School of Music > Admission & Aid > Auditions > Undergraduate/Teacher Licensure > Piano

Auditions: Undergraduate - Piano

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Pianists may choose to perform either a classical or jazz audition. Applicants who wish to schedule both may do so. Jazz pianists are required to submit a prescreen by ​December 1. Classical pianists are not required to submit a prescreen.

For jazz applicants, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click the Jazz Piano drop-down box for audition requirements.

Successful applicants will be assigned to the applied studios within the category (classical or jazz) for which they have auditioned. If an applicant wishes to study in both the jazz and classical studios they must apply for both programs. To do so, contact musicadmissions@depaul.edu​​. 

Please see the audition requirements below.

We encourage all applicants, if at all possible, to audition in-person.  

  • Live audition dates are scheduled during the weekends in February. Review list of audition dates by instrument here.
  • ​Recorded video auditions are available by request and must be submitted by February 1 to your Blue Demon Domain (for undergraduates) or your application portal (for graduates/post-masters), in the “edit portfolio" section. To enable the recorded audition submission, contact musicadmissions@depaul.edu.

Classical Piano Performance Majors

Candidates intending to major in Piano Performance must prepare one selection from EACH of the following categories. Memorization is required.
  • One prelude and fugue from J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier
  • A complete Classical sonata; e.g. Clementi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, etc.
  • One Romantic work from the 19th century/early 20th century 
  • One virtuoso etude; e.g. music by Chopin, Czerny, Clementi, Moshkowsky, Mosheles (excluding Chopin’s Opus 10, Nos. 3 and 6; Opus 25, No. 7; and the Trois nouvelles études)

Non-performance Majors (Music Education, Composition, Bachelor of Arts, Sound Recording Technology - Performance Track and Performing Arts Management - Bachelor of Music)

Candidates intending to major in something other than Piano Performance must prepare one selection from EACH of the following categories. Memorization is preferred but not required. Candidates performing with music are required to use published editions—photocopies are not acceptable. Student compositions or pieces in popular styles are not acceptable for the purpose of this audition.​​
  • One work by J.S. Bach, excluding the Anna Magdalena Notebook
  • One movement of a Classical sonata; e.g. music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, etc.
  • One 19th or 20th century selection of the candidate’s choice (excluding student compositions or pieces in popular styles)
 
Recorded Interview Questions (only applicable to those who select a recorded submission to audition)
​Please upload a video that is no longer than 2-3 minutes and responds to the below questions:
What is your musical background?
Why are you applying to DePaul?​

Prescreen Repertoire:

Prescreens are due by December 1 and only video formats will be accepted. You must first submit your application in order to receive the login information to upload your pre-screen.

Choose two (2) compositions from each of the following categories: 

Blues (medium tempo) – Suggested tunes: Billie’s Bounce, Au Privave, Blue Monk, etc.

American songbook (med tempo) - Just Friends, All of Me, There Will Never Be Another You, My Romance, Autumn Leaves, Fly Me To The Moon

Format: One chorus melody, two choruses chordal accompaniment, two choruses solo improvisation, one chorus melody

 

Audition Repertoire:

We encourage all applicants, if at all possible, to audition in-person.  

  • Live audition dates are scheduled during the weekends in February. Review list of audition dates by instrument here.
  • ​Recorded video auditions are available by request and must be submitted by February 1 to your Blue Demon Domain (for undergraduates) or your application portal (for graduates/post-masters), in the “edit portfolio" section. To enable the recorded audition submission, contact musicadmissions@depaul.edu. 

1) Au Privave (Charlie Parker)

Format: One chorus melody, two choruses comping, and four choruses solo improvisation

2) Choose TWO compositions from each of the following lists to be performed in a solo piano style:

BALLAD

In a Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)

Body and Soul (Johnny Green)

My Foolish Heart (Victor Young)

Autumn in New York (Vernon Duke)

Almost Like Being in Love (Lowe/Lerner)

Angel Eyes (Dennis/Brent)

MED TEMPO

There Will Never be Another You (Warren)

Green Dolphin Street (Kaper/Washington)

I Remember You (Schertzinger)

All of Me

But Not For Me (Gershwin)

Speak no Evil (Wayne Shorter)

Recorded Interview Questions (only applicable to those who select a recorded submission to audition)

​Please upload a video that is no longer than 2-3 minutes and responds to the below questions:

What is your musical background?

Why are you applying to DePaul?​

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