Buffalo State requires all music majors to audition on a primary instrument.
While you are not required to perform the exact pieces listed, you must perform works of a similar and comparable difficulty level. The pieces listed are based on the NYSSMA Manual Grades 5 and 6.
Having trouble selecting your audition pieces?
Contact your applied instructor with questions about specific instruments and pieces.
It is expected that auditionees will perform contrasting movements or sections of a comparable difficulty to the list below, or to NYSSMA Repertoire Levels 5 & 6. Major scales and sight-reading will also be a part of your audition; please consult and work with your private teacher as you prepare for your audition. Piano accompaniment is not required.
An Etude from one of the following collections:
Weissenborn 50 Advanced Studies
Milde Concert Studies Vol. 1 or 2
And a solo comparable to:
Boismortier, Sonata No. 2 in B minor
Elgar, Romance
Mozart, Concerto for Bassoon, K. 191
And two octave (minimum) Major scales and three-octave Chromatic scale using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Cavallini Adagio and Tarantella
Finzi Five Bagatelles
Mozart Concerto for Clarinet, K. 622
Rossini Introduction, Theme & Variations
Weber Concertino, Op. 26
Weber Concerto in E-flat, Op. 74 No. 2
And Two octave (minimum) Major scales and three octave F, G, and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ?= 80
Two contrasting etudes from books such as Anderson, Berbiguier (18 Studies), Kohler, or Boehm
Two solos to demonstrate tone, technique, and musicianship (preferably of contrasting periods, e.g., Bach “Sonata in Eb,” Fauré “Fantasie”)
Major scales two octaves; chromatic scale (from C to C) three octaves
Albinoni, Concerto in B-flat, Op. 9 No. 11
Bellini/Joosen, Concerto
Britten, Six Metamorphoses After Ovid, Op. 49
Fiala, Concerto in B-flat
Guilhaud, First Concertino
Handel, Sonata No. 2 in G minor
Jacob, Seven Bagatelles for Solo Oboe
Mozart, Concerto in C Major, K. 314
Poulenc, Sonata
Strauss, R., Concerto for Oboe
Vivaldi, Concerto in F major
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ?= 60
Alto Saxophone
Bozza, Improvisation et Caprice
Creston, Sonata for Saxophone
Frackenpohl, Rhapsody for Solo Saxophone
Handel/Rascher, Sonata No. 13
Heiden, Sonata
Glazunov, Concerto
Tenor Saxophone
Caravan, Improvisation
Ghidoni, Far-West Adventure
Karlins, Music for Tenor Saxophone & Piano
Presser, Sonatina
Schmidt, Music for Unaccompanied Saxophone
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales (from low Bb to high F) using 16th notes @ ?= 60
It is expected that auditionees will perform contrasting movements or sections of a comparable difficulty to the list below, or to NYSSMA Repertoire Levels 5 & 6. Major scales and sight-reading will also be a part of your audition; please consult and work with your private teacher as you prepare for your audition. Piano accompaniment is not required.
