Conservatory Admission

Emphasis Requirements and Professors

• Voice

  General Vocal Audition Requirements and Information:

  • All materials must be memorized.
  • Sight-reading and tonal memory will be included in the audition process.
  • An accompanist will be provided.
  • Pop songs and contemporary religious songs are not appropriate for entrance auditions.

  Major Specific Vocal Audition Requirements:

  • Bachelor of Music - Vocal Performance: Two selections in contrasting styles, including a foreign language selection. Applicants who have an interest in opera may perform an appropriate aria from that repertoire.
    
  • Bachelor of Music - Vocal Performance with emphasis in Musical Theater and Opera: Two selections in contrasting style including traditional music (aria, art song) and one selection from the American Musical Theater repertoire. In addition, a one-minute memorized spoken monologue from a play or musical production. 
    
  • Bachelor of Music - Music Education, Music Industry, Music Technology, Composition or Bachelor of Arts in Music: Two selections in contrasting styles, at least one of which is chosen from traditional repertoire. A foreign language selection may be used.

  Voice Chad Payton (area head), Jacqueline Barlow-Ware, Brian Banion, Dione Bennett, Josh Borths, Elise Des Champs, Scott Ewing, Lynda Hasseler (Director of Choral Activities) , Kerrie Obert, Sara Pardo, Lynn Roseberry and Sharon Stohrer

   

• Violoncello

  One solo or movement from a large work such as a sonata or concerto. One etude from any standard technique book. Major and minor scales through four sharps and four flats. Sight-reading.

  Cello Joseph Mueller

• Violin

  One solo or movement from a large work such as a sonata or concerto. One etude from any standard technique book. Major and minor scales through four sharps and four flats. Sight-reading.

  Violin Erin Gilliland

• Viola

  One solo or movement from a large work such as a sonata or concerto. One etude from any standard technique book. Major and minor scales through four sharps and four flats. Sight-reading.

  Viola Kenichiro Matsuda
  

• Tuba

  All major and chromatic scales one octave. Two contrasting studies from one of the following or the equivalent: Blazhevich, Grigoriev, Vasiliev, Bordogni, Rochut. A solo piece from the following or the equivalent: Bach/Bell, Air and Bourree; Beversdorf, Sonata for Tuba; Capuzzi/Catilinet, Andante and Rondo; Catozzi, Beelzebub; Nelhybel, Suite. Sight-reading.

  Tuba Tony Zilincik
  
• Trumpet

  Major and chromatic scales, minor scales optional. Two contrasting etudes from: Brandt, Concone, Goldman, Small, Vannettelbosch, Voxman or a comparable etude of applicant’s choice. One solo selection from a concerto or sonata by Arutiunian, Haydn, Hindemith, Hummel, Kennan, Stevens or a comparable solo of the applicant’s choice. Jazz trumpet players may present two contrasting selections (such as medium swing, ballad, straight-eighth, be-bop, etc.) with improvisation, in place of or in addition to the above materials. A play-along CD is recommended for jazz auditions. All brass players will be asked to sight-read as part of the audition.

  Trumpet Rob Parton 

• Trombone

  All major and chromatic scales. One etude from Rochut, Melodious Etudes, Book 1; or Tyrell, Blume, Kopprasch or equivalent and a contrasting solo composition equivalent to Barat, Andante and Allegro; Guilmant, Morceau Symphonique; Rimsky-Korsakov, Concerto. Jazz trombone players may present two contrasting selections (such as medium swing, ballad, straight-eighth, be-bop, etc.) with improvisation, in place of or in addition to the above materials. A play-along CD is recommended for jazz auditions. All brass players will be asked to sight-read as part of the audition.

  Trombone and Euphonium Dr. Thomas Zugger

  Jazz Trombone Professor Ryan Hamilton

  
  
• Saxophone

  Major and chromatic scales, two octaves or full range. Minor scales optional. An OMEA Class A or comparable contest-level solo such as the Maurice Tableaux de Provence, Heiden Solo or Sonata, Creston Sonata, Sonatas by Bach or Handel, Ibert Concertino da camera, etc. Jazz saxophonists may present two contrasting selections (such as medium swing, ballad, straight-eighth, be-bop, etc.) with improvisation, in place of or in addition to the above materials. A play-along CD is recommended for jazz auditions. All wind players will be asked to sight-read as part of the audition.

  Saxophone Dr. Michael Cox
  
• Piano

  All major and harmonic minor scales and arpeggios in four octaves. Repertoire from three contrasting styles or periods (Baroque, Classical - one movement from a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven, Romantic or Contemporary). All pieces must be memorized. Sight-reading.

  Piano Tianshu Wang (area head), Seymour Fink and Orlay Alonso

• Percussion

  Applicant should demonstrate ability in a minimum of three of the following five areas: snare drum: solo or etude; mallet percussion: solo or etude using two, three or four mallets; timpani: contest solo, orchestral excerpts, or etude of moderate difficulty; drum set: demonstrate basic style concepts of drum set drumming and may prepare a short solo to demonstrate improvisational skills; multiple percussion: solo or etude of moderate difficulty. Student also should be prepared to sight-read and play rudiments and scales. Students should supply sticks, mallets and literature. Demonstrate improvisational skills if appropriate.

