Auditions: Undergraduate - Voice | School of Music | DePaul University - Chicago, IL

Classical
All voice applicants are required to submit a pre-audition screening video by December 1.

- First you must apply to DePaul School of Music and submit a prescreen by December 1. After you submit your online application, you may upload your prescreen video under the "Portfolio Submission" section at the following website: DePaul Pre-Audition Recording Upload.

- Applicants should use songs to demonstrate different vocal techniques such as vowels that are sustained and supported over longer note values, vocal agility in passages with quick-moving notes, consistency of tone though low, middle, and high portions of the singers range, etc. Specific requirements and suggested repertoire is below.

- Each song or aria must be recorded in one continuous take and uploaded as an individual file. Recordings should not be edited or spliced. Sample songs are provided below, although students are welcome to choose songs that are not on the list. Selections should be accompanied when appropriate.

- Pre-screen recordings are due by December 1. If your pre-screen is favorably reviewed, you will then be invited to schedule a live audition.

Prescreen Requirements - due by December 1.

Your pre-audition screening video must include two songs, one in English and one in a foreign language. Each song/aria should be uploaded as a single file (2 video files should be uploaded in total).

Audition Requirements

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.
  
  In addition to your recordings outlined above, applicants auditioning by recording are required to submit a video of themselves answering these questions: 1. Why have you chosen your intended major? 2. What draws you to the DePaul University School of Music? 3. What are your ultimate career goals?
- three selections: one song in English and the other two in different languages other than English. Two of the songs may be the songs already presented on the pre-audition recording. If you audition by recording, you may reuse recordings from the pre-screen submissions, but we encourage to to submit new recordings, even if the song remains the same.
- For undergraduate applicants, sight-singing and aural skills will be assesed during the audition.
Suggested Composers:

In addition to the vast repertoire of baroque, classical, romantic, and 20th/21st century music written by Bach, Handel, Mozart, and their contemporaries, students are encouraged to include selections from amongst the list of lesser known composers shown here and their contemporaries.

Above all, students are encouraged to perform the repertoire they sing best. This includes what they sing technically best, what they identify with the most, what represents them the most, and those pieces with which they feel they have the most to communicate.

J.S. Bach, Amy Beach, Johannes Brahms, Harry Burleigh, Antonio Caldara, Ernest Chausson, Saunder Choi, Claude Debussy, Gaetano Donizetti, Gabriel Faure, Reynaldo Hahn, George Frideric Handel, Fannie Mendelssohn, W.A. Mozart, Fernando Obradors, Florence Price, Henry Purcell, Maurice Ravel, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Richard Strauss, Roger Quilter, Giuseppe Verdi, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Hugo Wolf
Jazz
Prescreen Requirements - materials due by December 1.

First you must apply to DePaul School of Music and submit a prescreen by December 1. After you submit your online application, you may upload your prescreen video under the "Portfolio Submission" section in your application portal.

- Sing a ballad (from standard jazz repertoire) one time through the form.

- Sing a medium OR up-tempo swing tune (also from the standard jazz repertoire) with at least half a chorus of vocal improvisation.

Check out the list of jazz standards on this website for ideas: https://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm

Live Audition Details

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.
Live Audition repertoire
- Sing a ballad (from standard jazz repertoire) one time through the form.

- Sing a medium or up-tempo swing tune (also from standard jazz repertoire) with at least half a chorus of vocal improvisation.

- Sing "Blue Monk", demonstrating the melody and at least two choruses of vocal improvisation.

- Sight-read a short passage. (This will be provided in the audition).

* We encourage auditionees, if invited to the in person round of auditions, to choose different material from those in their pre-screen recordings.

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?