Please review and prepare all requirements thoroughly. Auditions are held in person at NIU in February, unless otherwise determined. Register for your audition date.
If you are unable to attend our formal audition days, contact our music admissions coordinator for permission to schedule an independent audition. All voice auditions take place on campus.
Please bring copies of your music for the adjudication panel.
A collaborative pianist will be provided for formal school audition days. No less than one week prior to your audition, please send your accompaniments in PDF format to our music admissions coordinator. You will also need to bring paper copies of your music in a three-ring binder.
Prepare two pieces in contrasting styles with accompaniment. Music should be memorized. It is very helpful if the audition repertoire shows different musical styles and languages.
Your audition will also include short exercises to assess pitch matching and music sight reading skills.
Suggested classical composers: Quilter, Purcell, Vaughan Williams, Barber, Donaudi, Tosti, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann
Suggested musical theatre composers: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe, American Songbook (Arlen, Berlin, Gershwin, Porter), Bernstein, Sondheim (Non-belting songs)
Prepare four pieces in contrasting styles with accompaniment. At least one selection needs to be an aria and at least one selection an art song. Arias can be chosen from Opera, Operetta and Oratorio repertoire. Music should be memorized.
Your audition will also include short exercises to assess pitch matching and music sight reading skills.
Suggested oratorio composers: Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn
Suggested opera composers: Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, Puccini, Gounod, Bizet
Suggested art song composers: Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Faure, Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, Donaudi, Tosti, Quilter, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Beach, Price