Brass Audition Repertoire

Prescreening recordings are required for all applicants to NEC. The prescreening repertoire does not need to be accompanied unless specifically noted. After reviewing the recording guidelines, please upload your prescreening recording files as part of your online application.

If you are submitting a recorded audition, please review the specific instructions for recorded auditions in your instrument at the bottom of the page.

DMA prescreening repertoire requirements are the same as for the live audition. Artist Diploma requirements are found on the Artist Diploma audition requirements page.

Audition Repertoire Guidelines 

 

French Horn

 Prescreening (All Undergraduate, Dual Degree Programs, and Graduate MM, GD, and Graduate Certificate):

1. One solo movement from the standard repertoire;
2. Two contrasting etudes;
3. A two octave E major scale (horn pitch), ascending and descending, played in sixteenth notes at a minimum of quarter note equals 90 beats per minute, tongued and forte;
4. A three octave B harmonic minor scale (horn pitch), ascending and descending, played in sixteenth notes at a minimum of quarter note equals 90 beats per minute, slurred and piano.

Live Audition Dates:

Sunday, January 15, 2023

Monday, January 16, 2023

Undergraduate Live Auditions:

1. Two contrasting solo movements from the standard repertoire.
   Examples include, but are not limited to:
   •  First Movements to Mozart Concerto No.3 and Strauss Concerto No.1
   •  First Movements to Haydn Concerto No.2 and Hindemith Sonata
   •  First Movements to Franz Strauss Concerto and Beethoven Sonata
2. Two contrasting etudes.
   Examples include, but are not limited to:
   •  Kopprasch Book No.1
   •  Gallay 12 Studies for 2nd Horn, Op.57
   •  Maxime-Alphonse Book No.2 or No.3
   •  Kling 
3. Contrasting orchestral excerpts demonstrating tone, rhythm, range, dynamic control and technique.
   Examples include, but are not limited to:
   •  Beethoven Symphony No.6
   •  Brahms Symphony No.3
   •  Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5
   •  Strauss Till Eulenspiegel
   •  Shostakovich Symphony No.5, low tutti 
4. Major and minor scales, transposition, and sight-reading are also required.

Graduate Live Auditions:

1. Two contrasting solos from the standard repertoire (entire works).
   Examples include, but are not limited to:
   •  Mozart Concerto No.4 and Gliere Concerto
   •  Mozart Concerto No.2 and Strauss Concerto No.2
   •  Haydn Concerto No.1 and Schumann Adagio and Allegro
2. An orchestral excerpt from each of the following categories (total of 5):
   A.  Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5, Mendelssohn Nocturne, Brahms Symphony No.2 or No.3
   B.  Beethoven Symphony No.7, Wagner Siegfried Call, Strauss Don Juan (final call in E)
   C.  Shostakovich Symphony No.5 (low tutti), Strauss Don Quixote (variation 7 and 8), Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5 (4th movement, 2nd horn)
   D.  Ravel Pavanne pour une enfante defunte or G Major Piano Concerto, Berlioz Queen Mab (Scherzo, 3rd Horn), Franck Symphony in D Minor
   E.  Strauss openings to Till Eulenspiegel, Ein Heldenleben, or Der Rosenkavalier (through B major arpeggios)
3. Sight-reading and transposition are also required.

Notes:

• Applicants are encouraged to provide copies of scores/music for lesser-known or non-standard works at the live audition.
• NEC encourages applicants to submit diverse repertoire, including works composed by women, people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and/or musicians from one's own cultural background.

   

Euphonium

Prescreening (All Undergraduate and Graduate MM & GD):

1. One solo movement from the standard repertoire
2. Two contrasting etudes
3. A two octave B-flat scale, ascending and descending, articulated in 16th notes at quarter note equals 90 beats per minute.
4. A slurred one octave B-flat chromatic scale. 

Live Audition Date:

Monday, January 16, 2023

Live Auditions:

1. Two contrasting solos or solo movements (lyrical and technical)
2. Two contrasting etudes, demonstrating lyricism and technique
3. B-flat chromatic scale
4. Be prepared to play all major and minor scales as requested

NEC encourages applicants to submit diverse repertoire, including works composed by women, people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and/or musicians from one's own cultural background.

Trumpet

 Prescreening (All Undergraduate and Graduate MM & GD):

Please submit a video, recorded straight-through with no internal edits, of the following:

1. Charlier Étude #2, measures 1-24, as printed on B-flat trumpet
2. Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 2, offstage solo
3. A two octave B-flat (concert pitch) scale, ascending and descending, played in quarter notes at quarter note equals 120 beats per minute in a clearly articulated manner.

Live Audition Dates:

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Undergraduate Live Auditions:

1. Enesco Legend, through measure 42
2. Brandt Orchestral Etude #1 (edited by William Vacchiano)
3. Bousquet Etude No. 3 (from 36 Celebrated Studies for the Cornet)
4. Orchestral Excerpts:
   •  Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 2, offstage solo
   •  Respighi Pines of Rome, offstage solo
   •  Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, opening Promenade

Graduate Live Auditions:

1. F.J. Haydn Movement 1 (opening through development)
2. Honegger Intrada
3. Copland Outdoor Overture
4. Mahler Symphony No.5, opening solo
5. Stravinsky Petrouchka "Ballerina's Dance" (1947)

NEC encourages applicants to submit diverse repertoire, including works composed by women, people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and/or musicians from one's own cultural background.

