Audition - Conservatory of Performing Arts

Music education, music composition, instrumental performance, voice performance, music theory, Bachelor of Arts in music.

Classical vocalists and instrumentalists have the option of submitting a recorded audition.

Instrumental & Classical Voice Auditions: Zoom

Instrumental & Classical Voice Auditions: On-Campus

Instrumental & Classical Voice Auditions: Recorded

Accepted throughout the audition season for a December 11 or March 5 decision.

Recorded Audition

Classical vocalists and instrumentalists, including piano and organ, may instead submit a recorded audition to the Conservatory of Performing Arts by selecting the recorded audition option on the application.

Recorded audition materials may be uploaded into the applicant portal, after submitting the audition fee by clicking "Edit Portfolio." The recorded audition will be reviewed after the application, uploaded audition, and supporting materials have been received.

Music theatre applicants will only be asked to sing live on their audition date, regardless of the format or location of the audition.

By your audition date, you are expected to upload a one-minute monologue, a one-minute wild card video, a one-minute dance combo video, and a 60-second video of the applicant singing any song that they would like, for faculty review. These are part of the final audition process and are not a prescreen. In addition, you should upload a headshot and resume.

Music Theatre Auditions: Zoom

Music Theatre Auditions: On-Campus

Music Theatre Organization Specific Auditions

Applicant's membership in a specific organization will be checked prior to confirmation except for the Chicago Unified Auditions which are open to all.

Please submit your audition fee using your applicant portal after submitting your application. Instructions for logging into your applicant portal are emailed once your application is received.

The audition fee for all auditions is $125 and is non-refundable. Students who wish to audition for more than one Conservatory program are only charged a flat rate of $125.

You will receive an email confirmation of your payment. Audition confirmations will also be emailed when finalized.

If paying the audition fee is a financial hurdle, you are invited to contact perform@bw.edu to request an audition fee waiver. The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Performing Arts is dedicated to ensuring that all prospective students, regardless of financial standing, can secure an audition opportunity if spots are currently available.

Soon after payment of the audition fee or approval of the fee waiver, you will have access to the audition calendar within the applicant portal to select a date to conduct your audition.

Whether you audition on campus, Zoom, or a recorded video, we will offer all applicants the opportunity to attend an information session before their audition.

In addition, masterclasses, sample lessons and Q&A sessions with faculty and current students may be offered throughout the audition season. We invite you to take advantage of as many of the sessions as possible to enrich your understanding of the BW Conservatory of Performing Arts culture.

For those auditioning over Zoom, off campus, or recorded video, we invite you and your family to schedule a personal campus tour and information session. We look forward to seeing you on campus, off campus, or online this audition season!

Violin

• A movement from a standard concerto.
• A movement from an unaccompanied work, such as J. S. Bach’s sonatas and partitas for solo violin.
• A piece or movement of your choice.
• Please reach out to Steve Koh (skoh@bw.edu) with questions.

Viola

• A movement from a concerto or other work for viola and orchestra.
• A movement from an unaccompanied suite by J. S. Bach (originally for cello).
• A piece or movement of your choice.
• You should also be prepared to play a major and minor 3-octave scale of your choice, slurred and spiccato.
• You are also required to submit a letter of recommendation from your private viola teacher.
• Please reach out to Lembi Veskimets (kveskime@bw.edu) with questions.

Cello

• Movements from any repertoire, including sonatas, concertos, Bach Suites, or etudes/caprices.
• You are encouraged to select one work from an underrepresented composer.
• An evaluation from a private teacher is encouraged.
• Please reach out to Khari Joyner (kjoyner@bw.edu) with questions.

Double Bass

• Two contrasting movements from the standard repertoire, such as baroque sonatas by Eccles, Marcello, Scarlatti, and Vivaldi, and concertos by Dragonetti, Dittersdorf, and Koussevitsky.
• One technical etude.
• You should also be prepared to play one 3-octave major/melodic minor scale and arpeggio, slurred and detaché.
• Please reach out to Charles Carleton (ccarleto@bw.edu) with questions.

Harp

• Solo pieces or movements of your choice.
• Excerpts from the standard orchestral repertoire.
• Please reach out to Doug Droste (ddroste@bw.edu) with questions.

Guitar

• Pieces or excerpts in any style (e.g. classical, rock, jazz).
• Backing tracks are welcome.
• Sound equipment can be provided on request.
• Please reach out to Bryan Reichert (breicher@bw.edu) with questions or to schedule a sample lesson.

Flute

• One movement of a classical concerto or baroque sonata, such as Mozart Concerto in D major or G major or Bach Sonatas in E major or E minor.
• One piece from Flute Music by French Composers (Schirmer).
• A piece or movement of your choice.
• You should also be prepared to play all major, harmonic, and melodic minor scales; minimum two-octave range.
• Please reach out to Kaleb Chesnic (kchesnic@bw.edu) with questions.

