Graduate Auditions

Instrumental Performance (M.M. and D.M.A.)

Please contact Dr. Laura Kellogg at laura.kellogg@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

  1. Scales (Taffanel & Gaubert and/or Moyse patterns are suggested):
    1. All Major & Minor scales (harmonic & melodic) (Full Range)
    2. Chromatic scale (Full Range)
  2. Excerpts: 3-4 Standard Orchestral Excerpts
  3. Two contrasting works, preferably from the standard repertoire.
  4. Sight-reading may be included.

Please contact Prof. Philip McKenzie at philip.mckenzie@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

  1. Scales:
    1. All Major Scales (Two or more octaves)
    2. Any two Minor Scales: (Two or more octaves)
    3. Chromatic Scale (Low B-flat to 3rd octave G above staff)
  2. Two contrasting complete works (ONE technical & ONE lyrical).Suggested Repertoire- Selections may be chosen from but not limited to:
    1. Solos
      1. C. Saint Saens: Sonata
      2. P. Hindemith: Sonata
      3. F. Poulenc: Sonata
      4. W.A. Mozart: Concerto or Quartet
      5. B. Britten: Six Metamorphoses
      6. Marcello: Concerto
  3. Sight Reading

Please contact Dr. Cassie Keogh at Cassie.Keogh@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

  1. Scales:
    1. All Major Scales (Full Range)
    2. All Minor Scales: (Harmonic & Melodic in full range)
    3. Chromatic Scale (Full Range)
    4. Please prepare all slurred and various articulation patterns for all major and minor scales.
  2. Two contrasting works (ONE technical & ONE lyrical). These works may be chosen from studies and or contrasting movements of clarinet studies/sonatas/concerti. Suggested Repertoire- Selections may be chosen from but not limited to:
    1. Studies
      1. C. Rose: Studies (Set of 32 or 40)
      2. Polatschek: Advanced Studies for Clarinet
      3. Cavallini: 30 Caprices
      4. Baermann: Complete Method for Clarinet
      5. J.S. Bach: Partitas & Suites
    2. Solos
      1. C. M. von Weber: Concertino
      2. R. Schumann: Fantasy Pieces (I or II)
      3. W.A. Mozart: Concerto (I or II)
      4. I. Stravinsky: Three Pieces
      5. Other approved work by the instructor.
  3. Two Contrasting Orchestral Excerpts
  4. Sight Reading

Please contact Dr. Matthew Patnode at Matthew.Patnode@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

  1. Scales:
    1. All majors and harmonic minors (Full Range & Various Articulation Patterns)
    2. Broken Thirds
  2. Two contrasting works (ONE technical & ONE lyrical). The works may be chosen from studies and or contrasting movements of saxophone sonatas/concerti. Suggested Repertoire: Please contact Dr. Patnode
  3. Sight Reading

Please contact Dr. Martin Van Klompenberg at m.vanklompenberg@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

  1. Scales:
    1. All 12 major scales in 2 octaves
    2. F harmonic and melodic minor 2 octaves
    3. Bb harmonic and melodic minor 2 octaves
    4. Bb chromatic 3 octaves
  2. Two contrasting works (ONE technical & ONE lyrical). The works may be chosen from studies and or contrasting movements of bassoon sonatas/concerti. Suggested Repertoire:
    1. Studies
      1. Milde
      2. Ozi
      3. Weissenborn
      4. Jancourt
    2. Solos
      1. Hindemith: Sonata
      2. Saint-Saens: Sonata
      3. Mozart: Concerto in Bb
      4. Weber: Concerto in F
      5. Bourdeau: Premiere Solo
      6. Hummel: Concerto in F
      7. Weber: Andante and Hungarian Rondo
      8. Zwilich: Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra
  3. Sight Reading

Please contact Dr. Jeremy Brekke at Jeremy.Brekke@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

Please contact Prof. Kayla Nelson at kayla.l.nelson@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

Please contact Dr. Will Sutton at William.Sutton.1@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

M.M. Trombone Audition Repertoire

Tenor Trombone Solos

  • Frank Martin: Ballade for Trombone and Piano
  • Henri Dutilleux: Choral, Cadence et Fugue
  • Paul Hindemith: Sonata for Trombone and Piano
  • Launy Grøndahl: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra
  • Nino Rota: Concerto for Trombone
  • Jacques Castérède: Sonatine for Trombone and Piano
  • Luciano Berio: Sequenza V
  • J. S. Bach: Suite No. 2 or No. 3 for Unaccompanied Cello
  • Stjepan Šulek: Vox Gabrieli
  • Derek Bourgeois: Trombone Concerto, Op. 114

Tenor Trombone Orchestral Excerpts

  • W. A. Mozart: Requiem, K. 626 — "Tuba Mirum"
  • Maurice Ravel: Boléro — Solo
  • Hector Berlioz: Damnation of Faust — "Hungarian March"
  • Richard Wagner: Die Walküre — "Ride of the Valkyries"
  • Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor — Mvt. I

