Violin Auditions
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Updated on 9/23/2024
Audition Instructions for BYU School of Music - Violin Applicants
Your audition will consist of two rounds:
First Round - Video Submission (Due December 1, 2024)
Submit a video by December 1, 2024, containing the following audition pieces:
- Required scales (A & E major and minor) in 16th notes with spiccato bow stroke at 104 bpm.
- One movement from a Bach Sonata or Partita.
- A slow movement from a sonata, concerto, or short lyrical piece (e.g., Vocalise or Beau Soir).
- A fast movement from a violin concerto (Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, etc.).
- Two orchestral excerpts: Mahler Symphony No. 1 (4th movement) and Mozart Symphony No. 39 (4th movement). Click here for the pdf file.
Video Guidelines:
- Start by introducing yourself: name, email, and intended major (Violin Performance, Music Education, Composition, Commercial Music, or Bachelor of Arts).
- Record in landscape view, from the waist up, with the top of your head near the frame's top. Stand 10–15 feet from your camera for optimal sound quality.
- You may record different pieces at different times but compile them into one video.
- Ensure the video is public or viewable by anyone with the link on YouTube.
- Memorization is encouraged but not required for the first round.
- Accompaniment is not required but allowed for this pre-screening.
- Once ready, upload the video to YouTube and email the link to Music Admissions. Ensure the link is viewable publicly or with the link, or your submission won’t be reviewed. Finalists will be notified early January.
Final Round - Live Audition (January 25, 2025)
If selected, you will perform live for the violin faculty, lasting approximately 10-15 minutes. Prepare the following:
- A movement from a Bach Sonata or Partita.
- A fast movement from a violin concerto.
- One orchestral excerpt (Brahms Symphony No. 4, 3rd movement, measures 246-end). Click here for the Brahms pdf file.
Important Notes:
- Memorization is encouraged for both the first round and required for the final live audition.
- Accompaniment is encouraged for the first round but mandatory for the live audition.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
All applicants must first apply to Brigham Young University and be accepted before being accepted into the School of Music. Notifications of university admission will be sent in February or early March, followed by School of Music admission decisions and scholarship notifications.
If you have any questions about the audition process, feel free to reach out to one of our violin faculty: Monte Belknap, Alexander Woods, or Dr. LeeAnn Morgan.
Thank you for your interest in being part of our program. It is an honor to be here at the Brigham Young University, School of Music. Here are some links that might interest you.
