The undergraduate concentrations in Composition, Music History, and Music Theory require supporting materials instead of, or in addition to, an audition.
All students interested in majoring in music must submit a Music Application.
- Prospects applying for the BM in Composition must pass an audition (any instrument or voice) to be admitted to the program.
- Composition applicants must additionally submit a portfolio of original work in the Western classical tradition, consisting of the following:
- A work for solo piano
- A large ensemble piece (10 or more players)
- One work of the applicant's choosing
- Scores must be emailed as PDF documents to @email after submitting the Music Application by:
- January 15, 2025 for prospective freshman for Fall 2025
- April 7, 2025 for current students applying for Fall 2025 entry
- November 12, 2024 for current students applying for Spring 2025 entry
- Applicants whose portfolios pass initial review will be invited to a live interview with the composition faculty on or near the date of the audition (or scheduled via Zoom if the applicant chose the Remote Audition option). The result of the total application – including the audition and interview – will be released in the same letter.
- An audition is not required for entry to the BA in Music History.
- Prepare a brief personal statement (approx. 500 words) that describes previous musical experiences and explains the student's interest in Music History.
- Students must submit an academic writing sample of 7 pages or more, preferably on a musical subject.
- Students must submit the writing samples in one of the following ways:
- Submit a cloud-based link in the Music Application to where your writing samples can be viewed. Please be sure to set your file permissions to public so that the faculty can access them.
- Email PDFs of both samples to Dr. Marianna Ritchey at @email and CC @email after submitting the Music Application.
- An audition is not required for entry to the BA in Music Theory.
- Prepare a brief personal statement (approx. 500 words) that describes previous musical experiences and explains the student's interest in Music Theory.
- Students must submit the personal statement in one of the following ways:
- Submit a cloud-based link in the Music Application to where your personal statement can be viewed. Please be sure to set your file permissions to public so that the faculty can access them.
- Email a PDF of the statement to Dr. Brent Auerbach at @email and CC @email after submitting the Music Application.
Questions? Please contact Music Admissions Director Nate Gowen at @email or by phone at 413-545-6048.