Piano Auditions

Welcome, piano students!

Below are the audition requirements for the Piano area. For full details—including application requirements and audition dates—please visit our Application & Auditions page.

Audition requirements are updated each September for the upcoming application cycle.

Live auditions will be held on campus in San Francisco, and all piano applicants who advance to the final round are required to audition in person. Applicants unable to attend a live audition may request an alternative format, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis for all programs except the Artist Diploma. If approved, students must submit final audition recordings of all required repertoire and complete a live Zoom audition with faculty. For questions, please contact the Office of Admissions at nccyl@fspz.rqhude.mcfs@ylppa .

Prescreening Requirements

Important Details:

Current SFCM Students: Current SFCM students are not required to submit a pre-screening but must upload the required video essay.
Prescreening Results: Applicants will be informed if they are invited to attend an audition or have been denied in prescreening.
Recordings: All applicants must submit unedited video/audiovisual recordings .
Memorization: All repertoire must be performed from memory except for Contemporary selections.
Multi-Movement Works: Movements from multi-movement works may be uploaded in separate audiovisual files. Include the name of the piece or movement being performed at the very beginning of the recording and/or in your uploaded description.
Underrepresented Groups: As we strive to have a more equal representation of genders, ethnicities, and cultures in our repertoire, we encourage applicants to include one work composed by a woman and/or person from a historically underrepresented racial/ethnic group.

Applicants must have at least 20 minutes of recordings submitted.

One Allegro movement of a Classical period sonata
One work from the Romantic era. Individual movements from larger works are acceptable.
One étude of virtuosity by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti
Additional contrasting works may be included to fulfill the minimum time requirement.

Applicants must have at least 30 minutes of recordings submitted.

One Allegro movement of a Classical period sonata
One work from the Romantic era. Individual movements from larger works are acceptable.
One étude of virtuosity by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti
Additional contrasting works may be included to fulfill the minimum time requirement.

Applicants must have at least 30 minutes of recordings submitted.

One Allegro movement of a Classical period sonata
One work from the Romantic era. Individual movements from larger works are acceptable.
One étude of virtuosity by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti
Additional contrasting works may be included to fulfill the minimum time requirement.

Applicants must have at least 60 minutes of repertoire.

Solo repertoire representing three diverse musical periods. At least two must be large-scale works and performed in full.

Final Audition Repertoire

Important Details:

Memorization: All repertoire must be performed from memory except for Contemporary selections.
Multi-Movement Works: Movements from multi-movement works may be uploaded in separate audiovisual files. Include the name of the piece or movement being performed at the very beginning of the recording and/or in your uploaded description.
Underrepresented Groups: As we strive to have a more equal representation of genders, ethnicities, and cultures in our repertoire, we encourage applicants to include one work composed by a woman and/or person from a historically underrepresented racial/ethnic group.
Artist Diploma: Artist diploma applicants must attend live on-campus auditions in San Francisco.
Recorded Auditions: Final recorded auditions for undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies certificate are available upon request once the scheduling module opens. Please note, recorded auditions may be required to schedule a Zoom interview with the piano area. All recordings must be audiovisual.

Applicants must have at least 30 minutes of repertoire.

One polyphonic work from the Baroque Period, such as a Prelude and Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier, or a fugal movement from a suite.
One complete Classical work by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert
One étude of virtuosity by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti
Two additional works or movements of contrasting style.

Applicants must have at least 50 minutes of repertoire.

One complete Classical work by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert
One étude of virtuosity by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti
Two additional works or movements of contrasting style.

Applicants must have at least 50 minutes of repertoire.

One complete Classical work by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert
One étude of virtuosity by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, or Ligeti
Two additional works or movements of contrasting style.

Applicants must have at least 70 minutes of repertoire.

Solo repertoire representing three diverse musical periods. At least two must be large-scale works and performed in full.