Incoming First Year and Transfer Students
A student's entire record is evaluated when under consideration for admission to the School of Music including: Grade Point Average (GPA), an interview with a member of the music faculty, a recommendation of a former music teacher, the student's repertoire, and audition results. Student records are reviewed by faculty in the student’s instrument/voice and the Music Merit Scholarship Committee. Deadline for completing is March 1st. All applicants who audition prior to March 1st will be considered for Music Merit Scholarships.
Students will be informed via letter of the decision for being accepted to pursue a music major. This decision is contingent upon students' admission to the 91次元.
Application Steps
1) Apply to the 91次元, and visit Financial Aid
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2) Apply for an Audition with the School of Music
Is an audition required?
Yes. All music majors, minors, and scholarship applicants must audition. Majors must pass a pre-admission audition and be accepted into a performance studio. Scheduled audition days are recommended, but individual or recorded auditions (due by March 1) are accepted. Scholarships are based on audition performance; no separate application is required. Graduate requirements differ slightly.
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3) Prepare for Your Audition
The School of Music pre-admission audition consists of a performance by the student on their principal instrument or voice.
In-Person Audition Dates: February 28th, 2026
- All applicants who audition prior to March 1st will be considered for Music Merit Scholarships.
- To schedule another audition time or submit a pre-recorded audition, please contact Laura Clague at 406-243-6881 or laura.clague@umontana.edu
4) Complete the Letter of Recommendation Form
This must be completed before March 1st. Have someone who knows you in a musical capacity complete the instructor recommendation form.
5) Attend New and Transfer Student Orientations
During the summer and just before the beginning of the fall semester, all new and transfer music majors will meet with with us for a full orientation about the School of Music and registering for music classes. Every student will be assigned a music advisor to assist and advise students into the proper courses. For information about upcoming orientation schedules, visit:
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6) Audition for an Ensemble
Bands, Choirs, Orchestra and Jazz Bands will take place during the first days of the fall semester.
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Request a visit by emailing Laura Clague in the main office. We will set up a time for you to talk to a faculty member in your area of study or the Director of the School of Music, tour the music building and check out our classrooms, practice rooms, and recital hall. Sit in on a class (if here during school hours).
Incoming Graduate Students
1) Apply to the 91次元 Graduate School, and visit the
2) Complete the School of Music .
3) View audition requirements below.
4) Review the information about Financial Assistance and Graduate Assistantships here.
Audition Requirements
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Undergraduate
(All Brass Areas: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba/Euphonium)
Technical Requirements
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All major scales
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Chromatic scale demonstrating full range
Repertoire Requirements
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One lyrical solo or etude and one technical solo or etude, or
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One selection demonstrating both lyrical and technical abilities
Selections should demonstrate tone, range, rhythm, intonation, and technique.
Graduate
(All Brass Areas: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba/Euphonium)
Technical Requirements
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All major and minor scales
Repertoire Requirements
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One lyrical work and one technical work from standard solo literature
Contact the appropriate studio professor for repertoire guidance
For More Info:
Benedict Kirby – benedict.kirby@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
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Undergraduate
Must also meet classical studio requirements for instrument (see your studio requirements)
Repertoire Requirements
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One jazz or blues standard with melody and improvisation
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Bring a lead sheet (faculty accompaniment provided) or play-along track
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Optional: Perform a transcription along with the original recording
Technical Requirements (Instrument-Specific)
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Drums: see Drumset requirements under Percussion (see below).
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Bass: walking bass line required
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Piano/Guitar: comping required
Graduate
Contact the appropriate studio professor for repertoire guidance
For More Info:
Robert Tapper – robert.tapper@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
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Undergraduate
Students must perform on Snare Drum and at least one additional area listed below. Students must bring their own sticks and mallets; instruments will be provided.
Snare Drum (Required)
Technical Requirements
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Rudiments: flam, flam tap, paradiddle, 5- and 7-stroke rolls, single-stroke roll (open–closed–open)
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16-count buzz roll (pp–ff–pp)
Solo Requirement
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One prepared solo
Sample Repertoire
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Wilcoxon, The All-American Drummer (150 Solos)
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Wilcoxon, Solos for the Advanced Swing Drummer
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Pratt, 14 Contest Solos
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Freytag, Rudimental Cookbook
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Whaley, Recital Solos
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Cirone, Portraits in Rhythm
Mallet Keyboard
Requirement
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One prepared solo or etude
Sample Repertoire
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Goldenberg, Modern School for Xylophone, Vibraphone & Marimba (any etude in the back)
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McMillan, Masterpieces for Marimba
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Pimental/Moore, The Solo Marimbist
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Whaley, Musical Studies for the Intermediate Mallet Player
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Hatch, Challenge
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Mitchell Peters (any solo)
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C. O. Musser (any solo)
Timpani
Requirement
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One prepared solo or etude
Sample Repertoire
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Firth, The Solo Timpanist
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Schistine, The Developing Solo Timpanist
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Whaley, Solos and Duets for Timpani
Drumset
Requirements
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Demonstrate ability to play the following styles:
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Medium swing
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Up-tempo swing
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Bossa nova
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Samba
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16th-note funk
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Choose one or more styles and:
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Trade fours with yourself (4 bars of time, 4 bars of solo, repeated), or
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Prepare a written solo
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Graduate
Contact the studio professor for individual audition guidance
For More Info:
Hannah Ransom – hannah.ransom@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
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Undergraduate: Piano
Repertoire Requirements
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Two contrasting pieces from the standard repertoire (no arrangements)
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At least one piece memorized
Sample Repertoire
- Bach: Inventions, Preludes & Fugues
- Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven: Sonata movements
- Chopin: Nocturnes, Preludes
- Debussy: Preludes
- Brahms: Intermezzi
- 20th Century Works: Bartók, Prokofiev, Ginastera, or Shostakovich
Technical Requirements
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Scales and arpeggios, four octaves
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Sight-reading exam
Undergraduate: Organ
The below are in-addition to the keyboard requirements above.
