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Strings Audition Requirements

Live auditions at NEC are required for all String applicants living in North America*, as well as all applicants to the Artist Diploma or DMA programs regardless of their country of residence.

 

PRESCREENING RECORDING

All undergraduate and graduate violin and violoncello applicants must submit a prescreening recording (CD preferred, DVD acceptable) with the following repertoire. Please refer to the Tape Guidelines section for additional information.

Violin prescreening recording:

  1. Exposition from first movement of a major 19th or 20th century work for violin and orchestra.
  2. Two movements from an unaccompanied sonata or partita by J.S. Bach.

Violoncello prescreening recording:

  1. A major movement of a concerto demonstrating both artistry and virtuosity.
  2. The Prelude and any dance movement from a Bach Cello Suite.
  3. (MM, GD, & DMA only) Two contrasting movements of a standard sonata (e.g., Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff). The sonata must be performed with piano.

NOTE: Only DMA and AD applicants for Viola and Double Bass must submit a preliminary audition recording. Viola and Double Bass applicants to all other programs do not need to submit a recording.

 

IN-PERSON AUDITIONS
 (For repertoire questions, please contact the String Department)

UNDERGRADUATE

Violin:

  1. First movement of a major 19th or 20th century work for solo violin and orchestra. If you choose a shorter work, one in which all the movements total less than 15 minutes, you should prepare the entire piece.
  2. Two movements from an unaccompanied sonata or partita by J.S. Bach.
  3. One movement of a 19th century sonata for violin and piano.
    (Works 1 and 2 must be memorized.)

Violoncello:

Please consider the following to be repertoire guidelines rather than strict requirements; some flexibility in choice of repertoire is permitted.

  1. A major movement of a concerto demonstrating both artistry and virtuosity.
  2. The Prelude and any dance movement from a Bach Cello Suite.
  3. One of the following: A showpiece such as Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso or Davidoff At the Fountain; an Italian sonata by Boccherini, Valentini or Locatelli; or a Popper Etude or Piatti Caprice.
    (Works 1 and 2 must be memorized.)

Viola:

  1. Two contrasting movements of unaccompanied Bach
  2. One movement from a concerto of theapplicant's choosing
  3. One movement from the standard (solo or duo) sonata repertoire.
    One or more of the chosen selections should be memorized.

Double Bass:

  1. Two contrasting works or movements from the standard repertoire (e.g., movement(s) of unaccompanied Bach and/or other virtuosic solo piece)
  2. A movement from a sonata or concerto
  3. Also, applicants should be prepared to play an etude.
    One or more of these chosen selections should be memorized.

MASTER OF MUSIC AND GRADUATE DIPLOMA
Violin:

  1. An entire major work for solo violin and orchestra from the 19th or 20th century. (The work must be at least 15 minutes in length.)
  2. A complete unaccompanied sonata or partita from the 18th or 20th century.
  3. A complete sonata for violin and piano from the 19th century.
  4. One Paganini Caprice.
    (Works 1, 2 and 4 must be memorized.)

Violoncello:

Please consider the following to be repertoire guidelines rather than strict requirements; some flexibility in choice of repertoire is permitted.

  1. A complete concerto from the standard repertoire
  2. A complete Bach Suite
  3. A complete work written after 1940
  4. One of the following: A showpiece such as Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso or Davidoff At the Fountain; an Italian sonata by Boccherini, Valentini or Locatelli; or a Popper Etude or Piatti Caprice.
    (Works 1 and 2 must be memorized.)
  5. Optional: One movement of a standard sonata (e.g., Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff). If played, the sonata must be rehearsed and performed with piano. A list of pianists to contact is available from the Admissions Office.

Viola:

Two contrasting movements of unaccompanied Bach

  1. A complete 20th century concerto
  2. A complete sonata (solo or duo) from the standard repertoire
  3. A work written after 1980.
    The concerto and unaccompanied work should be performed from memory.

Double Bass:

At least one movement of a major work from the concerto repertoire

  1. One movement from an unaccompanied Bach suite
  2. A solo piece (applicant's choice)
  3. Standard orchestral excerpts of contrasting tempi and styles.
    The concerto and unaccompanied work should be performed from memory.

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
Violin:

  1. An entire major work for solo violin and orchestra from the 19th or 20th century. (The work must be at least 15 minutes in length.)
  2. A complete unaccompanied sonata or partita from the 18th or 20th century.
  3. A complete sonata for violin and piano from the 19th century.
  4. One Paganini Caprice. (Works 1, 2 and 4 must be memorized.)

Violoncello:

  1. A complete concerto from the standard repertoire
  2. A complete Bach Suite
  3. One movement of a standard sonata (e.g., Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff). The sonata must be rehearsed and performed with piano. A list of pianists to contact is available from the Admissions Office.
  4. A 20th or 21st century work of major difficulty (e.g., Carter Sonata, Britten Solo Suite or Sonata, Poulenc Sonate, Hindemith or Kodaly solo sonatas).
  5. One of the following: a showpiece such as Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso or Davidoff At the Fountain; an Italian sonata by Boccherini, Valentini or Locatelli; or a Popper Etude or Piatti Caprice.
    (Works 1 and 2 must be performed from memory.)

Viola:

  1. A major unaccompanied work.
  2. At least the first movement from a standard concerto (Bartók, Hindemith, Walton, Mozart).
  3. A standard sonata (Brahms, Schubert, Vieuxtemps).
  4. A 20th-century work of major difficulty (Stravinsky, Penderecki, Maxwell Davies).
    (Works 1 and 2 must be performed from memory.)

Double Bass:

  1. At least one movement of a major work from the concerto repertoire
  2. At least one movement from an unaccompanied Bach suite
  3. A solo piece (applicant's choice)
  4. Standard orchestral excerpts of contrasting tempi and styles.
    (Works 1 and 4 should be performed from memory.)

* String applicants residing outside of the United States, Canada and Mexico who are not applying to the Artist Diploma or DMA programs may be considered for admission based on the submission of an audition CD. Audition CDs should include all movements of all pieces for the in-person audition repertoire above. Please visit the Recording Guidelines section for more information. Given the competitive nature of our program, we strongly recommend that applicants attend

a live audition if possible.

Audition Dates