Music Auditions - The University of Tulsa
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Music Auditions

music performance

All incoming students interested in performing in School of Music ensembles for scholarship are required to audition for majors in music and non-music majors.

The Music Audition Request Form is the first step in the process and provides all information needed to register your request and tailor your audition experience to your specific needs. Once submitted, the School of Music faculty coordinator in your performance area will contact you via email to schedule your audition.

On-campus auditions for 2024 are:

  • Saturday, Jan. 27
  • Saturday, Feb. 3
  • Saturday, Feb. 10

Individually scheduled auditions may be requested, and video auditions are also accepted. For more information, please contact the School of Music faculty coordinator in your performance area:

The deadline for auditioning for scholarship consideration is March 1, 2024.

For any information on auditions, please call the School of Music office at 918-631-2738 or email Richard Wagner, Director of the School of Music.

Audition Requirements

  • Brass

    Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba)

    Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Music Minor and non-majors

    1. Two (2) works (one lyrical and one technical) of contrasting styles and tempos from the standard repertoire including movements of sonatas, concerti or other solo works.
    2. An All-State audition etude. You may substitute the etude for solo work of comparable difficulty.

    TU Brass Faculty

    Trumpet: Ron Predl @ ronald-predl@utulsa.edu
    Horn: Dr. Joseph Falvey @ joe-falvey@utulsa.edu
    Trombone: Isaac Washam @ isaac-washam@utulsa.edu
    Tuba/Euphonium: Dr. Shelby Kifer @ sak0522@utulsa.edu

  • Cello

    Cello

    Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Arts (BA)

    • One three octave scale and arpeggio
    • One etude (Schroeder Volume II or similar)
    • One movement of unaccompanied Bach
    • One solo piece or concerto movement (memorized)

    Music minor and non-majors

    • One three octave scale and arpeggio
    • One solo piece of choice
    • One etude

    TU Cello Faculty

    Kari Caldwell @ karicaldwell@gmail.com

  • Classical Guitar

    Classical Guitar

    Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Music Minor and non-majors

    • One or two octave major scales in the keys of C, G, D, A, and E in first position.
    • Etude or Prelude by Sor, Giuliani, Tarrega.
    • Sight reading to be selected at the audition (if audition is in-person)

    TU Guitar Faculty

    Sean Al-Jibouri @ sda2004@utulsa.edu

  • Composition

    Composition

    Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Arts (BA), and optional Film Scoring Emphasis

    • Submit audio or video recordings of two to three original compositions. Provide links to streaming or file-sharing websites (such as Soundcloud, YouTube, Dropbox, etc.). MIDI renditions of pieces are acceptable. Each submission should be clearly marked with the applicant’s name and the title of the piece and sent to the composition faculty via email.
    • Submit PDF scores of two to three original compositions. These scores do not need to correspond to the submitted recordings. If notated scores are not central to your practice, please include a brief text for each submission that introduces the piece and the tools you employ (such as instruments, software and hardware technologies, etc.). Each submission should be clearly marked with the applicant’s name and the title of the piece and sent to the composition faculty via email.
    • Schedule an interview with the composition faculty.
    • Schedule an audition on your primary instrument by completing the Music Audition Request Form found in the link above. Refer to the audition requirements for Music minor/non-major for your primary instrument.

    For submission of materials, scheduling an interview, or any other questions you might have, please contact the TU Composition Faculty.

    TU Composition Faculty

    Alican Çamci @ alican-camci@utulsa.edu

  • Harp

    Harp

    Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Music Minor and non-majors

    • 2-handed, 2 octave scale (any key) Play 3 repetitions, non-stop, with turnarounds at the top and bottom of the scale
    • An orchestral cadenza of your choice
    • An orchestral excerpt of your choice (minimum 6 measures)
    • Two (2) solo selections of contrasting style and from different eras/composers (Selections over 3 minutes are subject to being cut at some point during the audition)
    • Handel Concerto in Bb is preferred to have been learned but not required
    • Be prepared to have a 30-45 minute lesson with the harp instructor at some point after your audition (if in-person auditions are held)

    TU Harp Faculty

    Lorelei Barton @ lorelei-barton@utulsa.edu

  • Jazz

    Students interested in performance opportunities with the various jazz workshop ensembles are encouraged to schedule a separate jazz audition in addition to the required classical audition.

    Audition requirements include:

    • Scales/Chords – major scales & major 7th chord arpeggios; dorian minor scales & minor 7th chord arpeggios; dominant scales and dominant 7th chord arpeggios.
    • Prepared Selection – perform a jazz etude, transcribed solo or any excerpt from the jazz idiom that best demonstrates basic knowledge of jazz articulation and interpretation.
    • Jazz Performance – perform contrasting selections with prerecorded accompaniments (Jamey Aebersold Vol. 54 is recommended). Suggested selections include “Now’s The Time”, “Blue Bossa”, “Maiden Voyage”, “Impressions”, “Misty” or other tunes from standard jazz repertoire. Pianists, guitarists and wind players are expected to play the melody and improvise. Pianists and guitarists will be asked to comp the chord progressions as well. Bassists will be asked to play bass lines which outline the harmony and reflect the rhythmic style of the selection. Bassists may also improvise if they choose to.