Repertoire Requirements
- One hymn of your choice
Sample Repertoire
- Bach: Eight Little Preludes and Fugues
- Buxtehude, Pachelbel, Walther, or Brahms: Chorale preludes
- Mendelssohn: Sonata movements
- Church service music
Background
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Minimum five years of private piano study
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Prior organ study not required
Graduate
Contact the studio professor for individual audition guidance
For More Info:
Christopher Hahn – christopher.hahn@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
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Undergraduate
Undergraduate students should arrange to audition according to their primary instrument/voice. Students enter the program by taking Composition I during their first year.
Graduate
Graduate Students should submit a portfolio of 3-5 original compositions containing both scores and recordings, demonstrating breadth of experience and variety of instrumentation.
For More Info:
Composition: Bryan Kostors – bryan.kostors@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
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Undergraduate
(All String Areas: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Guitar)
Accompaniment is neither expected nor provided by the 91次元. Auditionees who would like to perform with a pianist should arrange their own accompanists. Original sheet music is required; memorization is encouraged.
Bachelor of Music: Performance
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Three-octave major or minor scale
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One movement of unaccompanied Bach (or similar)
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One contrasting work from the standard repertoire
Bachelor of Music Education / BA in Music / Music Minor
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Three-octave major or minor scale
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Two contrasting works or movements
Non-Music Major
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Three-octave major or minor scale
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Approximately 10 minutes of contrasting repertoire
Graduate
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One unaccompanied work
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One concerto or sonata movement
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Three-octave major and minor scales
Sample Repertoire
Violin
- Concertos by: Bruch, Mendelssohn, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, or Vivaldi
- Sonatas by: Bach, Partitas, Mozart, Beethoven, Shubert, Dvorak
- Other: Works by Telemann, Sarasate, or Kreisler
Viola
- Concertos by: Stamitz, Hoffmeister, Zelter, Telemann, or Bach
- Sonatas by: Marcello
- Other: Bruch - Romance, Mozart - Sonatina in C, Bloch - Suites for Viola
Cello
- Concertos by: Goltermann, Boccherini, Haydn, Saint Saens, Elgar, Dvorak, or Shostakovich
- Sonatas by: Beethoven, Brahms, Vivaldi, Eccles, or Sammartini
- Contemporary solo works by: Ligeti, Hindemith, Walton, or Corigliano.
- Other: Faure - Elegie, Bruch - Kol Nidrei
Bass
- Concertos by: Capuzzi, Dragonetti, or Dittersdorf
- Sonatas by: Marcello, Vivaldi, Handel, Galliard, Eccles, Romberg, Telemann
- Progressive Repertoire by: George Vance, Books 46
Guitar
- Concertos by: Vivaldi, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Rodrigo, or Giuliani
- Solo works and/or Etudes by: Dowland, Milan, Sanz, Visee, Weiss, Bach, Scarlatti, Sor, Giuliani, Llobet, Tarrega, Albeniz, Torroba, Ponce, Villa-Lobos, or Brouwer.
For More Info:
Margaret Baldridge – margaret.baldridge@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
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Undergraduate
Voice talent scholarships are available only to music majors. Students who wish to take voice lessons without being a music major must also audition. Please arrive 10 minutes early to fill out an audition form. All music majors admitted to a voice studio must register for and participate in a Vocal Ensemble.
Repertoire Requirements
An accompanist will be provided. Please bring a printed copy of your music in the key you’ll sing. No a cappella selections, and the accompanist cannot transpose.
- Two songs or arias by memory (one in a foreign language)
- For non-degree lessons, two English selections are acceptable.
- Musical Theatre Majors: two memorized, contrasting musical theater songs (32-bar cuts).
For More Info:
David Cody – david.cody@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.
- Two songs or arias by memory (one in a foreign language)
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Undergraduate
(All Woodwind Areas: Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, Oboe, Basson)
Repertoire Requirements
- Two contrasting solos or etudes demonstrating lyrical and technical command of the instrument.
Technical Requirements
- Chromatic scale ascending and descending full range of instrument in slurred 16th note patterns at quarter note=60.
- All major scales, ascending and descending in two octaves. With the exception of:
- Clarinets: E,F,G scales should be performed 3 octaves.
- Saxophones and Oboes: F♯, G, Ab and A should be performed one octave.
- Bassoons: B♭, B and C should be performed 3 octaves
- Oboes and bassoons: minimal basic reed-making skills
For More Info:
Christopher Kirkpatrick – christopher.kirkpatrick@umontana.edu
Please contact your individual studio professor for suggestions and/or feedback on audition selections.