Virginia Tech® home

Music Auditions

banner with dates

Applying to the music major:

  • Submit an application.
  • Submit the music audition request. This form is sent to you automatically after applying to Virginia Tech and will allow you to select the preferred audition date or plans to submit a video recording.  
  • Additional details about the audition process and date will be emailed soon. 
  • Prepare for the audition by following the area requirements below. 
  • Students applying for the CTLA degree option, in addition to submitting a Music Major application as described above, must submit a portfolio according to these Portfolio Guidelines. CTLA applicants will also interview with the faculty.

You have the choice to attend a live audition or submit a pre-recorded (via YouTube) for consideration, but a live audition is preferred. We suggest that before submitting your audition preferences, prospective students contact faculty members in their area of study to learn more about the program.

Please be aware of the following University deadlines, and choose your audition date and method accordingly:
          Early Action applications due November 15*
          Regular applications due January 15   
          Transfer applications due March 1
*The university strongly suggests that first-year applicants apply for early action consideration. 

Enrollment in music degree coursework at Virginia Tech requires passing an audition with music program faculty.  If you are accepted to the Music major at Virginia Tech by VT Admissions, but fail to pass or complete your audition with music faculty, then you will be prohibited from taking music degree coursework and pursuing the music degree until you successfully pass an audition.

If you have any questions please contact Music Auditions or Director of Undergraduate Student Recruitment, Katy Miles.

All candidates: please choose your audition repertoire carefully, following the guidelines listed below.  Each audition will take 12-15 minutes. Faculty may request scales and/or sight-reading as part of the audition.

  • Woodwind and Brass players should prepare movements of sonatas, concertos, or other solo concert pieces, and may include an etude as part of their audition program. 
  • Pianists should prepare at least two works chosen from each of the following options below:
    1. Baroque OR Classical
    2. Romantic OR later
    If more than two works are offered, they may be chosen from the remaining two options. 
  • Vocalists are required to prepare three pieces. One selection should be an arrangement of a folk song or hymn; the remaining two selections will be from the classical art-song and aria repertory. At least one of these pieces shall be in Italian, French, or German. If so desired, students may prepare a fourth selection from the standard Broadway musical theater canon which the faculty may or may not decide to hear. Students will also be asked to sight-read a brief 8 bar phrase in their preferred vocal range. 
    PLEASE NOTE: Students are encouraged to bring their own accompanists if possible, but the Music Program will be able to arrange for an accompanist at no charge for singers only if the candidate notifies us and sends his/her music to us at least ten (10) days ahead of the desired audition date. 
  • Percussionists should include musical selections from each of the three primary percussion instruments: snare drum (rudiments, a concert etude, and a rudimental etude), mallet instruments (scales, arpeggios, a 2-mallet etude or solo, and a 4-mallet solo), and timpani. Though not required, the applicant may also choose to audition additionally on the drum set. Please see the Recommended Percussion Repertoire for repertoire suggestions in each of these areas. 
  •  String instrumentalists should prepare two standard works contrasting in tempo and style such as a movement of solo Bach and a movement of a standard concerto. Bassists can substitute another Baroque work for Bach. In addition, an etude may be added if the applicant feels it will help their audition. 
  • Composers applying for the MCOM degree option submit three to five original compositions or arrangements of contrasting styles and genres that demonstrate the ability to write for instruments or voice. Applicants also interview with the faculty and audition on an instrument or voice. For the MCOM Composition degree option, students are required to submit a composition portfolio, interview with the faculty, and audition on their primary instrument or voice. For the MCOM portfolio, submit three original compositions or arrangements, as a Google Drive folder of files to Katy Miles, turning on link sharing, for the Google Drive files, so “Anyone with the link can view”. If your compositions include live performance, submit PDF scores along with MP3 audio recordings, either of live performances or MIDI realizations, or MP4 video recordings. If your compositions are fixed media, composed in digital audio workstation software, then you need not submit PDF scores, but in addition to the audio recordings, submit a screen capture video recording of how you composed one of the compositions, using the free OBS studio software: https://obsproject.com.  A good intro tutorial video for OBS is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTk99mHDX_I.  Katy Miles will schedule your interview with the faculty and audition on your primary instrument or voice.

If you have any questions or would like to request a printed informational packet be mailed to you, please contact Music Auditions.

All prospective first-year and transfer music major students must complete the following steps:

  • ​Submit an application to Virginia Tech by:  
    • Early Action-November 15
    • Regular Decision-January 15
    • ​Transfers-March 1
  • Complete and submit the Music Audition Request (sent automatically after application is received).
  • Composition Majors: If you are choosing composition as your option, please send a portfolio of your most recent compositions to Music Auditions.
     

Students will be notified of the result of their audition after receiving their admissions decision from Virginia Tech. If you are accepted to the Music major at Virginia Tech by  University Admissions, but fail to pass or complete your audition with music faculty, then you will be prohibited from taking music degree coursework and pursuing the music degree until you successfully pass an audition.

Students will be advised about course selection during summer orientation. For students who failed to pass or complete an audition by this point, they will be directed to university transitional advising for course selection and assistance with changing majors or to Music faculty to request another audition.

We recommend that you also search the Virginia Tech Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for additional scholarship and financial aid information.