oboeinsight

Listed below are audition requirements to various music schools I have located online. Please note: I have copied the requirements directly from the schools’ websites. If there are errors, I can’t be held responsible for them. If you, the reader, are looking to audition at one of these schools I recommend you verify any information you see here, as I may not catch all updates.

Want another school listed? Email me and make a request!

The inclusion or exclusion of schools is in no way a comment regarding any colleges and universities. These school listings are given merely to inform oboists of the typical requirements for music school auditions. I’m happy to add more schools as I locate them online, as time allows.

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BOSTON CONSERVATORY:

Instructors:
Stuart Dunkel
Robert Sheena

Undergraduate:

1. An étude.
2. Two movements of a contrasting nature from a sonata or concerto.

Graduate:

Two movements of contrasting nature from the solo repertoire and two orchestral excerpts – suggested repertoire is as follows:

Solo repertoire:
Mozart Concerto
Vaughan-Williams Concerto

Etudes:
Ferling Etudes
Barrett Etudes

Orchestral Excerpts:
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
Beethoven: 3rd Symphony
Rossini: La Scala di Seta Overture

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CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC:

Instructor:
John Mack

Undergraduate:

All major and harmonic minor scales and arpeggios in two octaves.
Study by Barret or the equivalent.
Solo piece by Handel or the equivalent.

Graduate:

All major and harmonic minor scales and arpeggios in two octaves.
Study from Advanced Barrett and/or Ferling.
Solo repertoire selected by the applicant.

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CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC:

Instructor:
Richard Woodhams

Undergraduate:

In addition to fulfilling the requirements of individual woodwind majors listed below, all applicants should possess a good ear and a sense of rhythm and tone. They will demonstrate familiarity with all major and minor scales and arpeggios. Applicants will also be expected to demonstrate sight-reading ability with material chosen by the instructor. Applicants must be under 21.

Applicants will play:
(1) one movement of a concerto or sonata
(2) a fast étude by Ferling

(3) the third movement of the Mozart oboe quartet
(4) a slow aria of J.S. Bach.

Applicants must also be able to read an orchestral excerpt, and they may be given a written examination concerning their general knowledge of music. In honor of the seventh Director of The Curtis Institute of Music, each year one new or current oboe student will be named the John de Lancie Scholar.

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EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC:

Instructor:
Richard Killmer

Undergraduate:

Any concerto from the standard repertory, such as Mozart, Marcello, Strauss, etc.
Any sonata from the standard repertory, such as Handel or Hindemith
A standard study, such as Barret or Ferling
Orchestral excerpts as appropriate to training and experience

Graduate:

Prepared repertory should include contemporary solo literature and orchestral excerpts.
Possible sight-reading.

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JULLIARD SCHOOL:

Instructors:
Elaine Douvas
Eugene Izotov
John Mack
Linda Strommen

Undergraduate:

Major and minor scales.
Two etudes showing the applicant’s level of technical and musical ability.
At least one major solo of the applicant’s choice.
A representative number of standard orchestral excerpts.

Graduate:

In addition to the above, applicants for graduate programs must also
perform a complete concerto from standard repertoire.

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MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC:

(I found the site a bit difficult to figure out, so I have some info below, but
couldn’t locate anything about the grauduate requirements at this time.)

Instructors:
Joseph Robinson
Stephen Taylor

Solo Works:

Mozart Concerto
Vaughan-Williams Concerto

Excerpts:
Shostakovich Symphony No. 1
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
Beethoven Symphony No. 3
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4
Bizet Symphony in C
Strauss Don Juan
Stravinsky Pulcinella

Doctoral Program Applicants:

All applicants to the Doctoral Program must submit three (3) recommendations
from professional musicians/teachers, in addition to the required general
application materials.In addition to the audition/interview, all Doctoral
Program applicants must take entrance exams in music history and theory during
the audition period. Successful completion of these tests is required for
admission to the Doctoral Program. All Doctoral Program applicants whose first
language is not English must submit a TOEFL score of at least 600 or an IELTS
score above 7.0 (see English Language Tests section).