Bass Trombone Solos

  • Eugène Bozza: New Orleans
  • Eric Ewazen: Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra
  • Thom Ritter George: Concerto for Bass Trombone
  • Alexej Lebedev: Concerto in One Movement
  • Daniel Schnyder: Sonata for Bass Trombone
  • Elizabeth Raum: Concerto for Bass Trombone
  • J. S. Bach: Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011
  • Halsey Stevens: Sonatina for Bass Trombone and Piano
  • David Gillingham: Sonata for Bass Trombone ("Vital Signs")
  • Ernst Sachse: Concertino in F Major

Bass Trombone Orchestral Excerpts

  • Joseph Haydn: The Creation — No. 26
  • Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish" — Mvt. IV
  • Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold — "Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla"
  • Hector Berlioz: Damnation of Faust — "Hungarian March"
  • Giuseppe Verdi: Otello — Act III
DMA in Trombone Audition Repertoire

Tenor Trombone Solos

  • Henri Tomasi: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra
  • Luciano Berio: Sequenza V
  • Iannis Xenakis: Keren for Solo Trombone
  • George Walker: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra
  • Kazimierz Serocki: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra
  • Paul Creston: Fantasy for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 42
  • Toru Takemitsu: Fantasma/Cantos II
  • William Bolcom: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra
  • Frank Martin: Ballade for Trombone and Piano
  • J. S. Bach: Suite No. 4 or No. 5 for Unaccompanied Cello

Tenor Trombone Orchestral Excerpts

  • Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor — Mvt. I (Solos)
  • Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28
  • W. A. Mozart: Requiem, K. 626 — "Tuba Mirum"
  • Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish" — Mvt. IV
  • Alban Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6 — Mvt. III

Bass Trombone Solos

  • Daniel Schnyder: subTRANCE or Sonata for Bass Trombone
  • Thom Ritter George: Concerto for Bass Trombone
  • Eugène Bozza: New Orleans
  • Steven Verhelst: Capriccio for Bass Trombone
  • David Gillingham: Sonata for Bass Trombone ("Vital Signs")
  • John Williams: Concerto for Tuba / Bass Trombone
  • David Beidenbender: Liquid Architecture
  • Eric Ewazen: Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra
  • J. S. Bach: Suite No. 5 or No. 6 for Unaccompanied Cello
  • Robert Spillman: Concerto for Bass Trombone

Bass Trombone Orchestral Excerpts

  • Richard Wagner: Die Walküre — "Ride of the Valkyries"
  • Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome — Mvt. II & IV
  • Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Suite — Mvt. IV
  • Hector Berlioz: Damnation of Faust — "Hungarian March"
  • Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish" — Mvt. IV

Please contact Professor Connor Challey at Connor.Challey@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

Please contact Dr. Mark DeMull at mark.demull@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the audition requirements.

Voice (M.M. and D.M.A.)

General Information

Please contact Dr. Kelly Burns at kelly.w.burns@ndsu.edu for any questions pertaining to the application process or audition requirements.

To be considered for admission to the graduate vocal program for Fall 2027, please submit required pre-screening materials, in addition to the NDSU Graduate School application, by December 1, 2026.

Applicants to the M.M. and D.M.A. voice programs must submit the following pre-screening requirements to Dr. Kelly Burns at kelly.w.burns@ndsu.edu by December 1, 2026:

  • Three contrasting selections.
    • At least one art song
    • At least one aria from opera or oratorio sung in the original key and language
    • A third classical selection of your choice
  • Your repertoire must demonstrate at least three languages inclusive of English and showcase a variety of styles and moods.
  • Your pre-screening recordings should be videos that clearly show you performing your selections in a live, un-edited setting. Your body should be visible from the knees up. Your videos should be submitted as YouTube or Vimeo links.

  • Prepare four classical vocal selections:
    1. At least 1 aria from an opera or an oratorio, mass, cantata, etc.*** sung in the original language and key.
    2. At least 1 art song in English.
    3. At least 1 art song in French or German.
    4. A fourth selection of your choosing.
  • All repertoire must be sung from memory.
  • Your selections must be contrasting in a variety of keys and moods and must represent a variety of major musical eras chosen from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and/or Modern periods.
  • Your selections must cover English plus at least two languages chosen from French, German, and Italian. Additional languages such as Russian, Czech, Spanish, and Latin are welcome in the audition, but are not required.

***Exception: Arias from oratorio, mass, cantata, etc. may be sung in English translation if doing so is considered standard performance practice, for example: arias from Mendelssohn’s Elijah or Haydn’s Creation.

