Prescreening recordings are required for all applicants. DMA prescreening repertoire requirements are the same as the live audition requirements. Artist Diploma requirements are found on the Artist Diploma page. 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 at the bottom of the page.
Live Audition Dates (all levels):
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Audition Repertoire Guidelines
Undergraduate
Prescreening:
- Snare Drum – Delecluse Etude No. 1 from 12 Etudes pour caisse claire. Play from beginning to downbeat of measure 46.
- Two Mallets – Any movement from J.S. Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin or Suites for solo cello, no repeats.
- Timpani – Goodman Modern Method for Timpani – Etude #57.
Live Audition:
- Snare solo or etude
- Demonstrate a long snare drum roll: crescendo from pp to ff, then diminuendo back down to pp over 20 seconds
- Two Mallets solo or etude
- Four Mallets solo or etude
- Timpani solo or etude
The snare drum selection should clearly demonstrate your level of technical ability. The mallet selections should be chosen for musical content and technical difficulty. Applicants may also be asked to demonstrate scales and arpeggios. Rudiments and orchestral rolls at different dynamics may be asked as well. Applicants should be prepared to sight-read on any instrument.
Please bring an extra copy of your solos and any non-standard etudes to your audition. For those opting for a final recorded audition, these should be uploaded to the application in the audition materials section of the Program Information page.
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.
Graduate
Prescreening:
- Snare Drum – Delecluse Etude No. 1 from 12 Etudes pour caisse claire. Play from beginning to downbeat of measure 46.
- Two Mallets – Any movement from J.S. Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin or Suites for solo cello, no repeats.
- Four Mallets – A 2–3 minute excerpt from a work of your choice.
- Timpani – Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4. First movement, 2 before T to 3 before U.
Live Audition:
- 2 Snare etudes, with one of them in the rudimental style (Studies by Delecluse, Pratt, Tompkins or something of similar difficulty)
- Snare excerpts – 3 orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire
- Demonstrate a long snare drum roll: crescendo from pp to ff, then diminuendo back down to pp over 20 seconds
- Two Mallets solo
- Four Mallets solo
- Mallet excerpts – 3 orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire
- Timpani etude (Hochrainer, Delecluse, Woud or something of similar difficulty)
- Timpani excerpts – 3 orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire
Please bring an extra copy of your solos and any non-standard etudes to your audition. For those opting for a final recorded audition, these should be uploaded to the application in the audition materials section of the Program Information page.
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.
Recorded Auditions -- due February 3, 2023
Please refer to the below guidelines when preparing and recording your audition.
- Recorded auditions must consist of 15 minutes of video recorded in one continuous take.
- Selections must be chosen according to the final audition requirements as listed below
- You are encouraged to play a mixture of solos/etudes and orchestral excerpts. You must include the snare roll, but otherwise may exercise your best judgment in making selections
- We would like to hear a range of repertoire with technical and stylistic differences
- Please upload scans of your solos and any non-standard etudes with your recordings
- Please pay close attention to the sound quality of your recording so that the jury can accurately assess your playing
Undergraduate Audition Repertoire Options
- Snare solo or etude
- Demonstrate a long snare drum roll: crescendo from pp to ff, then diminuendo back down to pp over 20 seconds
- Two Mallets solo or etude
- Four Mallets solo or etude
- Timpani solo or etude
The snare drum selection should clearly demonstrate your level of technical ability. The mallet selections should be chosen for musical content and technical difficulty.
Please upload a copy of your solos and any non-standard etudes to your application in the audition materials section of the Program Information page.
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.
Graduate Audition Repertoire Options
- Two snare etudes, with one of them in the rudimental style (Studies by Delecluse, Pratt, Tompkins or something of similar difficulty)
- Snare excerpts – Three orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire
- Demonstrate a long snare drum roll: crescendo from pp to ff, then diminuendo back down to pp over 20 seconds
- Two Mallets solo
- Four Mallets solo
- Mallet excerpts – Three orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire
- Timpani etude (Hochrainer, Delecluse, Woud or something of similar difficulty)
- Timpani excerpts – Three orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire
Please upload a copy of your solos and any non-standard etudes to your application in the audition materials section of the Program Information page.
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.