We’re all ears. Before we became players, singers, conductors, and composers, listening was our first love. And it’s still the skill that underlies everything we do at SFCM. Hearing who you are and how far you’ve come is the first step toward a beautiful musical partnership. We can’t wait to hear you.

Audition Requirements: Woodwinds

Live auditions at the Conservatory are required of the following applicants:

• Applicants residing in California

Regional and Final Recording auditions are available for the following applicants:

• Applicants residing outside of California

Final recordings must be submitted online through the formal Application, found here, no later than December 1. All applicants auditioning through USA Schools of Music will have their audition recording uploaded automatically by SFCM.

Flute

Undergraduate (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• One concerto by Mozart (G or D) OR one sonata by J.S. Bach
• One sonata: Hindemith, Piston, Martinu, Poulenc, or a sonata of equivalent difficulty
• One additional piece: Chaminade Concertino, Fauré Fantasie, Enesco Cantabile and Presto, or a piece of equivalent difficulty

Graduate and Postgraduate (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• One concerto: Mozart D Major with cadenzas, Ibert, Nielsen, or a concerto of equivalent difficulty
• One sonata: Martinu, Reynolds, Prokofiev, Gaubert, or a sonata of equivalent difficulty
• Orchestral excerpts

Piccolo

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSD Only (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• 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 Symhony 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)

Oboe

Undergraduate (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• One selection from Barret's 40 Progressive Melodies
• One étude from Barret's 15 Grand Studies or Ferling Etudes
• 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 (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• One selection from Barret's 40 Progressive Melodies
• One étude from Barret's 15 Grand Studies or Ferling Etudes
• One movement from a standard baroque or classical concert piece
• One movement from a standard romantic or modern concert piece
• Six standard orchestral excerpts

English Horn

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSD Only (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• 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

Clarinet

Undergraduate (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• One étude of the candidate's choice from either Rose 32 Études for Clarinet or Baermann Method for Clarinet, Second Division
• Two contrasting movements from one of the following: Mozart Concerto in A Major, Karl Stamitz Concerto in B-flat Major, Weber Concertino Op. 26

Graduate and Postgraduate (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• One étude from Uhl, Sigel, or Jeanjean
• Two of the following works: Debussy Premiere Rhapsody, Stravinsky Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet, Copland Concerto, Nielsen Concerto Op. 57, or Berg Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 5
• Orchestral excerpts

Bass Clarinet

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSD Only (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• 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

Bassoon

Undergraduate (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• Major, minor, and chromatic scales
• Telemann Sonata in F minor
• Milde Scale Studies or Weissenborn Advanced Studies, or other works of equivalent difficulty

Graduate and Postgraduate (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

Orchestral excerpts

Three pieces selected from repertoire below:

• Mozart Concerto, Vivaldi concerti
• Weber Concerto
• Hummel Concerto
• Bach cello suites
• Saint-Saëns Sonata, or other works of equivalent difficulty

Contrabassoon

Postgraduate - Auxiliary Winds PSD Only (repertoire does not need to be memorized)

• Bach Cello Suite  No. 1, Minuets 1 and 2
• Schulhoff Bass Nightingale, Meloncolia
• 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

Audition Dates at SFCM

Flute

January 27
February 3
February 10

Oboe

February 3
February 17

Clarinet

February 2
February 3
February 17

Bassoon

February 2