Strings
Cello
All applicants to the cello studio are expected to prepare and to meet the following performance requirements for auditions:
- Scales: any major or minor scale in three octaves as requested
- One etude by Duport, Popper, or Piatti
- A movement of a concerto by Haydn or Boccherini or a representative work of the Romantic or Contemporary period.
Double Bass
All applicants to the double bass studio are expected to prepare and meet the following performance requirements for auditions:
- Contrasting movements from any Baroque sonata or suite
- The first movement of a Classical, Romantic, or 20th century Concerto performed from memory
- Two octave major and minor scales and arpeggios from memory
- Two orchestral excerpts of your choice
*Please note that Double Bass auditions are held in the Pittsburgh venue only
Guitar
Entering freshmen guitarists should be familiar with basic right-hand technique and should be able to read music on the guitar up to the seventh position. All applicants to the guitar studio are expected to prepare and meet the following performance requirements for auditions:
- Scales: any major or minor scale as requested;
- Chords: any major, minor, or dominant seventh chord as requested;
- Prepare one work from each of the following periods
- Renaissance or Baroque (e.g. Dowland, Milan, Bach)
- Classical or Romantic (e.g. Sor, Giuliani, Tarrega)
- 20th century (e.g. Villa-Lobos, Brouwer, Dyens)
Harp
All applicants to the harp studio are expected to prepare and to meet the following performance requirements for auditions:
- Etude No. 1, from “Cinquante Etudes,” Op. 34, Book 1, by Bochsa
- Two contrasting works: one Classical and one by a 20th –Century composer, such as an etude from “Bach-Grandjany Etudes for Harp” and “Natra Sonatine”
- Two orchestral excerpts, including the harp cadenza from “Waltz of the Flowers” by Tchaikovsky
Viola
All applicants to the viola studio are expected to prepare and to meet the following performance requirements for auditions:
- Major and minor scales and arpeggios in three octaves with various bowings.
- One etude by Campagnoli, Lillian Fuchs, Rode, Palaschko, Dont, etc.
- Two contrasting movements from any Bach solo suite (originally for cello) or sonata or partita (originally for violin).
- A sonata movement or short work.
- A representative substantial portion of a concerto. Examples include (but are not limited to):
- A slow-fast pair of movements of the Telemann.
- First movement with cadenza of the Stamitz D Major, Hoffmeister D Major, Rolla E-flat Major or Vanhal C Major.
- First or second movement of Walton.
- First or second and third movements of Bartok.
- Any movement of Hindemith Der Schwanendreher.
- A substantial fast movement of any 20th or 21st-century concerto.
A high quality DVD is the only acceptable medium for those auditioning by recording for the viola studio
Violin
All applicants to the violin studio are expected to prepare and to meet the following performance requirements for auditions:
- Scales: One major and one minor scale and arpeggios, in three octaves, as requested
- One etude from Kreutzer, Fiorillo, Rode, Dont, or Gavinies, or a caprice by Wieniawski or Paganini (played by memory)
- An allegro movement of a non-Baroque concerto (played by memory)
- One movement of a Bach solo sonata or partita (played by memory)