Piano Audition Requirements

  1. Two contrasting selections from the classical repertoire.
  2. Major and harmonic and melodic minor scales, hands together, minimum two octaves, in keys up to and including three sharps and three flats.
  3. Arpeggios, hands together, minimum two octaves, in major and minor keys up to and including three sharps and three flats.
  4. Solid and broken triads/four-note chords, two octaves.
  5. Sight-reading.

 

For First Year Entry:

Suggested minimum standard is RCM Grade X; memory strongly encouraged

Examples of repertoire appropriate for entry into the first (1st) year of the BMMA program

  • J.S. Bach - any Prelude and Fugue from the Well-tempered Clavier
  • One movt from Haydn Sonata in B minor Hob. XVI:32; Mozart Sonata in Bb major, K570; Beethoven Sonata Op.14 no. 1/2
  • Chopin Nocturne Op. 72 no. 1; Schubert Impromptu Op. 90 no. 3 or 4
  • Shostakovich or Kabalevsky Prelude; Pentland Studies in Line

The above is only a guide. Instructors assisting students prepare for an audition should use discretion and make appropriate choices that best reflect the candidate's musicality and technical abilities.

 

For Third Year Entry:

Suggested minimum standard is RCM ARCT; memory is strongly encouraged.

Examples of repertoire appropriate for entry into the third (3rd) year of the BMMA program.

  • A Prelude from Bach's English Suite
  • One movement from Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn or Schubert Sonata
  • One work by Chopin, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Schumann, or Rachmaninoff
  • One work in a modern style such as Ginastera, Shostakovich, Prokofiev

The above is only a guide. Instructors assisting students prepare for an audition should use discretion and make appropriate choices that best reflect the candidate's musicality and technical abilities.

 

Foundation Courses for Piano

"If you lack a solid foundation, you compromise the entire structure…In fact, nearly every difficulty you face in your chosen training can be traced to skipping steps in the past—to weaknesses in your foundation." – Dan Millman

Applicants who demonstrate musical talent but have not established a thorough grounding in the practical skills and knowledge of the piano at the appropriate level (i.e., equivalent to Royal Conservatory of Music Grade X) may be permitted to undertake foundation studies (MUSI 1105 & 1205) to upgrade specific musical and technical skills.

Examples of the Repertoire to be eligible to Register for MUSI 1105 – Foundation I

  • J.S. Bach - 2 or 3-part invention; movement from a French Suite
  • Beethoven Sonata Op. 49 no. 1 or 2; Mozart Sonata K.545; Haydn Sonata in D major Hob.XVI:37
  • Chopin Prelude Op. 28 no. 15; Mendelssohn Duetto Op. 38 no. 6
  • Kabalevsky Variations Op. 40 no.1

The above is only a guide. Instructors assisting students prepare for an audition should use discretion and make appropriate choices that best reflect the candidate's musicality and technical abilities.