Music Major/Minor Auditions

Technique

Play all major scales by memory on your instrument, two octaves where possible.

Repertoire

Play two contrasting (slow and lyrical versus faster and more technical) solo movements (or etudes). These selections should be suitable and appropriate for performance at the State Solo Contest level.

Sight-reading

Sight-read one or two short melodies in either a common time or compound time meter signature.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu.

Brass Area Coordinator: David Bamante

These guidelines apply to undergraduate applicants auditioning on classical guitar. Jazz Studies applicants should follow the Jazz audition requirements.

BM Performance

Prepare three contrasting works or complete movements: one early music selection, one Classical or Romantic selection, and one twentieth- or twenty-first-century selection. Perform at least two from memory. Studies and transcriptions are welcome. Demonstrate secure tone, rhythmic stability, and independence of voices across the program.

BA/BS Music and BM Music Education

Prepare two contrasting works or complete movements. Include music that demonstrates a melody with independent bass or accompaniment. Memorization is encouraged; scores are permitted.

Music Minor

Prepare two short contrasting pieces or studies that demonstrate your current preparation and potential. Scores are permitted.

Repertoire guidance

Examples below illustrate suitable repertoire types and a range of difficulty. They are not a required list or a guarantee of admission or lesson placement. Choose music appropriate to your readiness; contact guitar faculty about other selections or arrangements.

• Early music: a pavane by Luis Milán; a short dance by Robert de Visée; or, for more advanced applicants, a movement from J. S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007, in an appropriate guitar arrangement.
• Classical or Romantic: Fernando Sor, Study Op. 35, No. 22; Matteo Carcassi, Study Op. 60, No. 3; or Francisco Tárrega, Lágrima or Adelita.
• Twentieth or twenty-first century: a selected Estudio sencillo by Leo Brouwer; or, for more advanced applicants, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Prelude No. 1.

Provide a list of your selections, identifying the composer, title, movement, and arranger where applicable.

Technique

Music majors: Prepare C, G, D, A, E, and F major scales and A, E, and D harmonic minor scales, two octaves ascending and descending; matching two-octave tonic triad arpeggios; and one right hand broken chord pattern using thumb and fingers over a held chord.

Music minors: Prepare C and G major scales, one octave ascending and descending, and one thumb and finger broken chord pattern.

Prepare technical material from memory at a comfortable, steady tempo using familiar fingerings. Faculty will sample the prepared material during an in-person audition.

Sight-reading and musicianship

Minor applicants read a short first-position melody. Music major applicants read a short melody and a brief melody with bass; BM applicants may also receive a two-voice passage. Faculty may ask brief rhythm, pitch, key, or meter questions. These tasks help identify placement and instructional support needs.

Recorded auditions

The same repertoire and memory requirements apply. Record each selection without edits, with clear sound and both hands visible. A clear phone recording is sufficient.

Music majors: Include two major and two harmonic minor scales chosen from the list above, their matching tonic arpeggios, and one right hand pattern. Music minors: Include one listed major scale and one pattern. For recorded applicants, reading and musicianship diagnostics are completed after enrollment.

Apply and schedule

Follow the School’s application instructions and audition and scholarship deadlines. Apply to PSU and the School of Music & Theater before scheduling an admission audition. Contact Mario Díaz at diazm@pdx.edu to arrange an in-person audition or discuss preparation. Submit recorded auditions through the School’s application process.

Transfer applicants should consult guitar faculty before selecting repertoire to discuss lesson placement. Transfer credits and upper division eligibility require separate academic review. Music Education applicants must also complete the program’s required interview.

SAMP students and other nonmajors seeking optional private guitar study should contact guitar faculty for appropriate preparation and availability. This is separate from admission to SAMP.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu.

Guitar Area Coordinator: Mario Diaz

Instrumental

Jazz instrumental candidates should prepare three contrasting pieces (different tempos, rhythmic styles, moods) from the jazz repertoire. The performance, either with the faculty rhythm section or a recorded rhythm section, should demonstrate jazz phrasing and jazz improvisational ability. Select songs from the standard jazz repertoire. You may choose from the examples listed or select your own.

1. Medium or Up-Tempo Swing Jazz Standard (examples: All the Things You Are, Autumn Leaves, Solar, Have You Met Miss Jones)
2. Ballad (examples: My One and Only Love, In a Sentimental Mood, Blue and Green, I Can’t Get Started)
3. Blues (examples: Straight No Chaser, Mr. P.C., Now’s the Time, All Blues)

Candidates may be asked to sight-read, play major and minor scales in all keys, or demonstrate ii-V-I patterns.

