Audition Repertoire Guidelines

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. If you are having trouble selecting your audition pieces, contact your applied instructor with questions.

Woodwinds

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 

Brass

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 

Strings

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 
 

Percussion

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
     

Piano

Students should prepare at least three works from contrasting style periods, at least one from memory. No scales are required for the piano audition.

  • 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

 

  • Kuhlau- Sonatina
  • Haydn/Mozart/Beethoven- Sonata movement, fantasy, or variations Clementi- Sonata movement
  • 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
  • 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 
  • 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 

Voice

Two Memorized Selections

  • Selections must be from standard classical vocal literature and include:
    • One piece in English or the singer’s first language.
    • One piece in Italian or Latin.

Repertoire Guidelines:
Selections should showcase varying styles and tempi and may include works comparable to:

  • English Art Songs: Composers such as Barber, Britten, Vaughan Williams, Quilter, or Warlock
  • Italian Songs/Arias: Composers such as Caldara, Durante, Pergolesi, Handel, or Mozart
  • German Lieder: Composers such as Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, or Brahms
  • French Art Songs: Composers such as Fauré, Debussy, or Chausson
  • Spanish Art Songs: Composers such as Obradors, de Falla, Barbieri, Turina, or Granados

Audition Requirements:

  1. Three Memorized Selections
    • Selections should be from standard classical vocal literature and may include works in English, Italian, Latin, Spanish, German, French, the singer’s first language, or by underrepresented composers.
  2. Repertoire List
    • A list of previously studied vocal literature must also be submitted at the audition.

Repertoire Guidelines:
Selections should showcase varying styles and tempi and may include works comparable to:

  • English Art Songs: Composers such as Barber, Britten, Vaughan Williams, Quilter, or Warlock
  • Italian Songs/Arias: Composers such as Caldara, Durante, Pergolesi, Handel, or Mozart
  • German Lieder: Composers such as Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, or Brahms
  • French Art Songs: Composers such as Fauré, Debussy, or Chausson
  • Spanish Art Songs: Composers such as Obradors, de Falla, Barbieri, Turina, or Granados