Graduate Audition Requirements- Percussion
Professor Ayano Kataoka, ayano@music.umass.edu
The audition for the graduate percussion program at UMass Amherst consists of a pre-screening and a live audition round.
Pre-screening procedure:
Deadline: The priority deadline for all graduate percussion audition materials, including pre-screening video, repertoire list, and Music Application, is December 15th, 2022.
1. Applicants must prepare a video performance of the following pieces:
- 1 substantial piece for keyboard percussion
- An orchestral excerpt AND an advanced solo/etude for timpani
- An orchestral excerpt AND an advanced solo/etude for snare drum
- A multiple percussion solo or chamber music that preferably consists of multiple percussion setup in your performance that demonstrates your advanced technical and musical level.
2. Applicants must submit a Music Application and include the video link when prompted.
3. When filling out the Music Application, applicants will select an audition date. Should an applicant pass the pre-screening round, they will be invited to the live round on the selected date.
- Students unable to attend a live audition date may request a remote audition. Please email musicadmissions@umass.edu before submitting a Music Application to request approval for a remote audition.
4. Additionally, applicants must create a list of repertoire that they have learned/performed in the past, including:
- solos (mallets/multi-percussion/snare drum/timpani)
- percussion ensembles (duo, trio, and more)
- mixed chamber ensembles (if any)
- orchestra (if applicable, please identify the percussion part that you performed. e.g. timpani, snare drum, xylophone, etc.)
5. Once the repertoire list is complete, please attach it as a PDF to an email addressed to musicadmissions@umass.edu.
Live Audition procedure:
Applicants invited to a live audition will be notified in early January 2023 (no later than January 15). Live round applicants must be prepared for the following:
- Prepare and present all Graduate Percussion Audition Requirements listed below
- Sight-read on percussion instruments of all types
- Interview with the percussion faculty of UMass Amherst
Applicants who opt to perform a remote audition will have similar procedures as a live audition, conducted live-stream via Zoom.
Graduate Percussion Audition Requirements
Mallets:
- Two significant solo works for marimba or vibraphone (at least one must be 4-mallets)
- Two xylophone orchestral excerpts
Snare Drum:
- One concert solo or etude demonstrating your advanced technical and musical level, AND
- Two orchestral excerpts (one required and one selected)
- Required: Rimsky-Korsakov : Scheherazade (3rd and 4th movements)
- Selected: Choose one from the following four excerpts:
- Nielsen: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra
- Prokofiev: Lt. Kije Suite (1st Mvt., 1 to 2 & 13 to end)
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol (4th Mvt., beg. to M)
- W. Schuman: Symphony No. 3 (Toccata)
Timpani:
- One solo or etude demonstrating your advanced technical and musical level
- Three orchestral excerpts in contrasting styles (two required excerpts plus one selected excerpt)
Required (two excerpts):
1. Mozart: Symphony No. 39 (1st Mvt., beg. to A, 1 bar after K to fine)
2. Beethoven - all of "i" or "ii" below:
i. Symphony No. 7
- 1st Mvt., 20 bef. C to 2 aft. C
- 4th Mvt., 7 bef. K to end
ii. Symphony No. 9
- 1st Mvt., beg. to A & 18 bef. S to end (m 513 to fine)
- 2nd Mvt., F to downbeat of H
- 4th Mvt., M to fine (m 594), m 849 to fine (m 940)
Selected (one excerpt)
3. One excerpt of your choice from Romantic-era or later (e.g. Bartok, Brahms, Hindemith, Mahler, Sibelius, Strauss, Tchaikovsky)
If you have concerns of your repertoire choice or difficulties of accessing instruments, please contact Professor Kataoka (ayano@music.umass.edu) for consultation and assistance.
