Brass Audition Requirements

All applicants will submit the following application materials based on their desired degree program. For instrument-specific audition requirements, please scroll down or use these buttons to navigate to the appropriate instrument.

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Trumpet

Audition Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

• All major scales – two octaves when possible (knowledge of all minor scales is preferred but not required)
• Two contrasting selections (etudes or pieces), one that demonstrates technical abilities and one that demonstrates musicality.  
  • For example, Etudes from Concone: “Lyrical Studies” or Snedecor: “Lyrical Etudes” and Small: “27 Melodious and Rhythmical Exercises” or Brandt: “Etudes for Trumpet”. Contact Professor Costa for additional resources if needed.
• Sight-reading (may be asked, not required)

Audition Requirements for Master of Music, Doctor of Arts, and Graduate Performance Certificate

• Choose one of the following etudes from Charlier Transcendental Etudes: #2, #4, #6.
• Two contrasting major solo works of the applicant’s choice that demonstrate the applicant’s complete musical and technical abilities
• At least three standard orchestral excerpts
• Sight-reading

For DA applicants an excerpt or solo piece on the piccolo trumpet in addition to the above requirements is desired, but not required. 

Contact:

Dayvison Nunes Costa at Dayvison.NunesCosta@unco.edu

Trombone

THE FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED AUDITION REPERTOIRE. STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PERFORM REPERTOIRE THAT SHOWCASES THEIR ABILITY. 

Audition Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

• Selected major and natural minor scales in 2 octaves  
• One lyrical etude from "Melodious Etudes for Trombone" by Bordogni/Rochut or equivalent 
• One technical etude, from "40 Progressive Studies for Trombone" by Tyrell or equivalent 
• One solo of your choice from the following:  
  • Barat – Andante et Allegro 
  • De La Nux – Concert Piece 
  • Guilmant – Morceau Symphonique 
  • Weber – Romance 
  • Equivalent piece (please email Prof. Cosio to confirm your solo selection if not listed) 
• Possible sight-reading 

Audition Requirements for Master of Music and Graduate Performance Certificate

• One of the following etudes from Bitsch Quinze Études De Rythme: 
  • 2- Modéré, avec liberté 
  • 4- Bien rythmé 
  • 7- Sans hâte  
• A minimum of two contrasting solos from the following repertoire:  
  • Bloch – Symphony for Trombone 
  • David – Concertino 
  • Ewazen – Sonata 
  • Hindemith – Sonata 
  • Ropartz – Piece for Trombone 
  • Equivalent piece (please email Prof. Cosio to confirm your solo selection if not listed) 
• Minimum of 2 orchestral excerpts from the following orchestral repertoire:  
  • Berlioz – Hungarian March 
  • Brahms – Symphony No. 1 (alto optional) 
  • Mahler – Symphony No 3 
  • Mozart – Tuba Mirum 
  • Ravel – Bolero 
  • Saint-Saëns – Organ Symphony 
• Possible sight-reading 
• OPTIONAL: a piece, movement, or excerpt that showcases ability in doubling (jazz etude/transcription, movement of a solo on alto trombone, chamber music excerpt, etc.) 

Audition Requirements for Doctor of Arts

• A minimum of three contrasting solos from the following repertoire:  
  • Appermont – Colors 
  • Bourgeois – Concerto 
  • Creston – Fantasy 
  • Edwards – Three Calls 
  • Lynn – Doolallynastics 
  • Mozart, L – Concerto (alto) 
  • Equivalent piece (please email Prof. Cosio to confirm your solo selection if not listed) 
• Minimum of 5 orchestral excerpts from the following orchestral repertoire:  
  • Berlioz – Symphony Fantastique (alto optional) 
  • Holst – The Planets, Uranus 
  • Mozart – Requiem, Kyrie (alto only) 
  • Mozart – Requiem, Tuba Mirum (required) 
  • Ravel – Bolero (required) 
  • Rossini – William Tell 
  • Schumann Symphony No, 3, “Rhenish” (alto only) 
  • Strauss – Also Sprach Zarathustra 
  • Strauss – Ein Heldenleben 
• Possible sight-reading 
• Minimum 5 minutes of various pieces, movements, or excerpts that showcase ability in doubling (jazz etude/transcription, movement of a solo on alto trombone, chamber music excerpt, etc.) 

Contact:

Daniel Cosio at Daniel.Cosio@unco.edu

Bass Trombone

THE FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED AUDITION REPERTOIRE. STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PERFORM REPERTOIRE THAT SHOWCASES THEIR ABILITY.

Audition Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

• Selected major and natural minor scales in 2 octaves 
• One lyrical etude from "43 Bel Canto Studies" by Bordogni/Roberts or equivalent 
• One technical etude, from "24 Studies for Bass Trombone” by Grigoriev or equivalent 
• One solo of your choice from the following:  
  • Jacob - Cameos 
  • Koetsier – Allegro Maestoso 
  • Lassen – Zwei Fantasiestücke 
  • Lebedev – Concerto in 1 Movement 
  • Equivalent piece (please email Prof. Cosio to confirm your solo selection if not listed) 
• Possible sight-reading 

Audition Requirements for Master of Music and Graduate Performance Certificate

• One of the following etudes from Bitsch Quartorze Études De Rythme (for bass trombone):  
  • 2- Modéré, avec liberté 
  • 4- Bien rythmé 
  • 7- Sans hâte  
• A minimum of two contrasting solos from the following repertoire:  
  • Bozza – New Orleans 
  • Fetter – Bass Lines 
  • Hidas – Meditation 
  • Lebedev – Concertantes Allegro 
  • Ritter-George – Concerto 
  • Equivalent piece (please email Prof. Cosio to confirm your solo selection if not listed) 
• Minimum of 2 orchestral excerpts from the following orchestral repertoire:  
  • Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 
  • Berlioz – Hungarian March 
  • Haydn – Creation 
  • Kodaly – Hary Janos 
  • Respighi – Fountains of Rome 
  • Schumann – Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish” 
• Possible sight-reading 
• OPTIONAL: a piece, movement, or excerpt that showcases ability in doubling (jazz etude/transcription, movement of a solo on tenor trombone, chamber music excerpt, etc.) 