  • Prepare six classical vocal selections:
    1. At least 1 opera aria in the original key and language.
    2. At least 1 aria from a standard oratorio, mass, cantata, etc.*** in the original key and language.
    3. At least 1 art song in English.
    4. At least 1 art song in French.
    5. At least 1 art song in German.
    6. A sixth selection of your choosing.
  • All repertoire must be sung from memory.
  • Your selections must be contrasting in a variety of keys and moods and must represent at least three major musical eras chosen from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and/or Modern periods.
  • Your selections must demonstrate proficiency in English, French, German, and Italian lyric diction. Additional languages such as Russian, Czech, Spanish, and Latin are welcome in the audition, but are not required.

***Exception: Arias from oratorio, mass, cantata, etc. may be sung in English translation if doing so is considered standard performance practice, for example: arias from Mendelssohn’s Elijah or Haydn’s Creation.

Piano and Collaborative Piano (M.M. and D.M.A.)

To be considered for admission to the MM or DMA in the Piano Performance program for Fall 2027, please contact Dr. Thiago Ferreira, submit your NDSU Graduate School application, and email your prescreening video(s) to Dr. Ferreira by December 1, 2026.

Prescreening Requirements

  • At least 30 minutes of solo piano repertoire that presents at least three stylistic periods.
  • Memorization is required.
  • Upload videos to YouTube and send the links by email to Dr. Thiago Ferreira.
  • Multiple videos are acceptable; the repertoire does not need to be recorded in a single session. However, each piece must be recorded in a continuous, unedited take, without cuts or edits within the performance.
  • The camera angle must clearly show the pianist’s hands and pedals.
  • Applicants may submit a recording of their graduation recital, for example.

On-Campus Audition
Candidates selected through prescreening will be invited to campus on February 12, 2027 to:

  • Perform part of their solo piano repertoire
  • Sight-read
  • Participate in a brief rehearsal with a singer on a vocal work provided 30 minutes before the rehearsal
  • Participate in an interview.

To be considered for admission to the graduate Collaborative Piano program for Fall 2027, please contact Dr. Thiago Ferreira, submit your NDSU Graduate School application, and email your prescreening video(s) to Dr. Ferreira by December 1, 2026.

Include in your email to Dr. Ferreira your on-campus audition repertoire so that we can secure appropriate audition collaborators to work with you should you be invited to audition on February 12, 2027.

Prescreening Requirements

  • At least 30 minutes of repertoire.
  • Memorization is not required.
  • Repertoire must include:
    • A vocal art song or aria.
    • A collaborative work with an instrumentalist.
    • A solo piano work
  • Upload videos to YouTube and send the links by email to Dr. Thiago Ferreira.
  • Multiple videos are acceptable; the repertoire does not need to be recorded in a single session. However, each piece must be recorded in a continuous, unedited take, without cuts or edits within the performance.
  • Applicants may use the same repertoire listed for the on-campus audition for their prescreening.

On-Campus Audition
Candidates selected through prescreening will be invited to campus to perform the following repertoire on February 12, 2027:

  • Instrumental sonata
    • An outer movement of a sonata by Beethoven or Brahms
  • Art songs
    • A set of at least three contrasting art songs, including at least one song by Franz Schubert.
  • Additional requirement for D.M.A. applicants only
    • Either a Mozart operatic aria or an additional instrumental collaborative work

Candidates will also:

  • Sight-read
  • Participate in a brief rehearsal with a singer on a vocal work provided 30 minutes before the rehearsal
  • Participate in an interview.

Conducting (M.M., D.M.A.)

  1. Email Daniel Lee with the following by December 1, 2026:
    • A brief introduction about yourself and/or your resume attached
    • A brief statement of why you are interested in studying at NDSU
    • Links to recent recordings (within the past two years) of both conducting in performance and ensemble rehearsals (camera showing your front, approximately 10 minutes of each)
  2. If selected to advance, an on-campus visit will be arranged that may include:
    • Ensemble conducting and rehearsing (repertoire TBD)
    • Teaching demonstrations
    • Interviews with faculty and/or students
    • Opportunities to meet and converse with faculty and students

Audition requirements

  1. By December 1, 2026, notify Dr. Dwight Jilek of your intention to apply and submit a recent video recording that includes both a rehearsal and a performance (10 – 15 minutes) from the front and/or side view. A URL link is acceptable.
  2. Your audition will be with the NDSU Concert Choir.
    1. Warmup the choir
    2. Conduct one piece straight through from the current repertoire of Concert Choir
    3. Rehearse a piece of your choosing
    4. Total time with the choir – 25 minutes
  3. The interview will be with Dr. Dwight Jilek and Dr. Nicki Toliver.
  4. Other activities on the day of your audition will include:
    1. Meeting with other graduate students
    2. Meeting with the Challey School of Music administration
    3. Aural skills and sight-reading evaluations
    4. Demonstrating functional piano skills

Challey School of Music

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