The most important part of your School of Music application is your audition. Many of our programs allow for flexibility in choosing either a live on-campus audition, or a recorded audition. Scroll down to learn more about prescreening, scheduling your audition, and final audition repertoire requirements.

Audition Format

Live On-Campus Auditions

BU School of Music hosts most live auditions throughout January and February. Applicants who plan to attend a live audition should verify their instrument’s prescreening requirements. For instruments which do not require prescreening, applicants will be invited to schedule their live audition via the Acceptd portal.

Final Recorded Auditions

We’d love to see you audition or interview on our BU campus! However, many applicants* may choose to submit a final video audition in lieu of a live audition. This can be completed through our online portal, Acceptd.

*Artist Diploma and Opera Institute applicants are required to submit a prescreening recording, and if invited, attend a live audition. A live audition for these programs is required. 

Final Audition Requirements

Select your type of instrument below to view the final requirements before finalizing your application/audition process! Applicants should follow these guidelines for all final live auditions, as well as recorded auditions.

Tip: In addition to the required audition repertoire, the BU School of Music faculty welcomes any additional piece by a historically underrepresented minority, including works composed by women, people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and/or musicians from one’s own cultural background. Check out these web resources below to find repertoire: 

Institute for Composer Diversity

Music by Black Composers