    Jazz Drummers will be asked to:

    • Play time (slow, medium and fast).
    • Sight read materials provided at the audition.
    • Demonstrate time and knowledge of styles in swing, bossa nova, samba, waltz, rock/funk, ballad and brushes.
    • Alternate keeping time and improvising for four, eight, and twelve-measure trading groups; repeat in different styles and tempi.

    Vocalists will be asked to perform a selection(s) with prerecorded or live accompaniment (Aebersold play-alongs are fine). Tunes should be selected from standard jazz repertoire demonstrating the students understanding of jazz style, phrasing and interpretation.

  • Percussion

    Percussion

    Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Music Minor and non-majors

    • Snare Drum: Perform a solo demonstrating technique on the instrument – concert or rudimental style.
    • Timpani: Perform a solo for two, three or four drums.
    • Mallets: Perform a short solo demonstrating two or four mallet technique on xylophone or marimba.

    TU Percussion Faculty

    James Clanton @ james-clanton@utulsa.edu

  • Piano

    Piano

    Bachelor of Music (BM)

    Please prepare three pieces from the following categories of repertoire (memorization required):

    • One Baroque piece
      Examples:  J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue (Well-Tempered Clavier), a movement, or movements from a keyboard suite by J.S. Bach or Handel
    • One movement from a Classical Sonata
      Examples: a sonata movement by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert
    • One Romantic work
      Examples: a Chopin Nocturne, Scherzo, Ballade, Sonata movement, Schumann Fantasy, Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux, Preludes, etc.
    • One Impressionist, Twentieth, or Twenty-First-Century work
      Examples: a Debussy Prelude, Prokofiev Sonata movement, works by Samuel Barber, etc.

    Additional Items to Bring

    • A repertoire list from the last few years.
    • A short resume indicating awards, competitions and accompanying experience.
    • A letter of recommendation from your current piano teacher.

    Students may be asked to demonstrate their ability to sight-read.

    Bachelor of Music Education (BME) and the Bachelor of Arts (BA), Music Minor, non-majors

    • Two or three pieces selected from the list above are required for the audition, according to the level and ability of the applicant (memorization required for one piece)

    Students may be asked to demonstrate their ability to sight-read.

    TU Piano Faculty

    Stuart Deaver at stu-deaver@utulsa.edu

  • String Bass

    String Bass

    Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Music (BM)

    • Two octave major scales in E, F, and G
    • One octave scales in C, D, and E flat
    • One movement of a sonata or piece of similar difficulty
    • Sight-reading to be selected at the audition

    Music Minor and non-majors

    • Three scales of your choice in one octave
    • One solo piece of your choice
    • Sight-reading to be selected at the audition

    TU String Bass Faculty

    Dean DeMerritt @ ded4870@utulsa.edu

  • Viola

    Viola

    Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Music (BM)

    • One three octave scale and arpeggio
    • One etude (Kreutzer or similar)
    • One movement of unaccompanied Bach
    • One solo piece or movement of a concerto

    Music Minor and non-majors

    • One three octave scale and arpeggio
    • One solo piece of choice
    • One etude

    TU Viola Faculty

    Paulo Eskitch @ paulo-eskitch@utulsa.edu

  • Violin

    Violin

    Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Music (BM)

    • One three octave scale and arpeggio
    • One etude (Kreutzer or similar)
    • One movement of unaccompanied Bach
    • One solo piece or movement of a concerto

    Music Minor and non-majors

    • One three octave scale and arpeggio
    • One solo piece of choice
    • One etude

    TU Violin Faculty

    Maureen O’Boyle @ maureen-oboyle@utulsa.edu

  • Voice

    Required Audition Repertoire for Voice

    Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance (BM)

    • Three memorized classical-type art songs or arias; one selection in a language other than English preferred

    Bachelor of Music Education, Vocal (BME) and Bachelor of Arts (BA)

    • Two memorized classical-type art songs or arias; one selection in a language other than English preferred

    Music Minor and non-majors

    • One memorized classical-type art song or aria in a language of your choice

    TU Voice Faculty

    Judith Raiford @ judith-raiford@utulsa.edu.

  • Woodwinds

    Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophones)

    Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Music Minor and non-majors

    1. Two (2) works (one lyrical and one technical) of contrasting styles and tempos from the standard repertoire including movements of sonatas, concerti or other solo works.
    2. An All-State audition etude. You may substitute the etude for solo work of comparable difficulty.

    TU Woodwinds Faculty