Audition requirements
- Admission to the program is dependent on admission to the university AND successful completion of the audition process.
- Repertoire requirements for each instrument are listed below.
Video auditions
- Submit a high-quality video recording of your audition selections, preferably recorded by a professional technician.
- Recordings must be unedited and completed within the past six months with no post-production techniques applied.
- Upload your recording to YouTube or the streaming service of your choice and include the link in your online application under Supporting Documents.
Video audition deadline: December 31
In-person auditions
- If you are interested in scheduling an in-person audition for the MMus Performance program, please contact musi@uvic.ca prior to December 15.
Strings
- Three contrasting movements from any works which demonstrate your highest level of achievement.
- Two of these movements need to be memorized.
String Quartets
The Graduate String Quartet Program is open to pre-formed quartets only. Canadian and International ensembles are welcome to apply.
- For the first round, applicants are asked to submit an audio-visual recording consisting of 3 contrasting movements which reflect their highest level of playing.
- Quartets considered as finalists will be asked to submit additional solo audition material, which will include 1 movement of a concerto and 2 contrasting movements of solo Bach.
- Live auditions will be arranged with each quartet selected in the finals, either in person or through live-streaming. One quartet per year is chosen for this program.
Guitar
- Applicants may audition with three suitable works such as a selection from a Bach suite or sonata, a classical or romantic work such as Giuliani, Coste, Regondi, or Barrios, and a modern work such as Brouwer, Takemitsu, Britten, Rodrigo, etc.
Harp
Bethany McNeil — Administrative Officer
Email: musicadmin@uvic.ca
Flute
For graduate flute auditions and questions or concerns regarding audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Suzanne Snizek ssnizek@uvic.ca.
All graduate flute applicants are requested to submit either a recorded audition (in lieu of a live audition) or, if preferred by the applicant, an online live audition (by arrangement with Dr. Snizek). A short online interview between wind faculty and the applicant may also be requested.
Please note: If necessary, all repertoire may be presented without collaborative piano, in light of the impact of COVID-19.
- Two contrasting movements from a sonata (or the Partita for Solo Flute) by J. S. Bach;
- One movement from a standard concerto (Mozart, Ibert, Haydn, C.P.E. Bach, Jolivet, etc.);
- One movement from a 20th- or 21st-century (tonal) sonata (Prokofieff, Poulenc, Muczynski, Morawetz, Liebermann, etc.);
- One solo avant-garde work (i.e., atonal and/or including "extended techniques" such as the Sequenza by Berio, Mei by Fukushima, In a Living Memory by Ichiyanagi, Air by Takemitsu, Density 21.5 by Varèse, etc.);
Further information about the flute program may be found at the .
Clarinet
- The exposition from movement 1 of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto K. 622 AND two contrasting movements from any works demonstrating your highest level of performance.
- Works with piano accompaniment must be presented with a pianist. The exposition of the Mozart Concerto maybe performed without piano.
Oboe
- Applicants for Graduate study on the oboe should select a varied program of lyrical and technical works from oboe repertoire that would be appropriate for a graduating recital at the Bachelor of Music level.
Saxophone
- MMus auditions should include at least three major works from the applicant’s fourth year of undergraduate study.
- Choose works from the list of recommended audition pieces or works of a similar level; see the and/or contact Professor Wendell Clanton wendell.clanton@gmail.com.
- Applicants for Graduate study should select lyrical and technical passages from solo repertoire that would be appropriate for a graduating recital at the Bachelor of Music level.
- The inclusion of some passages with piano accompaniment is desirable.
Accordion
- Prepare 30 minutes of music covering at least 3 different style periods.
- Your program should be at a level equivalent to or higher than a fourth-year graduating recital.
Piano
- Prepare 45 minutes of music covering at least 3 different style periods.
- Your program should be at a level equivalent to or higher than a fourth-year graduating recital.
- It is recommended that applicants contact the Head in piano, Professor Arthur Rowe (artrow@uvic.ca), to discuss the suitability of repertory well in advance of the audition
- Prepare a varied yet cohesive program of about six pieces (20 minutes duration) with repertoire mainly from the standard Baroque/Classical/Romantic era but also including contemporary music 20th/21st century and or Broadway.
- You will be assessed on vocal technique, quality of presentation, musicality, ability to convey a text with accurate diction as well as knowledge of the repertoire.
- Please contact Benjamin Butterfield, Head of Voice, to discuss potential supervisors.