Music (BMus)

The BMus General program provides excellent preparation for a wide range of career paths. All Bachelor of Music students follow this program for the first two years of study. Many students choose to remain in the General program, where there is considerably more flexibility in elective courses in years three and four. 

Composition students develop their skills in composing music through projects with ensembles and solo performers as well as our state-of-the-art computer music studio, aided by award-winning composition professors. Students interested in Composition will normally do a Composition entrance audition. If a student wishes to transfer to Composition from another B. Music program or from the B. Jazz Studies, they must submit a portfolio of compositions and meet with the Associate Dean (undergraduate programs) and the Composition faculty to discuss their request. 

In the History concentration, students learn from dynamic scholars who are internationally respected for their research and publications. The areas covered by core and elective courses range from early music to 21st century popular genres. Students may apply to move into the History concentration at the end of second year if they have maintained minimum grades of B+ in specified courses. 

Students in the Performance concentration are mentored by outstanding artists whose teaching is informed by years of professional experience. Students may apply to move into the Performance concentration at the end of second year if they have maintained a satisfactory standing and receive the recommendation of the second-year jury panel.

This innovative program provides a route for future music educators to complete an in-depth study of music and music education before moving on to a Bachelor of Education After Degree. Students choose one of four concentrations: Early/Middle Years, Choral, Instrumental, or Guitar/Strings and can use their electives for further study in music or to gain background in one of the other music education concentrations. 

Students are accepted into Music Education program in third year provided they are in good academic standing and have successfully completed MUSC 2100 (Introduction to Music Teaching and Learning) and MUSC 2460 (Conducting).

Applications to the University of Manitoba are completed online. To begin your application, select the "Start or continue your application" button. The online application includes several parts: 

• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Two letters of recommendation from a music/band teacher, and/or private music instructor
• A personal essay of 250-300 words which outlines your musical aspiration and plans to achieve them. 
• Portfolio (For Composition applicants)
• Proof of English Language proficiency (if applicable)
• Transcripts

To be considered for Desautels Faculty of Music scholarships, applicants must meet the application deadline and audition during the advertised audition dates. Applicants will be notified 2-3 weeks after the application deadline to arrange their audition and interview.

The audition may take up to 30 minutes. Whether you are auditioning in-person or by video recordings, the audition will involve:

• performing up to 10-12 minutes of prepared music that fulfill the audition requirements specified by the area;
• a brief interview covering a range of areas including your background and experience in music performance;
• assessing aural and technical skills.

Accompanists: Vocal and instrumental pieces must be accompanied. Making arrangements for accompanists on the day of audition or video recording is the responsibility of the student.

Audition fee: Students auditioning in-persion must pay a $25 fee. This fee reserves the audition spot.  If an applicant auditions to more than one (1) instrument or voice, they must pay an additional $25 fee per audition. Payments must be made before the audition at the Music General office.

Portfolio

Submit a portfolio containing scores and recordings of your compositions. The portfolio should reflect your experience and interest as a composer, and, ideally, should cover range of instruments and creative approaches. There is no specific number of compositions that we require, but a typical portfolio contains around five pieces. Quality is more important than quantity, and you should not submit more than eight compositions (but normally not fewer than three).

Scores: We prefer scores to be submitted digitally; only pdf files are acceptable.

Recordings: Recordings of live performances are preferred. Computer simulations are acceptable, but should not replace available live recordings. (Regardless, we will not judge the quality of the performance on a recording, only the composition itself). If recordings are not available, you may submit only scores. If you submit an electroacoustic piece, a score may not be necessary. Recordings may be uploaded to an online site such as SoundCloud or equivalent, and should be submitted as either mp3 files or wav files.

Prepared performance

You must perform one or two short pieces, or sections of pieces, on your primary instrument or voice. Normally these are not your own compositions. This portion of the audition will be similar to an  instrumental audition, but shorter (5–7 minutes). Either or both of the pieces may be accompanied or unaccompanied.

