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Music Entrance Auditions

Music Program Coordinator

Elise Rose

elise.rose@cnu.edu (757) 594-8785

Fax: (757) 594-7591

Ferguson Center A122

Requirements

Admission to the music program is highly competitive. If you intend to apply, you must satisfy all entrance requirements:

Admission to Christopher Newport
Music program application
Entrance audition
Interview
Portfolio review (for Composition students)
Two recommendations by music educators

Scholarships

Music and Theatre auditions automatically serve as scholarship auditions. No separate application or additional materials are required for consideration. Scholarships are available to incoming music and theatre majors and are awarded primarily on the strength of their audition, with ensemble needs also considered. Awards are determined by faculty following the completion of the audition cycle. Many scholarships are renewable, provided recipients maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, remain enrolled full-time as music or theatre majors, and demonstrate positive attitude, character, artistic development, academic commitment, and service.

Audition Information

All vocal applicants should prepare two works (arias, solos, art songs, etc.) with one of the works preferably being in a language other than English. A pianist will be provided for voice auditions; however, vocalists may choose to bring their own pianists. It is expected that vocalists will perform from memory.

Vocal Applicants

Vocal applicants submitting an electronic audition should use an accompanist or sing along to a track that includes no other vocals. The video recording should be a full body profile shot and the audio quality should be high.

Instrumental Applicants

All instrumental applicants should prepare two works of contrasting style and be prepared to play all major scales (two octaves for instrumentalists, four octaves for pianists) and a chromatic scale. Repertoire may be chosen from sonatas, concerti, solos, etudes and/or orchestral excerpts. Instrumentalists have the option to either bring their own pianist or to perform unaccompanied. Instrumentalists have the option to perform from memory or use their music. Pianists are required to perform their audition from memory.

Instrumental applicants submitting an electronic audition should provide a copy of the score of their chosen selection. The video recording should show the hands and the audio quality should be high.

Below are examples of instrumental works commonly performed at auditions. These are merely suggestions and are not required.

Woodwinds

Instrument	Composer and instrumental work
Flute	J.S. Bach — any sonata Poulenc — Sonata Mozart — Concerto in G or D Griffes — Poem
Oboe	Marcello — Concerto in C Cimarosa — Concerto in C Handel — sonatas Telemann — Sonata in A
Clarinet	Weber — Concertino Weber — Concerto No. 1, mvt. I or II Mozart — Concerto, mvts. I and II or II and III Saint-Saens — Sonata, mvts. I and II
Bassoon	Weber — Concerto in F Major Mozart — Concerto in Bb Major Vivaldi — Concerto in A or E Hindemith — Sonata Saint-Saens — Sonata
Saxophone	Maurice — Tableaux de Provence Glazounov — Concerto Creston — Sonata Ibert — Concertino da Camera Ferling — 48 Etudes (slow-fast)

Brass

Instrument	Composer and instrumental work
Trumpet	Artunian — Concerto in A flat Hummel — Concerto in E flat Haydn — Concerto in E flat Balay — Prelude and Ballade Goedicke — Concert Etude
Horn	Mozart — any concerto in Eb (447, 495 - one mvt.) R. Strauss — Concerto, Op. 11 (one mvt.)
Trombone (tenor)	Bordogni/Rochut — Melodious Etudes: any etude Blazhevich Clef Studies — any etude Rimsky-Korsakov — Concerto for Trombone Marcello — Two movements from any sonata Larrson — Concertino for Trombone Saint-Saens — Cavatine
Trombone (bass)	Bozza — Allegro and Finale Haydn — Excerpts from Creation Jacob — Cameos (any two contrasting mvts.) Lebedev — Concerto in One Movement Lieb — Concertino Basso Bordogni/Rochut — Melodious Etudes, any etude (at pitch or down one octave)
Euphonium	Capuzzi/Catillinet — Andante and Rondo Handel/Little — Suite in A flat Hutchinson — Sonatina Jacob — Fantasia Ross — Partita
Tuba	Brahms/Little — Five Songs Wagner — excerpts from Die Meistersinger Marcello/Little — Sonata No. 1 or No. 5 Vaughan Williams — Concerto Hindemith — Sonata Bach/Bell — Air and Bouree