Arnold, Fantasy for Horn
Dukas, Villanelle
Gliere, Concerto in B-flat. Op. 91
Hindemith, Sonata for Horn and Piano
Mozart, Concerto No. 1 for Horn, K. 412
Mozart, Concert Rondo, K. 371
Persichetti, Parable for Solo Horn
Strauss, Franz, Concerto for Horn, Op. 8
Strauss, Richard Concerto No. 1 or No. 2
Weber, Concertino for Horn
Transpositions for C, D, E, and E-flat Horn
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Barat, Andante et Allegro
Blazevich, Concert Piece No. 5
Brandon, Sonata for Trombone and Piano
Corelli, Sonatas in F Major or G minor
David, Concertino Op. 4
Frackenpohl, Sonata for Solo Euphonium
Frackenpohl, Variations on a March of Shostakovich
Gaubert, Morceau Symphonique
Graefe, Concerto
Guilmant, Morceau Symphonique
Hindemith, Sonata for Trombone and Piano
Jones, Dialogue for Euphonium and Piano
Pryor, Blue Bells of Scotland / Annie Laurie / Fantastic Polka
Telemann, Sonata in B-flat Major
Young, E., Euphonium Sonata or Euphonium Suite
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Arban, Variations Brillantes
Bloch, Proclamation for Trumpet
Clarke Herbert, Clarke Collection (any)
Hartley, Caprice for Trumpet
Haydn, Concerto for Trumpet in E-flat
Hindemith, Sonata for Trumpet and Piano
Hummel, Concerto for Trumpet
Pierce, Danza Comique
Schmidt, Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
Williams, E., Rondo Concertante
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Arnold, Fantasy for Tuba
Beversdorf, Sonata for Tuba
Clarke/Jacobs, Twilight Dreams
Frackenpohl, Concertino for Tuba
Goedicke/Emilson, Concert Etude, Op. 49
Kistler, Trilogy for Tuba and Piano
Lebedev, Concerto in One Movement
Presser, Suite for Tuba
Sibbing, Sonata for Tuba and Piano
Wilder, Suite No. 1 for Tuba and Piano
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
It is expected that auditionees will perform contrasting movements or sections of a comparable difficulty to the list below, or to NYSSMA Repertoire Levels 5 & 6. Major scales, bowing styles, and sight-reading will also be a part of your audition; please consult and work with your private teacher as you prepare for your audition. Piano accompaniment is not required.
Beethoven, Sonatas Op. 5 No. 1 & 2
Bloch, Supplication
Boccherini, Concerto in B-flat Major (Mvt. 2)
Glazunov, Chant du Menestral, Op. 71
Haydn, Concerto in D minor
Popper, Tarantella
Reger, Suite No. 2 in D minor
Saint-Saens, Concerto in A minor Op. 33 or Allegro Appassionato
Sammartini, Sonata in G Major
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Bach, Cello Suite No. 1
Marcello, any Sonata
Scarlatti, any Sonata
Vivaldi, any Sonata
Oscar, Zimmerman, Solos for the Double Bass (except No. 6 or 7)
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Matteo Carcassi, Melodic and Progressive Etudes, Op. 60
Fernado Sor, Andres Segovia - 20 Studies for Guitar
J.S. Bach, Cello Suite #1
Antonio Lauro, Works for Guitar, Vol. 3
Federico Moreno Torroba, Castles of Spain, Volume 1
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Suite Populaire Bresilienne,” “The Five Preludes,” Etudes 1, 5, or 11
Frederick Noad Guitar Anthology: The Renaissance Guitar, The Baroque Guitar, or The Classical Guitar
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 8th notes @ ? = 60
Andres, Absidioles
Bochsa, Etudes
Glinka, Nocturne for Harp
Grandjany, Pastorale for Harp
Gustafson, Sparklers – “Great Day”
Handel/Beon, Passacaglia for Harp
Salzebo, Chanson dans la Nuit
Play a three-octave major scale with two hands together at a distance of one octave first, play one octave of the scale in quarter notes up and down; then play the two-octave scale in eighth notes up and down; finally play the three-octave scale in eighth note triplets up and down.
Bloch Suite for Viola and Piano
Faure/Katims, Elegy, Op. 24
Hindemith, Sonata Op. 11 No. 4
Hummel, Fantasie
Kreisler/Arnold, Liebesfreud
Marcello, Sonatas No. 1 and No. 4
Telemann/Katims, Concerto in G major
Vaughan-Williams, Suite, Groups II & III [Nos. 1 & 2]
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Accolay, Concerto No. 1
Bach, Concerto in A minor
Beethoven, Sonatas in A minor Op. 23, 30, or 96 [1st or 3rd movements]
Handel, Sonatas No. 1, 4, or 5
Massenet, Meditation from “Thais”
Monti, Czardas for Violin
Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3 in G, K. 216
Mozart, Sonatas K. 301, 376, 377, 378, 454, 570 [Any contrasting movements]
Rieding, Concertinos Op. 5, Op. 24, and Op. 25
Severn, Polish Dance
Telemann, Six Sonatas [Any contrasting movements]
And Two octave (minimum) Major and Chromatic scales using 16th notes @ ? = 60
Students should be prepared to demonstrate ability in all three areas listed below. It is expected that auditionees will perform contrasting movements or sections of a comparable difficulty to the list below, or to NYSSMA Repertoire Levels 5 & 6. Please work with your private teacher as you prepare for your audition. Piano accompaniment is not required.
