.
Memorization, while encouraged, is optional except for students pursuing the Bachelor of Music in Performance (Piano), who must have all pieces memorized. All auditioners should prepare two scales of their choice: four-octaves hands together, ascending and descending. The audition will also include a sight-reading portion.
If you have any questions about repertoire selection, please contact Dr. Catherine Garner, Coordinator of Keyboard Activities, for assistance.
Organ Auditions
Repertoire and Technique Requirements
All intended Organ principals in all major programs should follow these requirements. Non-organists who wish to major in Sacred Music will audition for the studio of their intended principal instrument. Organ audition requirements include:
- Any solo organ composition by J.S. Bach, Buxtehude, Böhm, de Grigny, or F. Couperin. May include any or all movements of multi-movement works.
- Two additional solo organ compositions in contrasting historical styles to the above. Choices may be made from but need not be limited to:
- post-Bach German style (Mendelssohn, Rheinberger, Reger, Brahms, Schroeder, Walcha, Distler, Heiller, etc.);
- French Symphonic style (Franck, Widor, Vierne, Dupré, Guilmant, Dubois, Gigout, Boëllmann, Langlais, Messiaen, etc.);
- Victorian and later British styles (Vaughan Williams, Willan, Howells, Whitlock, Mathias, etc.);
- any American composer.
- Feel free to choose from the concert repertoire as well as from music intended for worship settings. Works by women and composers of color are always welcome. The following websites are useful to find compositions by diverse composers - Institute for Composer Diversity and Music by Black Composers.
- One standard hymn tune of your choice: may be played as if to be sung, may be a solo arrangement by any composer, or may be improvised.
Please contact Dr. Joby Bell, Professor of Organ by email or by phone (828-262-6467) at any time with questions.
(updated September, 2023)