Strings

Instrument	Composer and instrumental work
Violin	Mozart — G Major Handel — Sonata
Viola	Handel — B Minor, one mvt. Vivaldi — Sonata (two mvts. in contrasting tempi) Haydn — Concerto in C
Cello	Haydn — Concerto in C Major Vivaldi — Sonata
Bass	Marcello — Sonatas Capuzzi — Concerto in D Beethoven — Sonatina
Guitar	Milan — Pavanas Tarrega — Preludes Bach — Selected mvt. from lute or cello suites Sor — Studies 1-20
Harp	Solos: Corelli — Giga, trans. Salzedo Handel — Harmonious Blacksmith, trans. Salzedo Salzedo — Chanson dans la nuit Salzedo — Gavotte and Tango from Suite of Eight Dances Pierne — Impromptu-Caprice Excerpts: Tchaikovsky — Waltz of the Flowers (The Nutcracker) Rimsky-Korsakov — Capricio Espagnol

Percussion

The applicant should come prepared to show his or her their level of proficiency at snare drum, marimba and timpani. The university will provide instruments and stands, though the student may bring his or her own snare drum, if desired.

Snare Drum

Standard rudiments.
A rudimental or orchestral etude of choice.

Suggestions include: Wilcoxon, “Modern Rudimental Swing Solos,” “All American Drummer,” Cirone, “Portraits in Rhythm,” or Delecluse, “12 Etudes.”

Marimba

Major scales: two octaves up and down, in all 12 keys.
A solo or etude of choice, two or four mallets.

Suggestions include: Garwood Whaley, “Fundamental Studies for Mallets,” Rebecca Kite, “Anthology of Lute and Guitar Music for Marimba,” a Bach transcription, or any work composed for marimba.

Timpani

Tuning: A and D, then F and C, using only an A tuning fork as a pitch reference.
A solo or etude of choice, using two, three or four drums.

Suggestions include: Hochrainer, “Etudes for Timpani (Books 1-6),” Peters, “Fundamental Method for Timpani,” or Goodman, “Modern Method for Timpani.”

The applicant should also be prepared to sight read on each instrument.

Keyboard

Piano

Major scales in four octaves
One work from the Baroque/Classical era (Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert)
One work from the 19th century (Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Schumann)
One work from the 20th or 21st century

The audition should be memorized.

Organ

One work by J. S. Bach, such as an extended chorale prelude, prelude and fugue, or trio sonata.
One work or one movement from a multi-movement work from the 19th century (Franck, Widor, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Reger, etc.).
One work from the 20th or 21st centuries (Dupré, Messiaen, Hindemith, Albright, Bolcolm, Guillou, Baker, etc.)

Memorization is optional.

Music Education Pre-Certification Applicants

All Music Education applicants should prepare for their area based on the criteria listed above for either vocal or instrumental. Music education students will also participate in an interview with the music education faculty.

Individuals applying for the pre-certification in Music Education degree wishing to interview online will need to schedule a zoom interview. For this zoom interview you must have your camera on and be in an environment with minimal distractions or noise so you can answer the questions fully.

Composition Applicants

All students interested in composition should bring to their required interview a portfolio of at least three representative, original compositions. Arrangements will not be accepted. A recording or MIDI realization is recommended but not mandatory.

Creative Studies Applicants

All students interested in creative studies are required to complete an interview. During this interview, the student will be asked questions about their use of technology, media, music and artistic projects they have and more. Students may bring a portfolio, but it is not mandatory

Remote/Virtual Auditions

We strongly recommend a live audition but instructions for a recorded or online audition and interview are included above.

Once you have been accepted to the university and the program, you are automatically eligible for music scholarships. Scholarships are awarded immediately following the last round of auditions.

Dates of Auditions

November 13, 2026
January 29, 2027
January 30, 2027
February 12, 2027
February 13, 2027
February 14, 2027

Apply to the Music Program