Drummers will be asked to demonstrate various grooves at various tempos, including swing, Latin, samba, funk, and ballad styles.

Voice

Jazz voice candidates should prepare three contrasting pieces (different tempos, rhythmic styles, moods) from the jazz repertoire. The performance, either with the faculty rhythm section or a recorded rhythm section, should demonstrate jazz phrasing and jazz improvisational ability. Please select songs from the standard jazz repertoire. The performance should demonstrate jazz phrasing and jazz improvisational ability. Candidates must supply a lead sheet for each piece they plan to perform, in the appropriate key. You may choose from the examples listed or select your own.

1. Medium or Up-tempo Swing Jazz Standard that should include one chorus of improvisation. (examples: On the Sunny Side of the Street, How High the Moon, Honeysuckle Rose)
2. Ballad Jazz Standard (examples: My Funny Valentine, Blame It On My Youth, My Foolish Heart)
3. Contrasting Piece: The tempo and groove should contrast with the first two selections (example styles: pop, funk, samba, bossa nova, R&B)

Be prepared to improvise on at least one of the selections or a 12-bar blues in the key of their choice. 

Perform sight-singing and ear training exercises.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu.

Instrumental Jazz & Contemporary Music Area Coordinator: George Colligan

Vocal Jazz & Contemporary Music Coordinator: Sherry Alves

Snare Drum

Technique:

• Rudiments
• Closed roll: soft-loud-soft

Repertoire: An etude from Anthony J. Cirone’s Portraits in Rhythm, Garwood Whaley’s Recital Solos for Snare Drum, or similar.

Sight‐Reading: Sight‐reading is required.

Mallets

Technique: Major Scales and arpeggios (2 octaves).

Repertoire: 

• An etude from Morris Goldenberg’s Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone (#1‐39), or Garwood Whaley’s Recital Pieces for Mallets, or similar.
• A four-mallet etude or solo from Bart Quartier’s Image, or similar, or a four-mallet solo work.

Sight‐Reading: Sight‐reading is required.

Timpani

Technique: Timpani roll: soft-loud-soft

Repertoire: An etude from Vic Firth’s The Solo Timpanist, or Saul Goodman’s Modern Method for Timpani, or similar.

Sight‐Reading: Sight reading will not be required.

Drum Set

Applicants may perform rock or jazz styles on drumset, though it is not required for acceptance to the School of Music and Theater.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu.

Percussion Area Coordinator: Chris Whyte

Audition Requirements for BA/BS students

• Perform from memory 2 works from the following list. These works should be of level 7 or higher in the 2015 Royal Conservatory of Music Syllabus.
  • A work by J.S. Bach, such as a movement from a Suite
  • A first movement of a sonata by Mozart, Haydn or Beethoven
  • A piece or movement from the Romantic period, 20th century or 21st century
• All major and minor scales and arpeggios, four octaves, hands together, MM at 60, four sixteenth-notes to a beat.
• Sight-reading of a short piece, the level of difficulty of which is levels 3-4 in the Royal Conservatory of Music Syllabus

Audition Requirements for BM students

• Perform from memory 3 works from the following list. These works should be of level 9 or higher in the Royal Conservatory of Music Syllabus.
  • A work by J.S. Bach, such as a Prelude and Fugue, or a movement from a Suite or Partita
  • A first movement of a sonata by Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven
  • A piece or movement from the Romantic period, 20th century, or 21st century
• All major and minor scales and arpeggios, four octaves, hands together, MM at 60, four sixteenth-notes to a beat.

Video Recording Audition  

If you choose to do a video recording instead of an in-person audition, these are the requirements:

• Repertoire requirements remain the same as those in the in-person auditions listed above.
• Scales and arpeggios: Please include recordings of all required scales and arpeggios as part of the submission.
• Sight-reading: This portion of the audition will be completed after enrollment. Based on the results, students may be advised to do additional work, which will be discussed with the Area Coordinator.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu.

Piano Area Coordinator: Julie (Hwakyu) Lee

Violin

Technique: Three‐octave scales and arpeggios

Repertoire: 

• Two contrasting movements from a Bach unaccompanied sonata or partita
• First movement of a standard concerto
• One etude by Kreutzer, Rode or Dont 

Sight-reading: Not required.

