Program Audition Information
The NIU School of Music's program audition materials are designed to allow you to share a snapshot of your musical journey through a flexible performance of repertoire and technique. During your audition, our faculty members are listening for your strengths as a musician and how they can assist with your musical next steps.
Bachelor of Music (Education, Performance and Composition)
Students seeking to enter our Bachelor of Music (B.M.) program are required to complete our School of Music application and an audition.
Bachelor of Arts in Music
If you are interested in our Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you have two options to choose from for admission to your degree program:
- Complete our School of Music application and an audition.
- Begin as a pre-music student and undergo a review at the end of your first year of school.
Music Minor
Upon admission to NIU in another degree path, you may choose to declare a music minor, for which you are required to complete an audition. Audition materials for our music minor are the same as requirements listed in our Audition Materials below unless otherwise noted.
While music minor auditions should be completed prior to any posted deadlines, you will work with our music advisor at the beginning of the term indicated in your music application to formally declare your music minor.
Graduate Degrees
Master of Music (M.M.) students are required to complete an instrumental or vocal audition in addition to their application if their intended degree is performance or our jazz studies individualized specialization. If you are interested in pursuing your master’s in wind, choral, or orchestral conducting, please reach out to our music admissions coordinator to schedule your on-site conducting audition.
Students intending to earn a Performer’s Certificate (P.C.) from our School of Music must also complete an audition for admission.
All Applicants
Following a successful audition for one of our music degrees, you will be formally admitted to the School of Music in the degree path you indicated on your application to NIU.
Bachelor of Music in Composition
In addition to your program audition for our Bachelor of Music program, composition applicants are required to complete a program interview with our Composition and Theory Area Coordinator.
Graduate Degrees
Graduate students applying for our world music, recording, or composition individualized specializations are required to complete an interview with area faculty.
All Applicants
Program interviews will typically be conducted via Microsoft Teams on our formal program interview day. Certain interviews may require a portfolio to have been submitted prior. Please review our Audition Materials and Requirements below to determine whether your area will require a portfolio.
Submit your application materials for both the university and the School of Music and register for an audition before the following dates for priority admission and scholarship consideration for the fall 2025 semester:
- Undergraduate – Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026
- Graduate – Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026
Following priority deadlines, applications and auditions will be considered and reviewed as studio space remains available or until the following dates, whichever occurs first:
- May 15 for auditions prior to the following fall semester.
- Dec. 1 for auditions prior to the following spring semester.
Audition dates for students starting in fall 2026 are as follows:
- Friday, Feb. 6, 2026
- Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026
- Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 (program interviews)
- Friday, Feb. 20, 2026
- Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026
If you have conflicts on all dates applicable to your instrument, please contact our music admissions coordinator.
For students seeking admission for the spring 2026 semester, please contact our music admissions coordinator to schedule an independent audition on a date prior to Dec. 1.
Repertoire and additional requirements for your program audition are categorized by area below. In addition to performing your prepared audition repertoire, your audition will include an aural skills assessment, which may include sight-reading and pitch matching.
- Check in at our Music Building.
- Attend our welcome meeting.
- Prepare in our practice rooms.
- Audition at your scheduled time.
You are required to attend our morning welcome meeting and your parents are also welcome and encouraged to attend. In the meeting, we’ll talk about our School of Music, our degrees and various opportunities you’ll have at NIU.
If you have been approved for a virtual audition, you are not required to attend our morning meeting.
Accessibility
At the NIU School of Music, we are committed to making our entire application process accessible and equitable. Please let us know if you need any special accommodations for your audition day.
Virtual Auditions
If your travel situation makes it impossible to be present for a live audition, you must receive permission from our music admissions coordinator and our faculty to complete your audition procedures virtually. Certain studios may permit you to complete your initial audition procedures virtually before requiring you to join us on campus for an independent live audition.
Once approved, you will be registered for a virtual audition and interview by our music admissions coordinator. In most cases, you will be required to submit a YouTube video to our admissions coordinator that will be added to your application for review by our faculty. Video submissions must not be edited or enhanced to change the quality of the audition. If the video submitted is suspected of being edited or enhanced, you will be asked to submit a new audition.
In addition to your video submission, you will be required to attend a virtual interview held on Microsoft Teams. Virtual interviews will be held on our formal audition days. You will receive a link to your Microsoft Teams meeting in the days prior to your scheduled date.
Group Piano Placements
Undergraduate students who audition and are accepted into one of our piano studios are exempt from taking group piano courses.
Group piano placement exams take place in August prior to the beginning of the school year. Students starting in the spring may contact our music admissions coordinator to explore options prior to priority deadlines. For more information about testing out of group piano courses, please contact our piano faculty or music admissions coordinator.
Music Theory Placements
Undergraduate students who have taken some theory and aural skills coursework but not completed a full Music Theory and Aural Skills I through IV sequence with C’s or better will enroll in the next appropriate level of Music Theory and Aural Skills, determined in consultation with our music advisor and theory faculty. Based on the number of theory and aural skills courses previously taken, students may take the music theory placement exam to attempt a higher placement.
First-year students who have completed any music theory coursework in high school or the AP Music Theory Exam are welcome to take our placement exam if interested in attempting a higher music theory placement. Instead of transferring as a music theory-specific credit, the advanced placement (AP) credit for music theory will transfer as a general course credit.
Music theory placement exams take place in August prior to the beginning of the school year. For students beginning in the spring, please contact our music advisor with questions about music theory placement exams.
Graduate Diagnostic Exams
Graduate students will be provided with an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in the areas of music theory and history via our diagnostic exams prior to our school year beginning. Students who pass these exams will not be required to take music theory and history review courses. More information about these diagnostics, including study guides, will be shared in the weeks prior to your first semester.