Beck, Three Episodes for Timpani
Firth, Solo Impressions for Three / Four Timpani
Goodman, Ballad for the Dance
Mancini, Suite for Timpani
Peters, M., Rondino for Timpani
Ramey, Sonata for Three Unaccompanied Timpani
Wright, Graded Music for Timpani (Book 4)
Bach/Moore, Bach for Marimba
Brown, T. Mallets in Mind
Finkel, Solos for the Vibraphone Player
Frazeur, Rondo for Marimba and Piano
Musser, C., Etudes Op. 6 or Op. 11
Stout, Mexican Dances
Whaley, Recital Pieces for Mallets
Beck, Advanced Solos for Snare Drum
Benson, Three Dances for Solo Snare Drum
Cirone, Portraits in Rhythm
Delecluse, Twelve Studies for the Drum
Goldenberg, 12 Progressive Studies for Snare Drum
Leonard, Contemporary Album for the Snare Drum
Nexus, Portfolio for Snare Drum
Peters, MAdvanced Snare Drum Studies
Your audition will also include
Demonstration of 26 standard Rudiments
Long Roll (pp – ff – pp)
Major scales up to four flats and four sharps
Sight-reading
Students should prepare at least three works from contrasting style periods, at least one from memory. No scales are required for the piano audition.
Some examples of possible repertoire selections:
Baroque
Bach- A two- or three-part Invention, a Prelude and/or Fugue from The Well Tempered Clavier, or two movements from a suite
Handel- Two movement from a suite
D. Scarlatti- Sonata
Antonio Soler- Sonata
Classical
Kuhlau- Sonatina
Haydn/Mozart/Beethoven- Sonata movement, fantasy, or variations Clementi- Sonata movement
Romantic
Schumann- Work from a collection like Kinderszenen or one of the fantasy Pieces, sonata movement
Schubert- Impromptu, (Sonatas may be considered Classical or Romantic) Brahms- Waltz, Rhapsody, or a movement from one of the sets
Chopin- Waltz, Mazurka, Nocturne, Scherzo, Ballade
Mendelssohn- Fugue, variations, one of the Songs Without Words Rachmaninoff- Prelude, Etude-Tableaux
Impressionistic
Debussy- A Prelude, Arabesque, or a movement from one of the suites
Ravel- Sonatine movement, movement from Le Tombeau or other set
Selections by Griffes
20th and 21st Century
Bartok- One of the Rumanian Dances, Sonata movement
Prokofieff- An Etude, Sonata movement, or other short work
Shostakovich- Prelude, Fugue, or Sonata movement
Selections by Turina, Ginastera, Hanson, Barber, Glass
FIRST YEAR APPLICANTS: three (3) memorized selections from standard classical vocal literature to include selections in English and Italian.
TRANSFER APPLICANTS: three (3) memorized selections from standard classical vocal literature in English, Italian, and German; a Repertoire List of previously studied vocal literature is also required at the audition.
All Voice Applicants must perform age-appropriate repertoire of varying styles and/or tempi comparable to:
English Arts Songs of Barber, Britten, Vaughn-Williams, Quilter, or Warlock
Italian Songs/Arias of Caldara, Durante, Pergolesi, Handel, or Mozart
German Lieder of Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, or Brahms
French Arts Songs of Faure, Debussy, or Chausson
