Honors and Rising Stars Audition Guidelines
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 9, 2025
YouTube video submission is due with application.
Honors
- Preliminary round: submit an unedited YouTube video recording of up to10 minutes of your performance (two contrasting pieces) in the last 6 months. Accompaniment is not required.
- Live audition final round: applicants invited to the live audition round will perform two contrasting pieces, an ensemble excerpt and a sight reading excerpt. Accompaniment is not required. The ensemble excerpt will be from standard chamber music repertoire and will be posted online four weeks prior to the audition. There will be a family interview immediately after the live audition.
- Current Honors students will take part only in the live audition round but must submit their application by the deadline.
Rising Stars
- Preliminary round: submit an unedited YouTube video recording of up to 7 minutes of your performance (two contrasting pieces) in the last 6 months. Accompaniment is not required.
- Live audition final round: applicants invited to the live audition round will perform two contrasting pieces and a short sight reading excerpt. Accompaniment is not required.
- Current Rising Stars students will take part only in the live audition round but must submit their application by the deadline.
YouTube Video Guidelines
- Video must be made in the last 6 months.
- Each piece must be recorded in one take, but may be recorded at separate times and stitched into one link.
- Please list the names of the pieces, with movements if applicable, and composers in the description or your video.
- Memorization is not required but is highly recommended.
- Pianists must record on an acoustic piano.
- Please dress appropriately and make sure the video shows your face and hands. Videos shot far away will be disqualified.
- Video and audio editing are prohibited (examples: no straight cuts, dissolves, cross dissolving, fading in and out in the middle of the piece). Videos with signs of editing will be disqualified.
- Recordings made with a professional camcorder and microphones are highly recommended. The use of iPhones or similar quality devices that reproduce good quality sound are also acceptable. It is very important that the audio quality is as high as possible in your recording.
- Recital recordings are acceptable as long as they meet the criteria mentioned above.
- If the video link does not work by the deadline, the video will be disqualified.
How to Upload your video to YouTube:
STEP 1: Upload Video to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/upload VERY IMPORTANT- please change privacy setting from ‘PUBLIC’ to ‘UNLISTED’. This way, only people with the specific video URL can watch the video.
STEP 2: Paste the YouTube link to your audition in the application.
Honors Chamber Excerpts
In addition to your 2 solos and sight reading, each student auditioning for the Honors Program is asked to prepare an excerpt from the Chamber repertoire. Please prepare the bracketed area and pay special attention to the tempo and metronome markings (when provided):
Honors Flute Excerpt
Danzi- Trio for Flute, Oboe and Bassoon, Op. 56 # 3
IV. Allegretto (suggested metronome quarter note equals 126)
Honors Oboe Excerpt
Danzi- Trio for Flute, Oboe and Bassoon, Op. 56 #3
Andante (suggested metronome quarter note equals 60)
Honors Bassoon Excerpt
Danzi- Trio for Flute, Oboe and Bassoon, Op. 56 #3
Allegro (suggested metronome half note equals 84)
Honors Clarinet Excerpt
Gade- Four Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 43
Allegro vivace
Honors Percussion Excerpt
S. Bach- Gigue (suggested metronome dotted quarter equals 60)
Honors Violin Excerpt
Faure- Piano Quartet, Op. 15
Allegro molto moderato
Honors Viola Excerpt
Faure- Piano Quartet, Op. 15
Allegro molto moderato
Honors Cello Excerpt
Faure- Piano Quartet, Op. 15
Allegro molto moderato
Honors Guitar Excerpt
Sor- Guitar Duo, Op. 55 # 1
Andante
Honors Piano Excerpt
Dvorak- Piano Quartet # 1, Op. 23
Allegro moderato (edition suggested metronome is quarter note equals 120)