Ensemble Auditions

Ensemble audition information for woodwind, brass and percussion students

Woodwind, brass and percussion ensemble audition instructions

Required audition excerpts

• Bassoon Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Clarinet Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Euphonium Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Flute Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Horn Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Oboe Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Percussion Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Saxophone Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Trombone Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Trumpet Ensemble Audition Excerpts
• Tuba Ensemble Audition Excerpts

Ensemble audition information for non-music majors and community members 

For non-music UM students and community members who wish to register and audition for Concert Band only, and not for Wind Ensemble or Symphony Orchestra, please fill out only the Concert Band registration form for non-music majors and community members found below, and follow the audition instructions listed within the registration form.

Non-music students and community members who wish to register and audition for Wind Ensemble and/or Symphony Orchestra should still fill out the brass, woodwind, and percussion ensemble audition registration form above. The form below is not for the use of DFOM students.

Auditions will be held in person on August 30 and 31 from 7:00 – 9:00 at the Desautels Faculty of Music, T2-145. Recorded auditions will also be accepted but must be submitted no later than Monday, August 22.

Required audition material is the 2022 Manitoba Senior Honour Band scales and etudes which will be available on the Manitoba Band Association website by June 30, 2022.  https://www.mbband.org/honour-concert-bands

Concert Band audition registration form for non-music majors and community members

Collegium Musicum

Brass, woodwind, and percussion students can opt to take Collegium Musicum for ensemble credit as their second ensemble. Collegium Musicum does not require an audition, but students wishing to take part in Collegium Musicum must submit the Collegium Musicum registration form. Students who have questions about the Collegium Musicum ensemble should contact Tatiana Friesen for more information.

Collegium Musicum Registration Form

General Vocal Audition Information

Musical Theatre and Opera Theatre Ensemble Registration Form

Audition Times

• Wednesday, August 31, 2022: 11:00am to 1:00pm and 1:45pm to 5:15pm
• Tuesday, September 6th, 2022: 12.30pm to 4:3 0pm

Audition Venue

Audition Sign-Ups

Musical Theatre Audition Instructions

Students must prepare one musical theatre or Gilbert & Sullivan piece of their choosing no more than 4 minutes long.  Please prepare a piece that demonstrates your ability to create a great character arc, suits your vocal range and shows you at your vocal best!  All songs must be performed by memory so please choose something with which you are very familiar! We are excited to announce that the Musical Theatre Ensemble auditions will take place in person for the 2022-23 academic year! 

In the event that students cannot find an appropriate selection or are having difficulty sourcing a score, backing track (For personal rehearsal only) and score links are offered below to assist students.

1. Bad, Bad Man (Lower voices)
2. Good Thing Going (Medium & Higher voices)
3. Gorgeous (Lower & Medium voices)
4. Why Did I Choose You (Medium & Higher voices)

Backing Tracks

Opera Theatre Audition Instructions

Collegium Musicum

Collegium Musicum Registration Form

Concert Choir (Wednesdays 5:30 – 7:30) – Auditions by appointment.  Please contact Dr. Catherine Robbins directly at Catherine.Robbins@umanitoba.ca

University Singers (T/Th 1:00-3:15)
Upper Voices (M/W 2:30-4:15)
Cantata Singers (M 4:30-6:15)

On-going auditions all summer by appointment (please contact Dr. Elroy Friesen directly elroy.friesen@umanitoba.ca ) or sign-up here to book an audition on September 2, 2022.

Audition requirements

Bring a solo of your own choice (any style – pop, classical, jazz, traditional etc.) and this can be sung with piano (bring sheet music) or soundtrack or a cappella/voice alone. 

Ensemble audition information for strings students

Auditions will be held in person on Friday September 2nd, 2022 from 11:00-3:00pm at the Desautels Faculty of Music, T2-145.

Video submissions are allowed primarily if someone has illness or is currently out-of-the-country. We will require all video submissions to be uploaded by Friday September 2nd, 2022.

Strings student ensemble audition instructions

All strings students will be placed in an ensemble by audition. Participation in the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra (UMSO) is compulsory for all DFOM strings students, with the exception of guitar students. Please fill out the registration form below before September 1, 2022, at 4:30 pm

Strings students should prepare a solo piece of their choice (approximately 1-2 minutes in length). This should be unaccompanied solo repertoire or exposition of a concerto.

