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School of Music

Audition Requirements

Flute | Oboe | Clarinet | Bassoon | Classical Saxophone | Trumpet | Horn | Trombone | Tuba | Euphonium

All applicants should be prepared to perform the following:

  • Two contrasting pieces/movements/etudes from standard repertoire, performed unaccompanied
  • All major scales and chromatic scale covering the practical range of the instrument
  • Optional: a piece on a secondary instrument or a jazz/standard song

Questions? Contact Dr. Serena Weren

All applicants should be prepared to perform all of the following:

  • Standard drum rudiments in open-closed-open style
  • Snare drum rudimentary-style solo or etude
  • Keyboard percussion solo or etude using 2- and/or 4-mallet technique 
  • Timpani solo or etude
  • Optional: demonstration of basic jazz styles (swing, bossa, funk, etc.) on drum set or a piece on a secondary instrument

Questions? Contact Dr. Serena Weren

Violin | Viola | Cello | String Bass

  • Applicants should prepare two pieces in contrasting styles (i.e. one technical and the other lyrical) from the standard repertoire. The selections may be movements of a sonata, concerto, etude, etc. Unaccompanied
  • One major and one minor scale of your choice: 3 octaves, at least 2 notes per bow
  • Sight reading proficiency will be tested for applicants auditioning on-campus: Applicants will be asked to perform 4-8 measures of orchestral excerpts

Applicants should prepare two standard orchestral excerpts in contrasting styles. Unaccompanied

  • Applicants should prepare two pieces in contrasting styles (renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, or contemporary) from the standard repertoire - Unaccompanied
  • Applicants must perform their selections from memory

Questions? Contact Dr. Jean Montes

Applicants should prepare two jazz or standard songs in contrasting styles- Memorized encouraged:

  • The first, swing style in a medium-to-fast tempo: Blues or standard melody
  • The second, a slow ballad that demonstrates jazz interpretation
  • Be prepared to demonstrate improvisation on both selections

Applicants will audition with jazz backing tracks of their own choosing. You are encouraged to use resources such as learnjazzstandards.com to prepare for your audition. Students should be prepared to play a short excerpt of a jazz solo transcription performed along with the original recording. If the student is submitting a video audition, this transcription must be included in the video

Applicants should prepare two jazz or standard songs in contrasting styles- Memorized encouraged:

  • The first, swing style in a medium-to-fast tempo: Blues or standard melody
  • The second, a slow ballad that demonstrates jazz interpretation
  • Be prepared to demonstrate improvisation on both selections

Applicants will audition with jazz backing tracks of their own choosing. You are encouraged to use resources such as learnjazzstandards.com to prepare for your audition. Students should be prepared to play a short excerpt of a jazz solo transcription performed along with the original recording. If the student is submitting a video audition, this transcription must be included in the video.

Applicants should prepare two jazz or standard songs in contrasting styles- Memorized encouraged:

  • The first, swing style in a medium-to-fast tempo: Blues or standard melody
  • The second, a slow ballad that demonstrates jazz interpretation
  • Be prepared to demonstrate improvisation on both selections and a walking bass line

Applicants will audition with jazz backing tracks of their own choosing. You are encouraged to use resources such as learnjazzstandards.com to prepare for your audition. Students should be prepared to play a short excerpt of a jazz solo transcription performed along with the original recording. If the student is submitting a video audition, this transcription must be included in the video.

Applicants should prepare two jazz or standard songs in contrasting styles- Memorized encouraged:

  • The first, swing style in a medium-to-fast tempo: Blues or standard melody
  • The second, a slow ballad that demonstrates jazz interpretation
  • Be prepared to demonstrate improvisation on both selections

You are encouraged to use resources such as learnjazzstandards.com to prepare for your audition. Students should be prepared to play a short excerpt of a jazz solo transcription performed along with the original recording. If the student is submitting a video audition, this transcription must be included in the video.

  • Applicants will be asked to demonstrate proficiency in the basic styles: Swing, Shuffle, Bossa, Funk and Latin grooves
  • Be prepared to demonstrate soloing (trading 4’s or 8’s), brush playing, and sight-read a short big band excerpt
  • Play-alongs are encouraged if the tunes selected are in an appropriate style. You are encouraged to use resources such as learnjazzstandards.com to prepare for your audition
  • Ability in mallet percussion and classical styles may also be demonstrated
  • Students should be prepared to play a short excerpt of a jazz solo transcription performed along with the original recording. If the student is submitting a video audition, this transcription must be included in the video.

Applicants should prepare two jazz or standard songs in contrasting styles- Memorized encouraged:

  • Be prepared to demonstrate improvisation on one or both selections
  • You are encouraged to use resources such as learnjazzstandards.com to prepare for your audition

Applicants will audition with jazz backing tracks of their own choosing. Students should be prepared to play a short excerpt of a jazz solo transcription performed along with the original recording. If the student is submitting a video audition, this transcription must be included in the video

Questions? Contact Dr. Gordon Towell

Applicants auditioning for a Bachelor of Music in Performance major should prepare:

  • A work by J.S. Bach (Prelude and Fugue from WTC, French or English Suite, Partita)
  • Two contrasting movements from a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven
  • A work from either the 19th or 20th century (for example, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev)
  • Candidates should also be able to play all major and minor scales and arpeggios (4 octaves) in a moderately rapid tempo

Applicants auditioning for Music Therapy, Music Industry, Music with Elective Studies, Music Composition, or Music Education with piano as their principal instrument should prepare:

  • All major and minor scales and arpeggios (2 octaves) in a moderately rapid tempo
  • A work from the Baroque period (for example, a J.S. Bach Invention or Sinfonia, a dance/movement from a Suite or Partita, a prelude and Fugue, or a Scarlatti Sonata)
  • One additional work of the applicant's choice (Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, 20th Century)

Questions? Contact Dr. Brian Hsu

  • Singers should prepare three contrasting selections from the art song, aria, spiritual, classical Broadway, or musical theatre repertoire
    • One of your selections must be in a foreign language
    • NO jazz tunes, original songs, songs with lead sheets, pop or pop/Broadway, or a cappella songs
    • Complete songs must be performed from memory

Questions? Contact Dr. Meg Frazier

Video Auditions

Applicants who are unable to attend an on-campus audition may submit a video audition. Video auditions must include the repertoire outlined in the audition requirements above. All video auditions are submitted through the students' Loyola Application Status Page (students who submitted the Common Application will receive an email with login instructions). A purely audio audition (without video) is unacceptable and will not be reviewed.

  • Classical instrumental (woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, and classical piano) video auditions should be performed unaccompanied
  • Jazz video auditions may be recorded with a live rhythm section or a backing track