All applicants are required to upload pre-screening videos as part of the application process. Pre-screening and audition repertoire must follow the guidelines outlined below. Appropriate repertoire substitutions may be made upon approval from the Music Academy manager of admissions. If your instrument is not listed below, please contact the Music Academy at musicacademy@colburnschool.edu for repertoire requirements.
No openings for Fall 2026
Concerto Prepare the first movement of one of the following:
Other One virtuoso piece of the applicant’s choice
All cello repertoire must be memorized, with no exceptions. Accompaniment for the concerto is preferred.
Etudes Choose one of the following caprices: • 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, or 17 from Paganini, Dix-Sept Caprices adapted for the clarinet and published by Éditions Musicales Alphonse Leduc.
Concerto Choose one of the following and prepare any two movements of the concerto:
Memorization of repertoire is highly recommended but not required.
Etudes Etude #1 from Anderson, Op. 33
Mozart Concerto Movements 1 and 2 from either Concerto in G Major or Concerto in D Major
Additional Concerto Choose between the Ibert Concerto (movements 1 and 2 OR movement 3) or the Nielson Concerto (movement 1)
Memorization of audition repertoire (except for etudes) is highly recommended but not required.
Exposition of a Mozart Horn Concerto. Solo from the Romantic or Modern period (prepare up to 5 minutes).
A technical Etude of choice. 3 orchestral excerpts of choice.
Concerto One movement of a concerto of choice
Contrasting Movement One contrasting movement of a solo piece (unaccompanied piece, sonata, or of the same concerto)
Etude One standard etude (i.e. Ferling or Barret)
Memorization is not required.
Etude Virtuosic Etude (Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, or Stravinsky)
Baroque A baroque composition
Sonata A classical sonata movement by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, or Schubert
Other Work A work from the romantic period or 20th/21st century
All piano repertoire must be memorized, with no exceptions. The live audition will include sightreading.
Bach An unaccompanied movement of the applicant’s choice
Concerto One movement of a concerto
Mozart First movement exposition of a Mozart Concerto
All violin repertoire must be memorized, with no exceptions.
Applicant Choice A short piece or concert piece of applicant’s choice showing technical and musical abilities
All violin repertoire must be memorized, with no exceptions
Concerto The first movement of a major concerto such as Bartók, Hindemith, Walton, Stamitz, or Hoffmeister
Sonata A movement of a sonata with piano or comparable work, such as the Bruch Romance
Bach A movement from an unaccompanied work
All viola repertoire must be memorized, except the sonata movement with piano.