Jazz Piano Audition Information
All undergraduate applicants must apply to the University of Colorado and complete a College of Music Admission Application. Applications may be obtained online through the Admissions section. Undergraduate auditions will not be scheduled until both applications have been received. Graduate students need only complete the graduate application.
For information on applying for our ensembles, visit the Ensembles section.
Audition requirements
In-person live: Prepare at least 3 selections of your choice from the styles and recommended songs listed below.
- 12-Bar Blues:Play the melody,improvise over the formand demonstrate comping (i.e., chords) over a jazz blues of your choice such as: Blues for Alice, Au Privave, Blues Walk, Now’s The Time
- Medium Up-Tempo Swing:Play the melody,improvise over the formand demonstrate compingover a jazz tunes of your choice such as: Green Dolphin Street, All the Things You Are, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Lady Bird, Autumn Leaves, My Romance, Stella by Starlight, Days of Wine and Roses
- Bebop:Play the melody,improvise over the formand demonstrate compingon a bop tune such as Donna Lee, Confirmation, Ornithology, Oleo
- Latin/Bossa:Play the chords to a Latin tune (or chord melody arrangement) of your choice such as: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
- Ballad:Play a ballad of your choice in chord melody style, such as: In a Sentimental Mood, Body and Soul, What’s New?, My One and Only Love, Misty, My Foolish Heart
- Jazz Waltz:Play the melody,improvise over the form and demonstrate compingon a jazz waltz such as: Someday My Prince Will Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette
Recorded:
If you choose to submit a recorded audition,then record at least 3 selections of your choice from the styles listed below. You can submit more than 3 if you like. You may submit separate recordings or a single continuous recording.
Note: For accompaniment on your recorded audition, students can record with a live band or use play-along tracks such as iReal Pro, Aebersold recordingsor “Learn Jazz Standards” on YouTube.
Virtual-live:
Students participating in virtual live jazz auditions can expect to use this as an opportunity to ask/answer questions; jazz auditions will be 15 minutes each. Additionally, students should prepare a jazz etude or transcription 3-5 minutes in length to perform. No accompaniment is needed.
In addition to the jazz requirements listed above, jazz piano applicants must also play oneclassical excerpt (three minutes in length)
- Theclassical piece can be of a style period of your choice (Baroque, Classicalor Romanticfor example).Additionally, please provide a list of anyother classical repertoire you have studied or performed.
Some suggestions for appropriate audition repertoire include:
- Invention in A minor, No. 13 by J.S. Bach
- Sonatina in C Major, Op. 55, No. 1 by F. Kuhlau
- "Venetian Gondolier," Op. 19, No. 6 by F. Mendelssohn
- Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4 by F. Chopin
- Sonatina Op. 13, No. 1 by D. Kabalevsky
Degree sheets
Graduate (MM) jazz applicant requirements
Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet andjazz voice.
Pre-screening recording
A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate jazz performance and pedagogy applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.
Pre-screening recording requirements
- Five different jazz tunes (applicant’s choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos. Examples of styles include:Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc.) and Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).
- For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
- Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics.
- Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.
Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the ٱ.1.
Graduate degree sheets
Graduate (DMA) jazz applicant requirements
Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet andjazz voice.
Pre-screening recording
A pre-screening recording is required for all graduatejazz studies applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.
Pre-screening recording requirements
- Five different jazz tunes (applicant’s choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos. Examples of styles include: Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc), Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).
- For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
- Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics.
- Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.
Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the ٱ.1.