Sight reading

There will be a short test to check your basic musicianship skills (sight-reading, rhythm and melody playback, interval singing, etc.).

Interview

There will be a brief interview covering a range of areas, including your background and experience in composition.

Audition pieces

Your audition should include:

• Three pieces in contrasting styles (a minimum grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music).
• At least one piece performed from memory.

Musicianship

There may be a short test to check your basic musicianship skills (sight-reading, rhythm and melody playback, interval singing, etc.).

Interview

There will be a brief interview covering a range of areas, including your background and experience in piano performance.

For all instruments and audition pieces, memorization preferred but not required.

Violin

1. J.S. Bach: Any movement from Sonata or Partita for violin solo
2. First movement, or second and third movements of any standard violin concerto
3. Piece of own choice for violin solo or violin and piano

Viola

1. J.S. Bach: Any movement from Sonata or Partita for violin solo, or any movement from Suite for cello solo.
2. Any Baroque or Classical concerto, first movement
3. Piece of your own choice for viola solo or viola and piano

Cello

1. Prelude and Courante movement from the same J.S. Bach Solo Cello Suite, your choice
2. Two movements from a standard cello concerto (i.e., Haydn C or D major, Dvorak, Schumann, Elgar, Shostakovich); Tchaikovsky Rococo variations (choose up to four variations to perform)
3. A piece of your own choice for solo cello or cello sonata (no arrangements or transcriptions)

Double bass

1. Two contrasting pieces of applicant’s choice
2. Three orchestra excerpts: by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart or Strauss
3. One major scale, one harmonic minor scale, one minor scale of your choice in two or three octaves

Sight-reading may be required.

Guitar

1. One movement of a Baroque or Renaissance suite
2. One movement of a Classical or Romantic major work (concerto, sonata, suite, etc.) for guitar
3. One piece representing a 20th/21st century work for guitar

Audition pieces

Your audition should include three contrasting pieces in at least two languages.

• One of the pieces must be in English.
• Two of the three pieces should be from the classical repertoire and one can be drawn from either the folk or musical theatre repertoire.

Sight reading

There may be a short test to check your basic musicianship skills (sight reading, rhythm and melody playback, interval singing, etc.).

Interview

There will be a brief interview covering a range of areas, including your background and experience in vocal performance. 

Woodwind

Perform two contrasting selections, at least one of which must be with piano accompaniment. (Approximately 10-12 minutes of music)

Brass

Perform two contrasting selections, at least one of which must be with piano accompaniment. (Approximately 10-12 minutes of music)

Percussion

Prepare three contrasting works on snare drum, keyboard percussion and timpani. Percussionists may, but are not required, to perform works with piano accompaniment.

Scales

• Play any major scale.
• Play a chromatic scale starting on any note.

Sight reading

• Play a short piece at sight.
• Speak rhythms at sight while clapping or tapping a steady beat.

Playback

Students play back a short melody after hearing it played.

Sing

Students sing O Canada, or another well-known song of the student’s choice.

Interview

There will be a brief interview covering a range of areas, including your background and experience in performance. 

The Theory Entrance exam assesses competency in music rudiments and is usually written on the day of the audition. A grade of 70% or higher is required for admission to the Desautels Faculty of Music. Royal Conservatory Advanced Rudiments or equivalent is generally adequate preparation.

• Sample Theory exam

If you have successfully completed MUSC 1930 – Rudiments of Music at the University of Manitoba or the Theory Entrance Exam Preparation (TEEP) class through Prep Studies, you are exempted from writing theory exam on the day of your audition. TEEP exam results are only valid for a single admission year.

• Prep Studies - Group theory classes
• Musc 1930 - Rudiments of Music

Decisions will be posted to the applicant's portal. Applicants must log in to their application portal to view the decision and to accept or decline their offer by the deadline date indicated in the letter. It is imperative that email accounts remain current and that emails and application portals are regularly checked.

• Check your application status