Woodwind Auditions

Below are the audition requirements for the Woodwind 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. If you’re unable to attend in person, virtual auditions via video recording are available upon request once the audition scheduling module opens. Additional details can be found on the Application & Auditions page.

Audition Requirements

Use the drop downs below to review audition requirements for the woodwind area. Repertoire does not need to be memorized, and works with piano do not require a pianist or piano recording. A piano will not be provided at live auditions - applicants should not bring their own accompanist. If you have questions about repertoire selections, please consult your current private teacher or other mentor first.

Prescreening is required for flute and oboe.

Requirements for the bass clarinet, contrabassoon, english horn, and piccolo can be found under the Auxiliary Winds, Postgraduate dropdown.

Pre-Screening

Pre-screening is not required for clarinet applicants. Please prepare final audition material below to be presented at your final audition. Pre-screening videos are not required as part of your application.

Final Audition

Degree Level	Requirements
Undergraduate	One étude from either Rose 32 or Rose 40 Études for Clarinet Two contrasting movements from a concerto by Mozart, Stamitz, or Weber, or a piece of equivalent difficulty. We encourage you to perform a work by a woman and/or person from a historically underrepresented racial/ethnic group to fulfill this requirement.
Graduate and Postgraduate	One étude from Uhl, Jeanjean, or a Kovach Hommage Two of the following works: Copland's Concerto (opening through end of cadenza) Debussy's Premiere Rhapsody D'Rivera's "Lecuonerias" from Cape Cod Files Nielsen's Concerto Op. 57 (opening through end of cadenza) Stravinsky's Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet Tower's Wings Three orchestral excerpts

Pre-Screening

Pre-screening is required for flute applicants.

Degree Level	Requirements
Undergraduate	Mozart Concerto in G or D Major, 1st movement exposition and cadenza French piece (select from the following: Chaminade Concertino, Gaubert Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando, Gaubert Fantaisie, Ganne Andante et Scherzo, Enesco Cantabile et Presto, Faure Fantaisie, Büsser Prelude et Scherzo, Perilhou Ballade) 2 contrasting excerpts
Graduate and Postgraduate	Mozart Concerto in G or D Major, exposition from 1st and 2nd movements, 1st movement cadenza Two contrasting movements of a concerto by Nielsen, Ibert, Reinecke or Jolivet or a sonata by Prokofiev, Reinecke, Liebermann or equivalent difficulty Excerpts: Bach Aus Liebe, Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis, Brahms 4, Ravel Daphnis

Final Audition

Flute final audition requirements.

Degree Level	Requirements
Undergraduate	1st and 2nd movement expositions of the Mozart Concerto in G or D Major, with cadenzas One choice from the following French pieces: Chaminade Concertino, Enesco Cantabile et Presto, Fauré Fantaisie, Gaubert Fantaisie, Gaubert Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando, Ganne Andante et Scherzo, Büsser Prélude et Scherzo, Périlhou Ballade A Baroque work of your choice Three standard orchestral excerpts of your choice
Graduate and Postgraduate	1st and 2nd movements of the Mozart Concerto in G or D Major, with cadenzas Two contrasting movements of a concerto by Nielsen, Ibert, Reinecke or Jolivet or a sonata by Prokofiev, Reinecke, Liebermann or equivalent difficulty A work of your choice for solo flute, composed after 1950 Five orchestral excerpts Bach St. Matthew's Passion Aria "Aus Liebe" Brahms Symphony No.4 Ravel Daphnis et Chloé Debussy Prélude à l'aprés-midi d'un Faune Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis

Pre-Screening

Pre-screening is required for Oboe applicants.

Two contrasting etudes, one from Barret Grand Studies and one from Ferling 48.
Two contrasting movements from concerto/sonata/solo work (movements must be from different works) such as Mozart C Major Concerto, Mozart F Major Quartet, or Marina Dranishnikova’s "Poeme".
Two orchestral excerpts from standard symphonic repertoire.

Final Audition

Degree Level	Requirements
Undergraduate	One selection from Barret's 40 Progressive Melodies One étude from Barret's 15 Grand Studies or Ferling Etudes Marina Dranishnikova's A Poeme for Oboe and Piano One movement from a standard baroque or classical concert piece One movement from a standard romantic or modern concert piece Three standard orchestral excerpts
Graduate and Postgraduate	One selection from Barret's 40 Progressive Melodies One étude from Barret's 15 Grand Studies or Ferling Etudes Marina Dranishnikova's A Poeme for Oboe and Piano One movement from a standard baroque or classical concert piece One movement from a standard romantic or modern concert piece Six standard orchestral excerpts

Pre-Screening

Pre-screening is not required for bassoon applicants. Please prepare final audition material below to be presented at your final audition. Pre-screening videos are not required as part of your application.

Final Audition

Degree Level	Requirements
Undergraduate	Scales One major One minor One chromatic Telemann Sonata in F minor, movements I and II One selection from Milde Scale Studies or Weissenborn Advanced Studies, or other works of equivalent difficulty One solo work of your choice that demonstrates your current level of advancement musically and technically. We encourage you to perform a work by a woman and/or person from a historically underrepresented racial/ethnic group to fulfill this requirement. Transfer undergraduate applicants only: Three orchestral excerpts
Graduate and Postgraduate	Three orchestral excerpts Two contrasting movements selected from within the repertoire below: Mozart Concerto Vivaldi Concerto Weber Concerto Hummel Concerto Bach cello suites Saint-Saëns Sonata One solo work of your choice that demonstrates your current level of advancement musically and technically. We encourage you to perform a work by a woman and/or person from a historically underrepresented racial/ethnic group to fulfill this requirement.

The following majors are offered for the Professional Studies Certificate.

Piccolo

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSC Only

Vivaldi Concerto in C Major, RV 443, Mvmts I and II
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, Mvmt III
Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Berlioz Damnation of Faust, Menuet des Follets
Mahler Symphony No. 2, Mvmt IV Reh 4 and Mvmt V Reh 30-31
Rossini Semiramide Overture
Shostakovich Symphony No. 6, Mvmt I Reh 8-10 and Mvmt II Reh 72-74
On Flute: Expositions from Mvmts I and II of a Mozart Flute Concerto (G or D)

English Horn

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSC Only

Hindemith English Horn Sonata
Bach Cantata No. 1 "Erfüllet, ihr himmlischen göttlichen Flammen", 1-34
Berlioz Rob Roy Overture, two measures before Reh 7 to five measures before Reh 9
Berlioz Rob Roy Overture, both Largetto Espressivo solos
Dvorak New World Symphony
Debussy Nocturnes, Fetes
Ravel Piano Concerto in G
On Oboe: One movement of a standard concert piece, any era

Bass Clarinet

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSC Only

Two movements of a Bach cello suite (transposed or concert pitch)
One solo piece written after 1980
Four bass clarinet orchestral excerpts of the applicant's choice
On Clarinet: One piece from the Graduate clarinet audition repertoire list

Contrabassoon

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSC Only

Bach Cello Suite No. 1, Minuets 1 and 2
Schulhoff Bass Nightingale, Meloncolia
Orchestral Excerpts
- Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvmt. IV, Beginning to repeat
- Shostakovish Symphony No. 5, Mvmt. II solos
- Ravel Ma Mere L'Oye, Mvmt IV, Beauty and the Beast
- Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand, opening solo
On Bassoon: Expositions from Mvmts I and II of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto
On Contra or Bassoon: One solo work of your choice that demonstrates your current level of advancement musically and technically. We encourage you to perform a work by a woman and/or person from a historically underrepresented racial/ethnic group to fulfill this requirement.