Oboe

• One movement from a baroque sonata or concerto
• One movement from Saint-Saëns, Hindemith, or Poulenc sonatas, or concertos by Mozart, Strauss, Vaughan-Williams, etc.
• One etude by Barrett or Ferling.
• You should also be prepared to play all major scales and arpeggios, as well as a full range chromatic scale from low Bb to high D.
• Applicants are encouraged to consult with Johanna Pennington (jopennin@bw.edu) if they have any questions.

Clarinet

• Movements or works such as sonatas by Hindemith, Saint-Saens, Brahms, and Bernstein, concertos by Mozart, Weber, and Debussy, and etudes by Rose and Cavallini.
• Please reach out to Justin Wisner (jwisner@bw.edu) and/or Amy Zoloto (azoloto@bw.edu) with questions.

Saxophone

• Two contrasting etudes by Ferling, Voxman or Mule.
• A piece or movement of your choice
• You should also come prepared to discuss in detail your current musical activities and goals for the future.
• Please reach out to Nathan Salazar (nsalazar@bw.edu) with questions.

Bassoon

• Two contrasting movements of a standard concerto or sonata, such as the Mozart Concerto, Weber Concerto, Hummel Concerto, Saint-Saens Sonata, Hindemith Sonata, Telemann Sonata, and Fasch Sonata.
• One etude of your choice.
• You should also be prepared to play major and minor scales through 5 flats and 5 sharps.
• Please reach out to Tom English (tenglish@bw.edu) with questions.

Trumpet

• Two contrasting movements from the standard sonata or concerto repertoire.
• Two contrasting etudes by composers such as Arban, Boehme, Brandt, Clarke, Charlier, Ost, Voxman, Wurm, or similar
• Three standard excerpts from the orchestral repertoire.
• You may be asked to sight read and/or play major scales.
• Please reach out to Ken Heinlein (kheinlei@bw.edu) with questions.

Horn

• Two contrasting etudes by Kopprasch, Gallay, or Maxine-Alphonse.
• Solo of your choice.
• A selection of contrasting horn excerpts from the standard orchestral repertoire
• You should also be prepared to play all major and minor scales and arpeggios, two octaves.
• Please reach out to Ken Heinlein (kheinlei@bw.edu) with questions.

Trombone

• Etudes by composers such as Kopprasch, Blazhevich, and Rochut.
• Solos by composers such as David, Hindemith, Guilmant and Marcello.
• Orchestral excerpts.
• You may be asked to sight read.
• Please reach out to Ken Heinlein (kheinlei@bw.edu) with questions.

Euphonium

• Two contrasting etudes by Bordogni/Rochut, Arban, or Kopprasch.
• Solo of your choice from the standard repertoire.
• You should also be prepared to play all major scales.
• Please reach out to Ken Heinlein (kheinlei@bw.edu) with questions or to schedule a sample lesson.

Tuba

• Two contrasting etudes; one taken from Bordogni/Rochut and one from Kopprasch
• Solo of choice from the standard repertoire, such as Hindemith, Vaughn Williams, Gregson, and Lebedev.
• You should also be prepared to play all major scales.
• Please reach out to Ken Heinlein (kheinlei@bw.edu)with questions or to schedule a sample lesson.

Performance on mallet percussion and snare drum is required, along with the applicant's choice of timpani or drum set. Please reach out to Josh Ryan (jryan@bw.edu)with questions or to schedule a sample lesson.

Snare Drum

• A concert piece, such as one of Cirone's Portraits in Rhythm.
• A rudimentary solo, such as one from Wilcoxon's The All-American Drummer.
• You should also be prepared to sight read.

Mallets

• A marimba, xylophone, or vibraphone solo or etude by composers such as Musser, Peters, Smadbeck, Zeltsman.
• You are invited to perform a 2 and a 4-mallet solo if you wish.
• You should also be prepared to sight read and play two major scales.

Timpani

• An etude from the Goodman, Hinger, Hochrainer, Carroll or Delecluse methods.
• You may be asked to tune by intervals.

Drum Set

• Demonstration of different styles and/or transcriptions.
• A written solo is not necessary.

Piano

• All pieces must be memorized.
• You should be prepared to sight read and play all four-octave major and minor scales and arpeggios.
• BM in Performance:
  • One Prelude and Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach.
  • One first movement of a Sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven (excluding Mozart Sonata, K. 545, Beethoven Sonatas, Op. 49, Nos. 1 and 2; and “Moonlight” Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2).
  • One contrasting work from the 19th, 20th, or 21st century.
• BME in Music Education and BM in Music Theory:
  • One Two-Part or Three-Part Invention, or a Prelude and Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach.
  • One first movement of a Sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven (excluding Mozart Sonata, K. 545, Beethoven Sonatas, Op. 49, Nos. 1 and 2; and “Moonlight” Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2).
  • One contrasting work from the 19th, 20th, or 21st century.
• BM Music Composition and BA in Music (only two works required):
  • One work from the Baroque era.
  • One contrasting work from the 18th, 19th, 20th, or 21st century.
• Please reach out to Sungeun Kim (skim@bw.edu) with questions.