—
MANNES COLLEGE OF MUSIC:

Instructors:

Richard Dallessio

Elaine Douvas

Thomas Stacy

Applicants must use an accompanist for all appropriate literature (Mannes will
provide an accompanist; the applicant must bring sheet music for the
accompanist.  Applicants may bring their own accompanist).

Undergraduate (Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Undergraduate Diploma) Repertoire Requirements:

Major and minor scales in all keys.
Two contrasting etudes.
A concerto or solo piece with piano.
Orchestral excerpts.

Graduate (Master of Music, Professional Studies Diploma) Repertoire Requirements:

Refer to the repertoire list for undergraduates for repertoire guidelines.
Applicants must perform a program comprised of complete works from the standard
repertoire, representative of contrasting stylistic periods.
Master of Music applicants must perform at an advanced level.  Professional
Studies applicants must perform at a highly advanced level.

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NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY:

Instructors:
Laura Ahlbeck
John Ferrillo
Mark McEwan
Keisuke Wakao

Undergraduate:

1. One slow Ferling etude, and either a fast Ferling etude or a Barrett Grand Study.

2. One slow and one fast movement from either a Baroque or Classical concerto – applicant’s choice for additional repertoire.
3.Two contrasting orchestral excerpts.

Graduate:

One slow Ferling etude, and either a fast Ferling etude or a Barrett Grand Study.
One slow and one fast movment from either a Baroque or Classical concerto – applicant’s choice for additonal repertoire.
Four excerpts chosen from the following:
A. any Bach Cantanta
B. Beethoven Symphony No.3
C. Brahms Symphony No.1
D. Debussy La Mer
E. Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin
F. Rossini La Scala di Seta
G. Schumann Symphony No. 3
H. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

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OBERLIN:

Instructor:
James Caldwell

Undergraduate:

Two or three selections–including movements from sonatas, concertos, and other solo pieces–of contrasting styles from standard repertoires; major and minor scales. Compositions chosen should demonstrate the applicant’s ability in phrasing, sustained playing, and technical facility, including legato and staccato at varied tempi. Oboists should also perform one of the Sixteen Grand Studies of Barret.

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PEABODY INSTITUTE

Instructors:
Jane Marvine
Joseph Turner

Undergraduate:

Two contrasting movements from Mozart Concerto (or Saint-Saens Sonata) and Handel Sonata #1 or #2

Two contrasting studies from Barrett or Ferling Method.

Graduate:

Peabody’s Graduate audition repertoire is patterened after a typical undergraduate senior recital. In order to provide some latitude, the requirements are not dictated. However, you must prepare “sufficient material to perform a full solo recital containing works which show a diversity of periods and styles.”

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SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY:

Instructors:
William Bennett
James Moore
Pamela Smith

Undergraduate:

Undergraduate applicants living within 300 miles of San Francisco must audition
in person at the Conservatory. All others, except for voice as described below,
may audition at the Conservatory, at a regional audition site, or by DVD or
videotape recorded in American standard NTSC format. Percussion applicants may
not audition regionally without permission from the Office of Admission.

One selection from Barret’s 40 Progressive Melodies; one étude from Barret’s 15
Grand Studies; one movement from a standard Baroque or Classical concert piece;
one movement from a standard Romantic or contemporary concert piece.
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Graduate:

Graduate applicants living in North America (US, Canada, Mexico) may not submit
a videotaped audition, but must audition at either a regional site (except for
voice, percussion, conducting and chamber music, as described below), or at the
Conservatory. Applicants living outside North American may submit a DVD or
videotape recorded in American standard NTSC format.

In addition to the undergraduate requirements, graduate applicants should be
prepared to perform two contrasting orchestral excerpts of their choice.