Music Auditions and Scholarships

All students wishing to be accepted to programs leading to a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Bachelor of Arts in Music, or a music minor must audition for the Music Department faculty. Students must audition in-person or submit a recorded video audition.

All students who audition for the Music Department will be automatically considered for a music scholarship.

Join us at SXU by completing the following steps:

Complete your application to SXU with the Office of Admission.
Schedule an audition date via our Online Application.
Complete and return a Letter of Recommendation Form (PDF) via email at musicFREESXU.

The audition dates for the 2023-2024 are:

November 9, 2024
February 15, 2025
March 22, 2025
April 26, 2025

Where travel distance is a problem, an applicant may submit a high-quality video recording in lieu of a personal appearance. Students may audition in more than one degree area.

Scholarship Opportunities

A student wishing to study as a music major or minor must audition for admission to the Music Department as a music major or music minor candidate. Music scholarships and talent awards are available and are renewable each academic year based on continued study and earned GPA. Music scholarships are also available to non-majors for ensemble participation based on playing and/or singing ability and ensemble need. Ensemble participation scholarships are open to all students regardless of major, but an audition is necessary.

In addition to music scholarships students may receive other forms of Financial Aid, including Presidential Scholarships, Leadership Scholarships, need- and merit-based grants, work study awards and student loans.

For further information about admission or scholarships, please contact the Music Department at 773-298-3448.

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Audition Requirements

Auditions for admittance to the Saint Xavier University Music Department will consist of the following:

Demonstration of major scales up to 3 sharps and 3 flats (preferably two octaves or more) and a full-range chromatic scale. Percussionists should prepare as many of the PAS 26 American Drum Rudiments as possible.
Sight-reading
Prepared solo or two études of contrasting styles (i.e. technical and lyrical)
Students wishing to pursue a B.A. in Jazz & Commercial Emphasis see Jazz/Commercial audition requirements
All pianists should follow the audition requirements listed under Piano, for the B.A., B.M. or minor.

Each audition should contain 6-8 minutes of music and take approximately 15 minutes.

Preparation

Standard Repertory: One or more solo or étude excerpts that demonstrate technical proficiency on the ones instrument as well as musicality, ideally in contrasting styles. The ILMEA audition materials from the current or previous years may be used as part of the audition; other examples may be found below. The pieces do not have to be memorized. If you are preparing repertoire for another audition, you may use that music for your SXU audition.
Scales: It is expected that the music student would know at a minimum the major scales through three sharps and three flats (minimum) and a chromatic scale. These scales should be performed from memory and should include the full range of the instrument. Students who do not know these scales are still encouraged to audition, but they should expect to learn them quickly upon admission to the Music program.
Sight-reading: The best way to "practice" sight-reading is to sight-read regularly, paying close attention not only to notes and rhythms but also to dynamics, articulations, and other musical nuances.
Pitch Matching: Students will be asked to sing back a series of notes played to them.

Instruments

Voice

Audition Requirements

All prospective majors and minors who select voice as their principal area of applied music study must audition for the music faculty.

Digital copies of audition repertoire should be sent to music@sxu at least two weeks prior to audition date.

In addition to a brief interview with faculty, major and minor applicants should expect to:

1.Perform prepared memorized solo literature.

Two classical art songs, or one classical art song and one aria. (See Suggested Repertoire)
Pieces should be contrasting in style.
Preferably one piece should be in English and one in another language: Italian, German, French, Spanish, Latin, etc.

2. Sight read selected short examples, a cappella.

3. Demonstrate tonal skills.

- Sing several melodic intervals (of two or more notes) after hearing them played from the keyboard.
- Sing individual notes from a triad after hearing it played from the keyboard.

*An accompanist will be provided for the audition at no cost to the student.

Music Auditions and Scholarships

Join us at SXU by completing the following steps:

The audition dates for the 2023-2024 are:

Quick Links

Scholarship Opportunities

Audition Requirements

Auditions for admittance to the Saint Xavier University Music Department will consist of the following:

Each audition should contain 6-8 minutes of music and take approximately 15 minutes.

Preparation

Instruments

Voice

Voice

Audition Requirements

1.Perform prepared memorized solo literature.

2. Sight read selected short examples, a cappella.

3. Demonstrate tonal skills.

Voice

Suggested Repertoire Sources

1. Compiled by: Joan Frey Boytim, Publisher: G. Schirmer

2. Editor: Dallapiccola: Vols I, II, High, Medium, Low; Publisher: International

3. Publisher: G. Schirmer

4. Publisher: Alfred

5. Publisher: G. Schirmer

Piano

Piano

Audition Requirements

B.A. Music, B.M. Music Education and Music Minor

1. Perform prepared solo literature. Choose 2 of the following 3 categories:

2. Perform major and harmonic minor scales, hands together in parallel motion, minimum 2 octaves.

3. Sight read selected short examples from standard piano literature.

Woodwinds

Flute

Sample Solo Literature:

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Oboe

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Clarinet

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Bassoon

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Saxophone

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Brass

Trumpet

Sample Solo Literature:

Sample Études:

Other possibilities might include:

French Horn

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Trombone

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Technical Études

Sample Lyrical Études

Other possibilities might include:

Euphonium

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Tuba

Sample Solo Literature

Sample Études

Other possibilities might include:

Percussion

Percussion

Audition Requirements

Percussion

Suggested Repertoire

Symphonic

Rudimental

Sample Solo Literature

Preludes, Dances, and other Lyrical Works

Choose two songs of contrasting style to perform or submit a recording for your audition.

NOTE: You may submit more than two if you would like.