Audition: Keyboard

Preparatory school (elementary and secondary)

• A few scales and arpeggios;
• One piece by J.S. Bach from The Little Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, or equivalent;
• One piece of the applicant’s choice: Handel, Rameau, Purcell, or equivalent.

CEGEP

• A few scales and arpeggios;
• A 2-voice invention by J.S. Bach;
• A piece of the applicant’s choice that demonstrates a solid foundation in piano or organ: Bach, Couperin or Rameau on harpsichord, piano or organ.

Undergraduate studies

• A Bach prelude and fugue;
• A French piece written during the 17th or 18th centuries;
• A work by a composer from the Iberian Peninsula.

Graduate studies

• A major work by J.S.Bach;
• A French suite from the 17th or the 18th centuries;
• A work by a composer from the Iberian Peninsula.

CEGEP

• Major and minor scales and arpeggios spanning 3 octaves au clavier, and spanning 1 octave au ruban, slurred and detached;
• One movement from the Perrault suite, from the Bach cello suites, from a Telemann Fantasia, or equivalent;
• Two short contrasting pieces or movements au clavier such as Guinot Brume des apparences, Milhaud Suite, or equivalent;
• A vocalise au ruban demonstrating quality of intonation and vibrato and precision of movement such as Fauré, Ravel, Guinot, or equivalent;

Note that any instrumentalist who is not an ondist, but who has attained a qualifying level in their first instrument may be admitted to study the ondes Martenot with an audition on their first instrument. In such cases, students will apply their existing musical knowledge and spend their first year of study catching up on the ondes Martenot in an accelerated manner.

Undergraduate studies

• Major and minor scales and arpeggios spanning 4 octaves sur clavier and spanning 2 octaves au ruban, Messiaen’s non-retrogradable modes au ruban, slurred and detached;
• Two contrasting movements from the Bach cello suites, or equivalent;
• A vocalize au ruban demonstrating musicality, precision of movement, and vibrato;
• A piece that includes both keyboard and ring techniques, such as Messiaen 4e Feuillet inédit, Honegger Danse de la chèvre, Michaël Le rite de la lune, Levet Monologue, or excerpts of Guinot Le Coin des animaux or Manen Les Fées, or equivalent.

Note that any instrumentalist who is not an ondist, but who has attained a qualifying degree in their first instrument (CEGEP studies) may be admitted to study the ondes Martenot with an audition on their first instrument. In such cases, students will apply their existing musical knowledge and spend their first year of study catching up on the ondes Martenot in an intensive manner.

Graduate studies

• Two pieces of the applicant’s choice that mix both keyboard and ring techniques, such as Pichaureau, Casterède, Rueff, Jolivet, Louvier, or equivalent;
• A substantial contemporary work or a movement of a concerto, or equivalent;
• A piece for ring demonstrating the applicant’s expressive and technical abilities, such as Jolivet Pour que l’image devienne symbole, Varèse Densité 21,5, or equivalent;

Note that any instrumentalist who is not an ondist, but who has attained a qualifying degree in their first instrument (undergraduate studies) may be admitted to study the ondes Martenot with an audition on their first instrument. In such cases, students will spend their first year of study catching up on the ondes Martenot in an intensive manner by transferring their existing musical knowledge directly to repertoire written for ondes Martenot.

Advanced training stage

• The advanced training stage is for students who have finished their graduate studies in ondes Martenot and wish to undertake a unique project such as developing a specific bank of repertoire, preparing a recital, or composing for the instrument.

Note that any instrumentalist who is not an ondist, but who has attained a qualifying degree in their first instrument (graduate studies) may be admitted to study the ondes Martenot with an audition on their first instrument. The year of stage will be spent intensively learning basic techniques of the ondes Martenot and applying previously acquired musical knowledge to the instrument.

Preparatory school

• Training on piano;
• Ability to read music in treble and bass clef;
• Initiation course on the keyboard;
• C and G scales;
• Bach minuets or gavottes, or equivalent;
• Works equivalent to the piano admissions requirements.

CEGEP

• Repertoire written or adapted for organ, with or without pedals;
• A prelude from Bach’s Eight Short Preludes and Fugues or other pieces from organ methods, such as Flor Peeters Progressive Organist, or equivalent;
• A Classical or Baroque piece;
• A piece in a fugal style from the Baroque or Romantic periods.

Undergraduate studies

• Several scales, arpeggios, or studies on the pedalboard only;
• A Classical or Baroque piece (prelude and fugue or a Bach, Pachebel, or Buxtehude chorale prelude), or equivalent;
• A piece in a fugal style (Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Haydn, Bartók, etc.);
• A piece of the applicant’s choice.

