Piano performance audition info

All undergraduate applicants must apply to the University of Colorado Boulder and complete a College of Music Admission Application. Applications may be obtained online. Undergraduate auditions will not be scheduled until both applications have been received. Graduate students need only complete the graduate application.

Note: All graduate piano performance and piano pedagogy applicants must also apply for the Graduate Assistantship in accompanying and teaching. Submit this form by Jan. 1.

Audition requirements

Applicants should be prepared to play 15 minutes of music consisting of three or more contrasting pieces. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include repertoire by composers from historically underrepresented groups (including women), and to demonstrate their personal strengths and interests in their repertoire choices.

  • Students applying for a BM degree (other than composition):
    • A work by J.S. Bach, at the level of a suite or prelude and fugue
    •  A sonata-allegro form movement from a Classical period sonata
    • One or two pieces of your choice
    • At least two works must be memorized
    • The audition committee is looking for well-prepared, technically sound, confident, musical and stylistically appropriate performances
  • Students applying for a BM-Composition, BME or BA degree:
    • Three works, two of which must be classical genre representing two different periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Contemporary).
    • The third work is free choice, including: an original composition, an improvisation, a work in a non-classical genre or another classical work.
    • At least one of the classical works must be performed from memory.

There are two options to audition to be a piano major, which are different than other studios. You can choose to audition live for the piano faculty at CU Boulder OR submit a recorded audition in conjunction with a scheduled virtual interview. If you choose the virtual option, you will be required to submit a video recording of your audition repertoire by Feb. 1 and schedule a virtual interview. The piano faculty will not be hearing live virtual performances on Feb. 10. Playing will be evaluated from the submitted recording and a virtual interview will be scheduled during that day. Recorded auditions will only be considered for acceptance to the piano program following a live virtual interview.

Technical guidelines for recordings

Piano performance     
Roser Piano and Keyboard Program

2024 Piano audition date: Jan. 27

Pre-screening videos should follow the same guidelines as the audition requirements. Applicants should prepare a program of at least 45 minutes, consisting of three or more contrasting works representative of a variety of styles. The repertoire presented for pre-screening does not need to be exactly the same as that offered for the audition.

Master of Music


Applicants should prepare a program of at least 45 minutes, consisting of three or more contrasting works representative of a variety of styles. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate their personal strengths and interests in their repertoire choices, and to include repertoire by composers from historically underrepresented groups.

Doctor of Musical Arts


Applicants should prepare a program of at least 60 minutes, consisting of four or more contrasting works representative of a variety of styles. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate their personal strengths and interests in their repertoire choices, and to include repertoire by composers from historically underrepresented groups. 

Graduate degree sheets

Piano performance     
Roser Piano and Keyboard Program