Music (Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Performance)

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
• A personal essay of 250-300 words which outlines your musical aspiration and plans to achieve them
• Curriculum Vita
• Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
• Proof of English Language proficiency (if applicable)

Applicants will be emailed 1 - 2 weeks after the application deadline to arrange their audition and interview.

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

• performing up to 15-20 minutes of prepared music fulfilling the audition requirements for your area of study;
• an interview covering a range of areas, your background and experience in music performance;
• assessing aural and technical skills

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

Classical instrument or voice audition fee: Students auditioning in-person 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.

Jazz audition fee: Jazz students auditioning in-person must pay a $50 fee. This fee covers the expense of the collaborating musicians to be provided by the Faculty. Payments must be made before the audition at the Music General office.

Collaborative Piano audition fee: Collaborative piano students auditioning in-person must pay a $50 fee. This fee covers the expense of the collaborating musicians to be provided by the Faculty. Payments must be made before the audition at the Music General office.

The audition program should consist of the following:

Instrumental

• First movement of any Beethoven violin or cello sonata
• One movement of any violin or cello sonata by Brahms or Franc

Vocal (All to be played in original keys)

• Schubert - Gretchen am Spinnrade OR Ganymed
• Strauss – Allerseelen OR Zueignung
• Debussy – Il pleure dans mon Coeur OR Faure – Clair de Lune

Solo

• Piano solo of your choice, approximately 7-10 minutes in duration. This can be a short piece or  movement(s) from any larger work.

Audition pieces

The audition program should consist of:

• A medium tempo blues selection:
  • Play melody and a minimum of two improvised choruses
  • Rhythm section players must comp for a soloist
• A jazz standard of your choice:
  • Play melody and a minimum of two improvised choruses
  • Rhythm section players must comp for a soloist. Drummers must trade fours with the rhythm section.

Sight Reading

A short sight-reading passage.

Interview

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

Technical Requirement

Play a major scale, one octave ascending and descending, in any key. Drummers and singers must perform this on piano.

Additional Information

You must provide three copies of charts for the music you perform (in your key).

Audition pieces

The audition program should consist of:

• A minimum of two contrasting movements of a classical sonata, one of which is in sonata form
• A romantic work 
• A minimum of two other works chosen from the Baroque, Impressionist and/or 20th century/contemporary periods

Audition programs must be approved by the area coordinator. At the time of the audition, jurors will select repertoire from the candidate’s approved program totaling 20-30 minutes in length.

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.

The audition program should consist of the following.

Viola 

Memorization is preferred but not required. 

• J.S. Bach: One movement from any Sonata or Partita for violin solo, or any movement from Suite for cello solo
• First movement of any Baroque or Classical concerto
• Piece of your own choice for viola solo or viola and piano

Cello 

Memorization is preferred but not required. 

• One etude by Duport or Popper
• Two contrasting movements from the Bach Cello Suites
• One movement from standard concerto (e.g. Haydn C or D major, Dvorak, Schumann, Elgar, Shostakovich)
• Piece of your own choice for cello solo or cello and piano

Double bass

Memorization is preferred but not required. 

• Two contrasting pieces of applicant’s choice
• Three orchestra excerpts by: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart or Strauss
• One major scale, one harmonic minor scale, one minor scale of choice in two or three octaves
• Sight-reading may be required

Guitar

Memorization is preferred but not required. 

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

Audition pieces

The audition program should consist of:

• two arias (one opera, one oratorio)
• three art songs in contrasting languages

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.

Details to come

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