Tenor Trombone

Prescreening (All Undergraduate and Graduate MM & GD):

1. Guilmant-Morceau Symphonique (Concert Piece) Op. 88: Allegro Moderato to 10 measures after the Andante Sostenuto
2. Bordogni/Rochut No. 13 in Eb major (end at m. 24)
3. Berlioz Hungarian March (Trombone 2 part): 6 measures before Fig. 4 to 2nd measure of Fig. 5
4. Mozart Requiem: Trombone II, Tuba Mirum to downbeat of m. 18.

Live Audition Dates:

Sunday, January 15, 2023

Undergraduate Live Auditions:

1. Two contrasting movements of the following solos or a piece at a comparable level:
   •  Hindemith Sonata
   •  Sulek Sonata “Vox Gabrieli”
   •  Grondahl Concerto
   •  David Concertino
   •  Lars-Erik Larsson Concertino
   •  Saint-Saens Cavatine
   •  Bozza Ballade
2. One of the following etudes or others at a comparable level:
   •  Rochut – Book 1 or 2
   •  Blazhevich Clef Studies
   •  Arban’s Method, Characteristic Studies
   •  Kopprasch – Book 1 or 2
3. Three contrasting orchestral excerpts chosen from the following:
   •  Berlioz Hungarian March
   •  Mahler Symphony No.3, first movement
   •  Rossini La Gazza Ladra
   •  Rimsky-Korsakov Russian Easter Overture
   •  Ravel Bolero

Graduate Live Auditions:

1. Two contrasting movements of the following solos or a piece at a comparable level:
   •  Grondahl Concerto
   •  Tomasi Concerto
   •  Martin Ballade
   •  Creston Fantasy
   •  Milhaud Concertino
2. One of the following etudes or others at a comparable level:
   •  Bitsch Etudes
   •  Rochut – Book 2 or 3
   •  Bozza Etudes
3. Three contrasting orchestral excerpts chosen from the following:
   •  Ravel Bolero
   •  Rossini William Tell Overture
   •  Wagner Ride of the Valkyries, B Major section
   •  Mahler Symphony No.3, first movement
   •  Schumann Symphony No.3, “The Rhenish,” fourth movement
   •  Mozart Requiem, Tuba Mirum
   •  Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra
   •  Strauss Ein Heldenleben

NEC encourages applicants to submit diverse repertoire, including works composed by women, people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and/or musicians from one's own cultural background.

Bass Trombone

Prescreening (All Undergraduate and Graduate MM & GD):

1. Bordogni/Rochut No. 13, m. 1-24, in two different octaves (starting on both low B-flat AND middle B-flat)
2. One technical Blazhevich etude (any edition) of the applicant’s choice
3. Berlioz Hungarian March: 6 measures before Fig. 4 to 2nd measure of Fig. 5
4. Schumann Symphony No. 3, IV Movement, first 8 measures.

Live Audition Date:

Monday, January 16, 2023

Undergraduate Live Auditions:

1. One of the following solos:
   •  Lebedev Concerto in One Movement
   •  Raum Concerto, 1st and 2nd Movements
   •  Ewazen Concerto, 1st and 2nd Movements
2. One of the following etudes:
   •  Bordogni/Rochut – Book 1 (as written and down or up the octave)
   •  Blazhevich Studies (any edition)
   •  Gillis Etudes
   •  Kopprasch Studies (any edition)
3. Three contrasting orchestral excerpts of the applicant’s choice

Graduate Live Auditions:

1. One of the following works (or one work at a comparable level):
   •  Lebedev Concert Allegro
   •  Castérède Fantasie Concertante or Sonatine
   •  Sachse Concertino
2. One or more of the following etudes (contrasting with the solo) or others at a comparable level:
   •  Tyrell Studies for B-flat Bass
   •  Rochut – Book 2, as written and up/down the octave (depending on the edition)
   •  Blazhevich (any edition)
3. Three contrasting orchestral excerpts of the applicant’s choice

NEC encourages applicants to submit diverse repertoire, including works composed by women, people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and/or musicians from one's own cultural background.

Tuba

Prescreening (All Undergraduate and Graduate MM & GD):

1. Prokofiev - Symphony no. 5, mvt. 1, figure 3 - 7 after figure 5.
2. Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries
3. A two-octave B-flat (concert pitch) scale, ascending and descending, played in quarter notes at quarter note equals 120 beats per minute in a clearly articulated manner. 

Live Audition Date:

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Undergraduate Live Auditions:

1. Borodogni - melodic study
2. Kopprasch - technical etude
3. Excerpts:
   •  Wagner "Meistersinger" Overture (Letter J to the end)
   •  Wagner Ride of the Valkyries
   •  Berlioz Hungarian March
   •  Stravinsky Petroushka
4. Solos:
   •  Vaugn Williams Concerto (mvts.1 and 2)
   •  Hindemith Sonata for Tuba

Graduate Live Auditions:

1. Borodogni - melodic study
2. Charlier - trumpet studies
3. One Kopprasch technical etude
4. Orchestral Excerpts:
   •  Wagner "Meistersinger" Overture (Letter J to the end)
   •  Wagner Ride of the Valkyries
   •  Stravinsky Petroushka, solo
   •  Berlioz Hungarian March, solo
   •  Respighi Fountains of Rome
5. Select two of the following solos:
   •  Vaughn Williams Concerto
   •  Penderecki
   •  Koetsier Sonata
   •  Bach Flute Partita
   •  Casterade Sonata
   •  John Williams Tuba Concerto

NEC encourages applicants to submit diverse repertoire, including works composed by women, people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and/or musicians from one's own cultural background.