Choral Conducting
- Conduct from memory two choral pieces of varying character, of which one may have piano accompaniment. The applicant will then be asked to:
- Play from memory — play the a capella work on the piano from memory;
- Analyze — provide an analysis of the two works, which should describe the musical material, relationships between the text and music, and his/her own interpretation of the work;
- Sight-read — sight-read a) a choral piece on the piano, either in closed or open score; b) a simple piano piece;
- Improvise — improvise a piano accompaniment to a familiar tune (i.e. a children’s song), transpose it up or down by a major second;
- Sing — sing a song of the applicant’s free choosing.
After the performance the candidate will be interviewed by a panel of faculty members. During the interview, the examination panel may test the candidate’s knowledge of music and culture. The interview will provide the opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate the sufficiency of their English language skills.
The examination panel will evaluate the following:
- fluency and precision
- expressiveness
- technical proficiency
- familiarity with various musical styles
- conveyance of personal expression
- technical difficulty of the repertoire
- general knowledge of music and culture