Audition Requirements for Doctor of Arts

• A minimum of three contrasting solos from the following repertoire:  
  • Bourgeois – Concerto 
  • Brubeck – Concerto 
  • David – Three Imaginary Landscapes 
  • Frank – Variations on “Barnacle Bill” 
  • Gillingham – Sonata 
  • Schnyder – SubZERO 
  • Equivalent piece (please email Prof. Cosio to confirm your solo selection if not listed) 
• Minimum of 5 orchestral excerpts from the following orchestral repertoire:  
  • Bruckner – Symphony No. 7 
  • Haydn – Creation (required) 
  • Mozart – Requiem, Kyrie 
  • Rossini – William Tell 
  • Schumann – Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish” (required) 
  • Strauss – Ein Heldenleben 
  • Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel 
  • Wagner – Das Rheingold 
• Possible sight-reading 
• Minimum 5 minutes of various pieces, movements, or excerpts that showcase ability in doubling (jazz etude/transcription, movement of a solo on alto trombone, chamber music excerpt, etc.) 

Contact:

Daniel Cosio at Daniel.Cosio@unco.edu

Euphonium

THE FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED AUDITION REPERTOIRE. STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PERFORM REPERTOIRE THAT SHOWCASES THEIR ABILITY.

Audition Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

• All major scales – two octaves when possible (knowledge of all minor scales is preferred but not required) 
• One lyrical etude, such as one from "Melodious Etudes for Trombone" by Bordogni/Rochut. 
• One technical etude, such as one from "Selected Studies for Baritone" by Voxman, or "40 Progressive Studies for Trombone" by Tyrell. 
• Select one of the following solos:
  • Barat – Andante and Allegro
  • Capuzzi - Andante and Rondo   
  • Curnow – Rhapsody for Euphonium 
  • Guilmant  - Morceau Symphonique
  • Rüedi - Three Pieces for Euphonium (pick 1-2 movements from the same “piece”)

Audition Requirements for Master of Music and Graduate Performance Certificate

• A minimum of two contrasting solos or movements from the standard solo repertoire.
• Two to six band or orchestral excerpts from the standard band and orchestral audition repertoire.

Audition Requirements for Doctor of Arts

• A minimum of three contrasting solos or movements from the standard solo repertoire.
• Four to six band or orchestral excerpts from the standard band and orchestral audition repertoire.

Contact:

Steven Vaughn at Steven.Vaughn@unco.edu

Horn

Audition Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

• Two or three contrasting works totaling approximately 10 minutes of music. Applicants should choose examples that demonstrate both technical and lyrical strengths. Possible repertoire choices:
  
  • Mozart, Wolfgang A.: any concerto movement 1 or 2
  • Strauss, Richard: Concerto #1 or Concerto #2
  • Strauss, Franz: Concerto Op. 8
  • Saint-Saëns, Camille: Morceau de Concert
• Two octave major scales with arpeggios for Bachelor of Music and two octave with arpeggios when range permits for Bachelor of Music Education 
• Sight reading

Audition Requirements for Master of Music, Doctor of Arts, and Graduate Performance Certificate

• Sight-reading and major & minor scales, with arpeggios in two octaves
• Two movements or works from contrasting style periods that are of comparable difficulty to the following:
  
  • Dukas: Villanelle
  • Gliere: Concerto
  • Hindemith: Sonata
  • Jacob: Concerto
  • Mozart: Concerto #2 or Concerto #4
  • Schumann: Adagio and Allegro
  • R. Strauss: Concerto #1
• Five orchestral excerpts from among the following:
  
  • J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No 1. – Horn 1
  • Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 – Horn 2
  • Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 – Horn 1
  • Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 – 3rd mvt.: 4th horn solo
  • Brahms- Symphony #3 first horn solo
  • Mendelssohn – Nocturne from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
  • Tchaikovsky – Sym. #5 1st horn solo from 2nd mvt.
  • R. Strauss - Ein Heldenleben - Ist horn
  • R. Strauss - Till Eulenspiegel – Ist horn
  • Wagner – Short Call from “Gotterdammerung”

Contact:

Lauren Varley, Lauren.Varley@unco.edu

Tuba

Audition Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

• All major scales – two octaves when possible (knowledge of all minor scales is preferred but not required) 
• One lyrical etude, such as one from "Complete Vocalises for Tuba" by Bordogni (ed. Wes Jacobs preferred). 
• One technical etude, such as one from "60 Selected Studies for Tuba" by Kopprasch, or "40 Advanced Studies for Tuba" by Tyrell. 
• Select one of the following solos: 
  ◦  Capuzzi - Andante and Rondo   
  ◦  Gregson - Concerto, movement 1   
  ◦  Haddad - Suite   
  ◦  Hartley- Suite for Unaccompanied Tuba 
  ◦  Marcello - Sonata in F Major 

Audition Requirements for Master of Music, Doctor of Arts, and Graduate Performance Certificate

• A minimum of two contrasting solos or movements from the standard solo repertoire. 
• Two to six band or orchestral excerpts from the standard band and orchestral audition repertoire. 

Contact:

Steven Vaughn at Steven.Vaughn@unco.edu