Ensemble Auditions
Woodwind, brass and percussion ensemble audition information
Ensemble audition information for woodwind, brass and percussion students
Auditions will be held in person on August 29, 31 and September 1 2022 at the Desautels Faculty of Music, T2-145.
If you have any questions, please contact Jacquie Dawson, Director of Bands.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
Vocal ensemble audition information
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
An accompanist will be provided. Students must have a double sided legible copy of their sheet music for the accompanist. Please do not sing acapella.
Audition Sign-Ups
The audition sign-up form can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JM2EbEZZkrnqUp7loxm4uCIg0XvQUQZio9iefd1zeew/edit#gid=0
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
Choral ensemble audition information
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.
String ensemble audition information
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
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 ensemble audition information
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 ensemble audition information
Jazz students will be placed in two jazz ensembles by audition. The first will always be a small ensemble for instrumentalists and UMJVE for vocalists. The second will be either UMJO, UMJVE, Rhythm Section Ensemble, or a second small ensemble.
Non-jazz and non-music students are welcome to audition for small jazz ensembles as well as the U of M Jazz Orchestra (UMJO). For 2022 - 2023 guitar auditions will not be accepted for small ensembles, and only brass auditions will be accepted for UMJO.
All auditions will be done by video submission. Audition videos should be emailed to the appropriate person listed below:
Jazz Bassists – Fabio Ragnelli
Jazz Drummers – Fabio Ragnelli
Jazz Guitarists – Will Bonness
Jazz Pianists – Will Bonness
Jazz Saxophonists – Jon Gordon
Jazz Trumpeters – Jon Challoner
Jazz Vocalists – Jon Gordon
Non-Jazz students for UMJO – Jon Challoner
Non-Jazz students for a small ensemble – Fabio Ragnelli
The deadline for video auditions is Friday, August 26th, 2022.
Students auditioning for jazz ensembles must complete the following form:
Jazz Ensembles Registration Form
Audition Requirements for jazz students:
Students entering year 1: Oleo (instrumentalists) / I Got Rhythm (vocalists) Students entering year 2: There Is No Greater Love
Students entering year 3: Like Someone in Love
Students entering year 4: Just Friends
All students should record the head in and two choruses of solo.
- Drummers should play the rhythm of the melody on the drums for the head in.
- Pianists, guitarists, and drummers should play one chorus of comping after their solo choruses.
- Bassists should play a chorus of walking after their solo choruses.
- Vocalists should choose the key most appropriate for their voice.
- An out-head is not required.
Audition Requirements for non-jazz students:
Non-jazz students auditioning for a small ensemble should choose a tune from the list above that they feel is most appropriate for their ability level and follow the same instructions. In most cases, small ensemble participants will be expected to bring in written-out arrangements for their ensemble and be able to solo. If you are unsure of whether or not you should audition, please email Fabio Ragnelli.
Non-jazz students auditioning for UMJO should prepare the PDF excerpt for their instrument provided below. Those wishing to be considered for solo opportunities in UMJO should also prepare three choruses of solo over a Bb blues. Soloing is not required from non-jazz students in the audition or the ensemble.
Non-music major ensemble scholarship
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