Organ

• One choral prelude, free work (prelude/fantasia and fugue, etc.), or other composition by Bach or other composers of the Baroque era such as Buxtehude, Böhm, or Lübeck
• One work of the Romantic or Late Romantic era by composers such as Mendelssohn, Franck, Langlais, or Reger
• One work of the 20th or 21st Century by composers such as Hindemith, Sowerby, or Albright. Selections should include a balance of lyricism, expression, and virtuosity
• You are not required to memorize your materials, but it is strongly encouraged.
• Please reach out to Sungeun Kim (skim@bw.edu) with questions.

An accompanist or backing track/recorded accompaniment is expected for all voice auditions. An accompanist will be provided for all in-person voice auditions. 

Vocal performance applicants should prepare three memorized selections:

• Songs and arias of the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Art songs from the 19th century to the present.
• Operatic and oratorio literature may be presented when suitable for the singer.

At least one of the three pieces should be from the classical repertoire listed above and in a foreign language (Italian, German, or French). The two remaining pieces may be from any of the repertoire listed above.

Music education applicants should prepare three memorized selections:

• Songs and arias of the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Art songs from the 19th century to the present.
• Musical theatre cannon
• Popular music selection.
• Operatic and oratorio literature may be presented when suitable for the singer.

At least one of the three pieces should be from the classical repertoire listed above and in a foreign language (Italian, German, or French). The two remaining pieces may be from any of the repertoire listed above.

Examples:

• You may prepare three contrasting classical pieces.
• You may prepare one classical song and two musical theatre songs.
• You may prepare two classical songs and a pop song.

All other voice applicants (non-music theatre) should prepare three memorized selections:

• English or foreign-language art songs from the 19th century to the present.
• Musical theatre canon.
• Popular music selection.
• Operatic and oratorio literature may be presented when suitable for the singer.

At least one of the three pieces should be from the classical repertoire listed above. The two remaining pieces may be from any of the repertoire listed above.

Examples:

• You may prepare three contrasting classical pieces.
• You may prepare one classical song and two musical theatre songs.
• You may prepare two classical songs and a pop song.

Music Theatre Audition: Your audition will include a voice audition, with acting, dance, wild card, and voice videos submitted via your applicant portal by your audition date.

• Voice: For your live audition, have three 1-minute cuts ready to go (there is no genre requirement - sing what you love). We will provide an accompanist for live auditions on campus; live auditions off campus or Zoom may require you to provide your own recorded accompaniment. We will choose two of your selections during your live or Zoom audition. In addition, in your applicant portal, please upload an approximately 60-90-second voice video of your choice for studio placement purposes. (Anything you'd like!)
• Acting: Upload an age-appropriate monologue that you connect with, from any genre.
• Dance: Two weeks before your scheduled audition date, we will send you a BW-specific dance combo to learn and record. Upload the video of you performing that dance combo by the morning of your audition date. If you are unable to record and upload the BW-specific dance video by your audition date, please reach out to perform@bw.edu to discuss options.
• Wild Card: Upload a video, approximately 60 to 90 seconds long, of anything that shows your personality: a special skill, a passion speech, etc.
• Headshot and Resume: Must be uploaded to your portal by your audition date.

While BW does not prescreen, you are welcome to repurpose videos you have already recorded to meet the video requirements listed above.

Prospective music education, music theory, and composition majors will have a brief interview with one or more members of the faculty to assess the applicant's suitability for the desired major. Students who submit a recorded audition are responsible for contacting the Conservatory admission office to arrange the required interview.

It is recommended that candidates for the music education major submit at least one recommendation from an instructor in their school setting. This could be a band director, orchestra director, choir director, or an academic teacher.

Prospective Bachelor of Music in composition majors must submit two to four original compositions for review. Recordings are strongly recommended (live or MIDI versions). The preferred option for submission is uploading them into the applicant portal by clicking "Edit Portfolio." Scores should be uploaded as PDF files, and recordings should be uploaded as MP3 files. The second option is to upload files through our composition submission system.

Candidates for the music theory major should describe their interest in pursuing a theory major in the music essay. In addition, candidates should submit a writing sample that demonstrates research ability.

Prospective acting BFA students will be welcomed on campus for an event where families are encouraged to attend. After this, prospective students may participate in a voice, movement, or acting workshop and audition with their fellow auditionees for the acting faculty. The rest of the day can be spent touring the campus, enjoying lunch in our cafeteria, and attending an on-campus performance.

Prospective acting BFA students will be invited to participate in a virtual information session prior to their audition experience on Zoom. Auditionees have approximately 10 minutes with the panel of acting faculty to audition and interview. Upon the conclusion of the audition experience, auditionees will have an opportunity to interact with current acting BFA students as well as engage in a Q&A session.

Please submit your $125 audition fee using your applicant portal after submitting your application. Instructions for logging into your applicant portal are emailed once your application is received. Auditions are scheduled after the audition fee is received.

Students who wish to audition for both a music program, such as BM in music theatre, and the acting BFA program are offered a flat rate of $125. Audition fee waivers are considered upon request by emailing mmiller@bw.edu.