Viola & Cello

Technique: Three‐octave scales and arpeggios

Repertoire: 

• Two contrasting movements from a Bach unaccompanied suite
• First movement of a standard concerto 

Sight-reading: Not required.

Bass

Technique: Two‐octave scales

Repertoire: Two pieces of contrasting styles

Sight-reading: Not required.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu.

Strings Area Coordinator: Hamilton Cheifetz

Repertoire: Prepare two selections:

1. One must be from the Classical repertoire (opera aria, art song etc.)
2. The second can be an additional Classical selection OR any other genre (Broadway, pop, folk, original composition, etc.)

For Jazz Voice auditions review the Jazz Audition Requirements above.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu.

Voice Area Coordinator: Harry Baechtel

Flute

• Choose two (2) pieces or études that demonstrate your musical and technical abilities and represent various styles, tempos, and time periods. You are encouraged to choose pieces demonstrating your technical facility and melodic lyricism.
• Major scales in two octaves and a full range chromatic scale.

Oboe

Technique: 

• Major scales (at least 2)
• Minor scales (at least 2)
• Chromatic scale (low B-flat to high F, as for the All-State audition tapes)
• Scales should be played from memory. Accuracy, tone, and pitch are more important than speed.

Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces of solo repertoire (which may include an etude) that best demonstrate the student’s skills. These pieces do not need to be memorized. One piece should feature the applicant’s technical agility; the other slower piece should demonstrate lyrical and artistic playing.

All of the following factors are considered by faculty when listening to an oboe audition:

• technique (speed, articulation)
• accuracy (pitch, rhythm)
• tone quality (color and consistency)
• dynamic range and control
• understanding of style, musical line

Examples of repertoire (a single movement from two different pieces is acceptable): Sonatas and concertos by Handel, Telemann, Vivaldi, Albinoni, Marcello; Schumann Romances, sonatas by Saint-Saëns, Hindemith, Poulenc; Mozart Concerto in C, or Oboe Quartet in F; Haydn Concerto in C; Cimarosa Concerto in C minor; other repertoire similar in difficulty level. Many successful applicants in the past have used the same repertoire prepared for district or state solo contests.

Sight-reading: A brief melodic excerpt from an etude book or solo repertoire will be presented to the student to sight-read. Sight-reading is an opportunity to demonstrate the solidity of your basic musical skills – rhythm, meter, key signature, etc., independent from the process of preparing a piece over a long period of time.

Clarinet

Technique: 

• Play three octave F major scale in quarter notes (slurred, MM=60) demonstrating tone quality.
• Play three octave chromatic scale in eighth notes, beginning on E (slurred, MM=120) demonstrating correct fingering.
• Play 2 1⁄2 octave G major scale in quarter notes (slurred, MM=80) demonstrating legato tonguing.

Repertoire: The student should prepare two contrasting movements of pieces from the standard clarinet repertoire, including at least one piece from the Classic or Early Romantic Era (1750-1825). The pieces may be chosen from, but are not limited to works by the following composers:

• Bernhard Crusell
• Franz Krommer
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Carl Stamitz
• Johann Stamitz
• Carl Maria von Weber

Sight-reading: The student will play short excerpts in duple and/or triple meters with common rhythmic features applicable to works from the late eighteenth century. Difficult technical passages will not be a factor.

Saxophone

• Technique: Prepare two contrasting movements of pieces from the standard saxophone repertoire, including at least one piece from the Classical repertoire.
• Repertoire: Play short excerpts in duple and/or triple meters with common rhythmic features applicable to works from the late eighteenth century. Difficult technical passages will not be a factor.
• Sight-reading: Play short excerpts in duple and/or triple meters with common rhythmic features applicable to works from the late eighteenth century. Difficult technical passages will not be a factor.

Bassoon

Technique: 

• Chromatic scale, three octaves, starting on low B-flat.
• Major scales through four sharps and four flats, two octaves.
• One etude from J. Weissenborn, Fifty Bassoon Studies, Op. 8, Vol. II

Repertoire: One movement from any of the following:

• Mozart, Concerto in B-flat, K. 191
• Telemann, Sonata in F minor
• Hindemith, Sonata
• Weber, Concerto in F
• Vivaldi, any concerto

Sight-reading: Be familiar with tenor clef.

Schedule Your Audition >>

If no appointments are available, contact the admissions coordinator at somtadmissions@pdx.edu. 

Woodwinds Area Coordinator: Barbara Heilmair