Auditions and Admission

Dept. Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission into the Department of Music at Boise State University consist of two main steps:

Apply to Boise State
Audition for the Department of Music

Please note that these steps only apply if you want to major or minor in music. Any Boise State student is eligible to participate in our ensembles — regardless of major. Other than auditions for the Blue Thunder Marching Band, our ensemble directors typically hold membership auditions and placement auditions during the first week of classes. More information on the ensembles and their types of auditions can be found at Boise State Music Ensembles.

Area Audition Repertoire Requirements

Schedule an Audition

Major scales to be chosen from 4 sharps through 4 flats, long bows with vibrato to demonstrate tone
An etude or study representative of your level of technique (Rode, Kreutzer, Mazas, Dont).
A movement of solo Bach, 6 Solo Sonatas and Partitas
A concerto movement of your choice; representative examples such as:
- - W.A. Mozart: Concerto #4 in D Major, 1st movement.
  - M. Bruch: Concerto in G Minor, 1st movement.
  - H. Wieniawski: Concerto #2 in d Minor, 1st movement

Schedule an Audition

Major scales to be chosen from 4 sharps through 4 flats, long bows with vibrato to demonstrate tone
An etude or study representative of your level of technique (Kreutzer, Mazas, Kayser).
A movement of solo Bach, 6 Solo Cello Suites
Another solo of your choice; representative examples such as:
- - Stamitz: Concerto in D Major, 1st movement
  - Hoffmeister: Concerto in D Major, 1st movement
  - Bloch: Meditation and Processional

Schedule an Audition

Major and relative melodic minor scales (up to 4 #’ s and 4b’s), three to four octaves, to be played without vibrato, in quarter notes at 100 bpm, single and slurred bow, two notes per bow.
An etude (e.g., Popper, Schroeder, Duport, etc.)
Two contrasting solo works, either a concerto movement, sonata movement, or a movement of unaccompanied Bach.

Schedule an Audition

Major and relative melodic minor scales (up to 4 #’ s and 4b’s), two octaves, to be played without vibrato, in quarter notes at 120 tempo, single and slurred bow, two notes per bow.
An etude demonstrating some aspect of your technique, ex. Simandl
A solo representative in the difficulty of the following examples:
- - Vivaldi: any Sonata.
  - Eccles: Sonata.
  - Capuzzi, Bass Concerto

Schedule an Audition

Major and relative melodic minor scales (up to 3 #’s and 3 b’s), two to three octaves in quarter notes at mm120 with rest strokes. (See Diatonic Major and Minor Scales by A. Segovia, Columbia Music Co.; or Scales and Arpeggios Album, Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto, F. Harris Music).
An etude from Studies for the Guitar by F. Sor, A. Segovia, editor (Edward B. Marks Music Co.), 25 Melodious and Progressive Studies for Guitar, Op. 60 by M. Carcassi (Carl Fischer Inc.) or Etudes Simples, Book 1 by L. Brouwer (Editions Max Eschig).
A solo from Repertoire and Studies Album, Books 1-3, Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto (F. Harris Music).

Symphony Orchestra Audition Info

The Boise State Symphony Orchestra’s season consists of four major orchestral concerts per year, along with participation in All-Departmental activities such as the Annual Holiday Concert, opera, musical, and sponsoring the Annual Concerto-Aria Competition Concert. Auditions, open to all students regardless of major, are held each fall and spring. We invite you to come play with us!

Auditions for the Boise State Symphony Orchestra are held every fall and spring and are done behind a screen for a committee of Boise State faculty from each of the respective instrumental areas. Under extenuating circumstances, auditions may sometimes be done by recording before the in-person audition dates.

Please visit the link below for more information on audition dates, times, requirements and repertoire.

Click here for Large Ensemble audition info