  Percussion Robert Breithaupt (area head), Eric Paton, Ryan Kilgore and Nathan Anders

• Organ

  A minimum of two selections (three preferred) of contrasting styles or periods. One from the following or the equivalent: Prelude in G Minor, Prelude in F Major from J.S. Bach Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. Sight-read one hymn. Applicants who have not previously studied organ should play a Bach two-part invention or a comparable piece on the piano.

  Organ Kevin Jones

• Oboe

  Major and minor scales in two octaves. A study from one of the following or equivalent: Barret, Melodious Studies; Ferling, 48 Famous Studies; Sellner, Progressive Studies. A solo piece from the following or the equivalent: Handel, Sonata No. 1 or Concerto No. 2 in B-fl at; Emil Paladilhe, Solo De Concert; Haydn, Concerto in C. Sight-reading.

  Oboe Melissa Stevens 

• Jazz Piano Contemporary Keyboard

  Major and minor scales, hands together in four octaves. Ability to play a prepared melody and accompaniment for two contrasting selections in the popular/jazz idiom. Realization of popular/jazz chord progressions at sight. Any prepared classical literature. Demonstrate improvisational skills.

  Jazz Piano/Contemporary Keyboard Erik Augis

• Jazz Contemporary Bass

  Minimum one-octave major scales – all keys. Chromatic scale, minimum two octaves, starting with low F. Walking bass pattern over a 12-bar blues progression in B-fl at or F. Two selections must be chosen from the following: "Misty,” “Autumn Leaves,” “A-Train,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “Satin Doll” or “Gone With The Wind.” Preparation of the two selections should be as follows: melody, bass line, solo (improvisation) optional. The two selections must be performed in contrasting styles (i.e. walking 4/4 swing style vs. bossa or ballad). The student also must prepare one selection of his or her choice. Sight-reading.

  Jazz Contemporary Bass Roger Hines 

• Horn

  All major and chromatic scales, one octave. Major arpeggios, legato and articulated. Two contrasting etudes from Kopprasch, Alphonse, Gallay or a comparable etude of the student’s choice. One solo movement from a concerto or sonata by Mozart, Franz Strauss, Richard Strauss, Hindemith or Heiden or a solo of comparable difficulty. Sight-reading.

  Horn Kimberly McCann 

• Harp
  Major and minor scales in all keys. Two contrasting solos and two orchestral excerpts preferable, including one cadenza, e.g. “Nutcracker,” “Swan Lake” or Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” Sight-reading.
• Flute

  Two-octave major scales and arpeggios, all keys; three-octaves for C and chromatic. Two contrasting solos from different style periods. Possible solos from various periods are Bach, Handel or Telemann sonatas or suites (Baroque); Mozart, Quantz or Stamitz concerti (classical); Chaminade Concertino, Faure Fantasie, Poulenc Sonata, Doppler Fantasie (Romantic); the Debussy Syrinx, Hindemith Sonata, works by Muczynski or Hoover (contemporary). Sight-reading. Optional: Minor scales [natural, melodic, and/or harmonic] and arpeggios.

  Flute Dr. Lisa A. Jelle 

• Euphonium

  All major and chromatic scales, one octave. One etude from Rochut, Melodious Etudes or Tyrell 40 Progressive Etudes or equivalent, and a solo piece equivalent to or from the following: Blazhevich, Concert Piece No. 5; Barat, Andante and Allegro; Guilmant, Morceau Symphonique. Sight-reading.

  Euphonium and Trombone Dr. Thomas Zugger

• Double Bass

  One solo or movement from a large work such as a sonata or concerto. One etude from any standard technique book. Major and minor scales through four sharps and four flats. Sight-reading.

  Double Bass Nick Barnaby

• Composition

  Composition applicants must submit a portfolio of representative original compositions, with the expectation of three to four works of contrasting style. Composition majors should submit both their composition portfolio to Summer Slusher, the Coordinator of Conservatory recruitment at sslusher@capital.edu, prior to the audition date, and an audition application for their primary instrument. The portfolio should include notated scores of all acoustic compositions (in PDF format) and recorded representations (live performances or computer realizations) of all pieces. In addition to the composition audition/interview, you will be scheduled to audition on your primary instrument.

   

• Classical Jazz Contemporary Guitar

  Major scales, one or two octaves using at least two fingerings. Two solo pieces any style. Sight-reading melodies. Demonstrate improvisational skills and chord progressions if jazz/contemporary guitar major.

  Guitar Stan Smith

• Clarinet

  Major and chromatic scales in two octaves. One etude from any of the following studies: Melodious and Progressive Studies Book I or II; Rose 32 Etudes; Rose 40 Etudes. A solo piece comparable to the following: Mozart, Concerto K. 622 (movements 1 or 3); von Weber, Concertino; Cavallini, Adagio and Tarantella; Poulenc, Sonata (movements 1 or 3). Sight-reading.

  Clarinet Dr. Gail L. Zugger

• Bassoon

  Major scales in all keys, at least 2 octaves. Chromatic scale demonstrating applicant's complete range (preferably at least 3 octaves). Two contrasting solos; possible choices include movements from Mozart, Weber or Vivaldi bassoon concertos or Telemann Sonata in f minor; one of the solos may be an etude from Weissenborn, Milde, Gambaro or equivalent. Sight-reading.

  Bassoon Betsy Sturdevant