Program Requirements
Doctor of Musical Arts: Conducting (Choral, Orchestral and Wind)
Prescreening required; must be video format. If possible, prescreening repertoire should be separated into different video files. It is also acceptable to upload a single video file that contains all required prescreening repertoire. Please see the Graduate Application for more information.
Applicants must have completed a Master of Music degree in Conducting for application to the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting.
Fall 2025 Audition Dates:
Choral: January 27 & 29 | Orchestral: February 4, 6, 18, & 20 | Wind: February 17
For Prescreening:
• Demonstrate conducting skills in both rehearsal and performance situations. Additional audio recordings of performances may be submitted, especially if the audio aspect of the video recording is not high quality.
For Final Audition:
- Applicants invited to campus for a live audition will be informed of the scores to be prepared. Candidates will need to obtain and study the scores in preparation to conduct and rehearse all or any part of them. Scores may be marked any way the applicant wishes. All auditions will take place with one of the Bienen School of Music's major ensembles, and both rehearsal and performance conducting will be tested.
- An interview with the conducting faculty will be scheduled to provide faculty with the opportunity to learn about the applicant’s goals, ambitions, and needs; assess the candidate’s ability to communicate and project their own personality; and evaluate the strength of the applicant’s motivation to pursue a graduate degree and subsequent career in conducting. Choral candidates should be prepared to sing a solo song, with provided accompanist, demonstrating range and stylistic flexibility, as well as read at sight and demonstrate their comfort with Italian, French, and German, as well as offer additional languages in which they are proficient.
- Applicants will be given an entrance exam covering ear training, terms, score analysis, and knowledge of repertoire.