What are some good audition pieces for a masters of music program in clarinet performance? ?

Question

i have a few pieces in mind but i'd like to get some more feedback if possible. thank you!

Answer 1

Well, first you should have a list of required (or at least preferred) repertoire from all the schools you are planning to audition for.

Second, your private instructor from your BA should have begun preparing you on said pieces... if not, you got gypped and should find a private teacher quick quick to walk you through what's expected.

Most Masters programs require 2-3 major concerti or sonatas- in full- from contrasting periods... either 1 Classical or Romantic, and 1 from 20th Century.  They may also require 3-4 excerpts of contrasting styles.  Most Graduate programs ask for about 30 minutes of repertoire, and recommend piano accompaniment.

Some good examples would be:

Concerti

Works by Mozart, Spohr, Nielsen, Finzi, Hindemith

Sonatas

Works by Brahms, Reger, Schumann, Muczynski, Stravinsky, Bartok and Milhaud

Chamber Music (good for excerpts)

Works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Spohr, Brahms, Bruch, Hindemith, Barber, Khatchaturian, Bartók, Milhaud, Messiaen, Bergsma, Berger, Françaix, etc.

(*As per the University of North Carolina... but this is the same criteria across the board, give or take a piece.  http://www.ncarts.edu/music/gradprograms...

I know I didn't list anything specific, as that is up to you and your BA instructor to determine.  When you get to the Master's level, they become more interested in your specializations- are you great as a Baroque performer, but shite with 20th Century?  They assume you know your scales (ALL, full range and with arppegios), and are looking mainly for lyricism, tonal quality, and musicianship.

If you are looking for specific pieces, here is a link to Caroline Hartig's list (she's the clarinet professor at Michigan State):

http://www.carolinehartig.com/pdfs/reper...

This includes both BA (BM) and MA (MM) repertoire, but is quite extensive and specific.

Anyways, hope this helped! Good Luck! :)