Admission-Audition Requirements
Applicants to graduate programs in the Thornton School of Music must submit the music supplementary application in addition to fulfilling all USC graduate admission requirements. Applicants to all doctoral programs, the M.A. in Music History and Literature and the M.A. in Early Music must also submit scores from the general test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Any applicant whose first language is not English must also submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Any test scores that are more than five years old at the time of application will not be accepted.
Additional requirements for specific graduate programs are detailed below.
Choral Music
Applicants must submit the following: a brief resume detailing conducting experience; a statement of objectives; a repertoire list divided into categories of works sung, works studied and works conducted; three letters of recommendation; a videotape of both a choral ensemble performance and rehearsal conducted by the applicant, including choral works from several periods and styles, with at least one being a 20th century work. Master of Music applicants should have a minimum of two years' experience as the regular conductor of a choral ensemble. Doctor of Musical Arts applicants should have a minimum of four years' experience.
Composition
Applicants must submit the following: three carefully prepared scores and audio recordings of recent works; a complete list of all compositions, including dates and media; a statement of objectives; resume; transcripts from all universities attended. An on-campus interview with the composition faculty is encouraged but not required. Admission to graduate programs in composition is highly competitive and is limited to approximately six new students per year.
Conducting
Applicants must submit the following: a repertoire list, clearly indicating both works conducted in rehearsal and those conducted in performance; an unedited videotape from the orchestra's side of the podium, no less than 30 minutes in length, of which half should be of the applicant in rehearsal; a statement of objectives; three letters of recommendation; resume. Selected applicants will be invited to present a live audition with the university. Such applicants will be contacted to determine repertoire.
Jazz Studies
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list. A performance audition is also required, for which three to five selections of contrasting styles, taken from the standard solo jazz literature, should be prepared on the applicant's primary instrument. For instrumentalists, two of these selections must be
Joy Spring and
All the Things You Are; for vocalists, two of these selections must be
How High the Moon (medium/up) and
Body and Soul (ballad). Lead trumpet players may also include excerpts from ensemble literature or standard exercises and may perform a lead trumpet part with the original recording. Drummers should perform a snare drum etude or rudimental snare drum solo, as well as a standard jazz tune on drumset (playing the melody, the form and a solo), must be able to play swing, bebop, latin and funk or rock, and must demonstrate the use of brushes on drumset. Jazz vocalists should memorize and perform 32 bars of an improvised solo from the jazz discography (such as Ella Fitzgerald's solo from
Blue Skies, Coleman Hawkins's solo from
Body and Soul, etc.). All applicants must be prepared to demonstrate skills in jazz improvisation and sight-reading. Most applicants will also be asked to sit for a written examination consisting of listening excerpts, basic jazz theory and jazz history.
Music Education
Applicants must submit the following: a resume listing group teaching experience (one year experience or more for M.M. and M.M.E. applicants, three years' experience or more for D.M.A. applicants); brief statement of objectives and professional goals; academic transcripts from all universities attended; writing sample (essay or research abstract on a music education topic for M.M. and M.M.E. applicants, a copy of the master's thesis or written project on a music education topic for D.M.A. applicants); an audition tape, approximately 15 minutes in length, of the applicant's solo performance field; three letters of recommendation.
Music History and Literature
Applicants must submit the following: a statement of objectives and professional goals; academic transcripts from all universities attended; three letters of recommendation; writing sample (one or two historical or analytical term papers for M.A. applicants, a copy of the master's thesis for Ph.D. applicants). If a thesis was not required for the applicant's master's degree, one or two historical or analytical term papers may be submitted.
Performance
A performance audition is required for all applicants for admission to a
performance major. In the case of some programs, additional materials are also required. These various requirements are detailed below.
Early Music Performance
Applicants must submit the following: a statement of objectives and professional goals; resume; repertoire list; academic transcripts from all universities attended; at least one music history term paper; three letters of recommendation. An audition is also required, for which instrumentalists should prepare three or more selections from the Renaissance and/or Baroque literature, performed on historical instruments, and vocalists should prepare three or more selections from the Renaissance and/or Baroque literature with at least one example of Italian early Baroque music.
Guitar Performance
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list, as well as perform an audition, for which 20 minutes of contrasting solo and/or ensemble pieces from the classical guitar or studio/jazz literature should be prepared.
Harpsichord Performance
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list, as well as perform an audition, for which several representative solo works should be prepared. Applicants are encouraged to contact the keyboard studies office for information on specific audition requirements.
Keyboard Collaborative Arts
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list. An audition, consisting of two sections, is also required. The piano solo section should include two piano solos, performed from memory from contrasting stylistic periods. The collaborative section should include two complete instrumental sonatas, four songs from contrasting stylistic periods and one aria, all performed with music. The collaborative repertoire must be selected from an approved list, available from the collaborative arts office. Applicants will be tested on sight-reading and may be asked to demonstrate skills in diction and translation.
Organ Performance
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list. An audition is also required for which three or more selections from various stylistic periods of the standard organ literature should be prepared.
Piano Performance
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list. A performance audition is also required. For the audition, M.M. applicants should prepare three solo selections, each from a different stylistic period of music, plus one standard etude; D.M.A. applicants should prepare four solo selections, each from a different stylistic period of music, plus one standard etude for the audition.
String Instrument Performance
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list. A performance audition is also required. For the audition, M.M. applicants should prepare three or more selections from the standard literature, representing various stylistic periods of music; D.M.A. applicants should prepare a full concerto, one complete solo Bach work, one Romantic sonata and either a 20th century piece or a virtuoso piece. All harp applicants are encouraged to contact the harp professor for specific audition requirements.
Vocal Arts
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list. A performance audition is also required, for which five or more selections of contrasting styles should be prepared. These selections should be memorized and demonstrate diction facility in two or more foreign languages. At least one operatic aria must be included.
Wind or Percussion Instrument
Applicants must submit a statement of objectives, resume and repertoire list. A performance audition is also required. For flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, french horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba three selections, representing various stylistic periods of music, should be prepared for the audition. These selections should be full-length pieces from the standard solo literature, although excerpts from ensemble literature may also be included. If any of the selections are taken from a multi-movement sonata or concerto, applicants need only prepare one movement of the piece. In addition, applicants should be prepared to play standard etudes of their choice as well as various scales and arpeggios. Percussion applicants are encouraged to contact the percussion professor for specific audition requirements.
Sacred Music
Applicants must submit the following: a brief resume detailing conducting experience; a statement of objectives; a repertoire list divided into categories of works sung, works studied and works conducted; three letters of recommendation; a videotape of both a choral ensemble performance and rehearsal conducted by the applicant, including choral works from several periods and styles, with at least one being a 20th century work. In addition to the conducting audition tape, an individual performance cassette tape or CD in voice, piano or organ may be submitted. Master of Music applicants should have a minimum of two years' experience as the regular conductor of a choral ensemble. Doctor of Musical Arts applicants should have a minimum of four years' experience.
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