Students wishing to audition for a principal/leadership position within the ensemble should prepare ALL excerpts in the packet assigned for their instrument.

Students auditioning for sectional seating should prepare three (3) excerpts from the packet assigned for their instrument.

Non-music UM students and community members auditioning for the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra should prepare two (2) excerpts from the packet assigned for their instrument.

Strings ensemble audition registration form

String ensemble audition sign up sheet

Required audition pieces

• Contrabass audition pieces
• Cello audition pieces
• Viola audition pieces
• Violin audition pieces

Helpful tips to prepare for your strings audition

Is this your first time practicing a specific excerpt? Don't worry! A little research online can prove to be very successful! There are many available resources to research these excerpts and helpful practice tools online, such as https://orchestraexcerpts.com, which helps classical musicians prepare for orchestra auditions.

Students can also find resources for specific instrument areas. For example, cello students might gain insight from this Orchestral Excerpts for Cello Spotify channel, this London Symphony Orchestra masterclass for cellos, or the Orchestra Excerpts resources for cello.

We encourage students to start their audition practice early. If students need additional assistance to prepare for their auditions, they should contact Dr. Minna Chung, Coordinator for Orchestral Studies.

Collegium Musicum

Strings students can opt to take Collegium Musicum for ensemble credit as their second ensemble. Collegium Musicum does not require an audition, but students wishing to take part in Collegium Musicum must submit the Collegium Musicum registration form. Students who have questions about the Collegium Musicum ensemble should contact Tatiana Friesen for more information.

Collegium Musicum Registration Form

Piano

All Piano students will be placed in an ensemble automatically, with 1st & 2nd year students being placed into Accompanying 1 & 2, and 3rd and 4th year, Post Baccalaureate and Masters students being placed into a chamber ensemble. 

All Piano students will meet individually with the Piano faculty to confirm their studio assignment schedule. These brief meetings will take place in David Moroz's studio (Taché 226) on Tuesday September 6, 2022. 

Piano students should prepare a short solo piece to perform at this time, and bring a copy of their complete class schedule with them.  

Please fill and submit the registration form below no later than August 26, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. If you have any questions please contact the appropriate contact listed below: 

Piano: Please contact David Moroz, Area Head for Piano 

Collaborative Piano: Please contact Judy Kehler Siebert, Area Head for Collaborative Piano 

Piano Ensemble Registration Form 

Piano Auditions Sign-up sheet 

Collegium Musicum

Piano students can opt to take Collegium Musicum for ensemble credit as their second ensemble. Collegium Musicum does not require an audition, but students wishing to take part in Collegium Musicum must submit the Collegium Musicum registration form. Students who have questions about the Collegium Musicum ensemble should contact Tatiana Friesen for more information.

Collegium Musicum Registration Form

Jazz Ensembles Registration Form
 

The Desautels Faculty of Music will recognize the achievements of students who participate in the University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble, the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, or the University of Manitoba Jazz Orchestra at the Desautels Faculty of Music, and who are not currently enrolled in the Desautels Faculty of Music.

Each year, scholarships will be offered to students who:

(1) are enrolled part-time or full-time in any year of study in University 1 or any faculty, college or school at the University of Manitoba, with the exception of the Desautels Faculty of Music;
(2) have achieved:
(a) as entering students, a minimum 80% average on those high school courses used for admission to the University of Manitoba;
(b) as continuing students, a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0; or
(c) as graduate students, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 based on the last 60 credit hours (or equivalent) of study; and
(3) have, through ensemble placement auditions, demonstrated a high level of performance in the applied areas of woodwind, brass, percussion, strings, or jazz.

Scholarships will be awarded based on instrumentation needs in the ensembles each year, and will be at the discretion of the ensemble directors. 

Candidates will be required to fill out a Desautels Faculty of Music Ensemble Scholarship application, and Departmental Permission Form by August 15, 2022. 

Application Deadline: August 15, 2022 

dfom-ensemble-scholarship-application_0.pdf

Ensemble Scholarship Application 2022-2023