Preparatory school (up to elementary grade 6)

• Six major and minor scales and arpeggios of the applicant’s choice, spanning 2 octaves (3 octaves optional);
• A study from the following choices: Duvernoy, Heller, Czerny, Ferté Method, Berens, Pozzoli, Burgmüller, or equivalent;
• One piece from the Baroque period, chosen from the following options: Little Preludes, Little Fugues, two-voice inventions, Bach’s Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach; or pieces by Couperin, Rameau, Handel;
• One fast movement from a sonatina by Clementi, Kuhlau, Diabelli, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Kabalevski, or Khatchatourian;
• One piece of the applicant’s choosing from the following: Schumann Album for the Young, op. 68; Debussy Children’s Corner; Kabalevsky op. 27, 40, or 51; Prokofiev op. 65; Bartók For Children, Mikrokosmos (volume 3); Khatchatourian Adventures of Ivan, or equivalent.
• Sight reading.

Note: A minimum of two pieces must be played from memory.

Preparatory school (secondary 1 or 2)

• Six major and minor scales and arpeggios spanning 2 octaves (3 octaves optional);
• A study from Czerny, Berens, Bertini, or equivalent;
• A piece from the Baroque period by Bach or Handel such as inventions, sinfonias, preludes, and fugues;
• A fast movement from a Classical sonata or sonatina;
• A piece of the applicant’s choice;
• Sight reading.

Note: A minimum of two pieces must be played from memory.

Preparatory school (secondary 3 to 5)

• Six major and minor scales and arpeggios of the applicant’s choosing spanning 2 octaves (3 octaves optional);
• A study by Czerny, Duvernoy, Pozzoli, or equivalent;
• A piece from the Baroque period by Bach, Handel, or equivalent;
• A fast movement from a Classical sonatina or sonata by Clementi, Diabelli, Haydn, Mozart, or equivalent;
• A piece of the applicant’s choice;
• Sight reading.

Note: The whole program must be played from memory.

CEGEP

• Major and minor (harmonic and melodic) scales and arpeggios spanning 2, 3, and 4 octaves, 2 against 3 and vice versa (optional);
• A study by Czerny (op. 299 or op. 740), Cramer, Clementi, or equivalent;
• A Baroque piece by Handel, Bach (a prelude and fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier or a complete suite or partita), or equivalent;
• One movement of a Classical sonata or the Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, or Beethoven variations (except op. 49 and 79);
• One of the following pieces: Schubert Impromptus; Mendelssohn Andante and rondo capriccioso; Chopin Impromptus; Schumann Arabesque, Scènes d’enfants, 15, or Fantasiestücke, op. 12; Brahms Rhapsodies or Intermezzi; Liszt Un sospiro; Debussy Pour le piano, Préludes or Suite bergamasque; or equivalent.

Note: The whole program must be played from memory.

Undergraduate studies

• A study by Clementi, Chopin, Moszkowski (op. 72), or equivalent;
• A piece from the Baroque period by Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, or equivalent;
• Two movements of a sonata by Mozart, Beethoven, or equivalent;
• One piece of the applicant’s choice.

Note: The whole program must be played from memory.

Graduate studies

• A study by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, or equivalent;
• A complete sonata by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, or equivalent;
• A piece of the applicant’s choice from the Romantic period;
• A modern or contemporary piece of the applicant’s choice.

Note: The whole program must be played from memory.

Graduate studies

The applicant must be in their final year of undergraduate studies or already enrolled in a graduate studies program in order to apply.

There are two concentration options for collaborative piano. Auditions should be prepared accordingly.

“VOCAL ACCOMPANIMENT” CONCENTRATION

The applicant should be prepared to audition with a singing partner of their choice. The audition is divided into three sections:

1. Works for solo piano:

• A virtuosic study by Chopin (with the exception of op. 10 n3, 6, and 9, and op. 25 nos. 1 and 7), or equivalent;
• A fast movement of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.

2. Works with voice

• Accompaniment of a mélodie, with vocalist, or played while the applicant speaks the melody in rhythm;
• One of the following lieder: Schubert Ganymed, Suleika I, Suleika II, Die junge Nonne, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Der Zwerg, or equivalent;
• A mélodie from Debussy’s Ariettes Oubliées, or equivalent;
• An aria from 19th or 20th Century repertoire that demonstrates the applicant’s technical and stylistic abilities in interpreting an orchestral reduction.

3. Sight reading

Note: members of the jury reserve the right to choose which pieces will be played from the program provided by the applicant.

“INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT” CONCENTRATION

Auditions must be presented with an instrumental partner of the applicant’s choosing. The audition is divided into three sections:

1. Works for solo piano:

• A virtuosic study by Chopin (with the exception of op. 10 n3, 6, and 9, and op. 25 nos. 1 and 7), or equivalent;
• A fast movement of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.

2. Works with instrumentalist

• two contrasting movements of a sonata from the Romantic repertoire;
• accompaniment of one movement of a concerto;
• accompaniment of one piece in a style of the applicant’s choosing.

3. Sight reading.

Note: members of the jury reserve the right to choose which pieces will be played from the program provided by the applicant.