Audition Day Information
The information below pertains to our Boston audition days only. There is a separate page with information about Regional Auditions.
Directions & Parking
All auditions are held at the School of Music, which is located in the College of Fine Arts building at 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. Please click HERE for directions and a map. Metered street parking is available up and down Commonwealth Avenue. However, we recommend that visitors park in the Agganis Arena Parking Garage which is located just a block away from the School of Music.
Warm Up Rooms
The School of Music provides warm up space for all applicants who are on campus to audition. There are 120 brand new practice rooms in the basement of the School of Music that will be open and accessible to applicants on the audition day.
Meet 1-on-1 with Faculty (BM Music Ed / Composition applicants only)
Undergraduate Music Education and/or Composition applicants may, if they wish, meet one-on-one with a faculty member on the audition day. Appointments are one-on-one and about 15 minutes long. These meetings are optional, but a great way to learn more about these undergraduate programs and get your questions answered. To schedule a meeting with a Music Education faculty member, please click here. To schedule a meeting with a member of the Composition faculty, please contact Martin Amlin, Chair of Composition & Theory, at mamlin@bu.edu.
Campus Tours & Information Sessions
Undergraduate applicants, particularly those who have not previously visited BU’s campus, are strongly encouraged to schedule a tour, information session, and lunch at the Admissions Reception Center, which is about a 15-minute walk from the School of Music. Sessions are offered in both the morning and afternoon.
Performances on/around Audition Days
| Wednesday, February 1 @ 8:00pm | Alea III BU Composers Conduct Their Own Works | Tsai Performance Center |
| Friday, February 3 @ 11am | Honors Songbook Recital – Undergraduate Voice Students Perform | Concert Hall |
| Friday, February 3 @ 8:00pm | BU Choral Ensembles Concert | Marsh Chapel, 735 Commonwealth Ave |
| Wednesday, February 8 @ 8:00pm | Muir String Quartet in Residence at BU | Tsai Performance Center |
| Friday, February 10 @ 8:00pm | Time’s Arrow New Music Ensemble | CFA Concert Hall |
| Monday, Feburary 13 @ 8:00pm | American Music for Viola and Piano | Tsai Performance Center |
| Tuesday, February 14 @ 8:00pm | Faculty Recital Series: B. Keyes-Viola, R. Merfeld-piano, J. Demler-voice | Tsai Performance Center |
| Thursday, February 23 @ 7:30pm
Friday, February 24 @ 7:30pm Saturday, February 25 @ 7:30pm Sunday, February 26 @ 2:00pm |
Il Matrimonio Segreto, by Chimarosa
Presented by Boston University’s Opera Institute |
Boston University Theatre
264 Huntington Avenue, Boston |
Other Events on Campus
| Friday, February 3 @ 8:00pm | Jazz Jam Session, free and open to the public | BU Central |
| Saturday, Feb 4 @ 10:00am | Mid Winter Book Sale at Copley Library : this sale includes sheet music of varied styles and periods | Copley Library |
|
Monday, Feb 6 @ 5:00pm
|
Men’s Ice Hockey, Beanpot vs. Harvard | TD Garden |
| 2/9/12 – 2/25/12
|
Monster by Neil Bell for tickets please click here Presented by the BU School of Theatre | Boston University Theatre, Lane-Comley Studio 210
264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA |
| 2/17/12 – 2/24/12 | Execution of Justice by Emily Mann for tickets please click here Presented by the BU School of Theatre | BCA Calderwood Pavilion, Wimberly Theatre 527 Tremont Street, Boston MA |
| Thursday Feb 23 @ 10am | Men & Women’s Swimming and Diving | Competition Pool |
Rescheduling Policy
We understand that conflicts may arise when coordinating audition dates with multiple schools. Our appointment system will allow self-rescheduling up to 7 days prior to your scheduled audition if there are remaining appointment times available on the new date you wish to select. If you wish to reschedule after that time, all requests must be made in writing to School of Music by emailing the Music Admissions Office. However, due to the large number of applicants, we cannot guarantee that all audition date change requests will be approved.
Accompanist Policy
Boston Auditions
- For live voice, violin, viola, and cello auditions in Boston, accompanists are required and will be automatically provided.
- It is not necessary to send music ahead of time, but please remember to bring the piano music with you on the day of your audition
- Applicants may use their own accompanist and do not need to notify the School in advance
- All other Boston auditions are performed without accompaniment
- Rehearsal time with accompanists prior to the audition is not permitted; you may give instructions to the accompanist before the audition begins or before each piece
- There is no accompanist fee
Regional Auditions
- Voice applicants auditioning at a regional audition site must provide their own accompanist. Applicants auditioning regionally on other instruments are encouraged to audition without accompaniment
- Visit the Regional Auditions page for more information.
Audition No-Show Policy
Applicants who do not notify the School of Music Admissions Office in advance that they cannot attend their scheduled audition will not be rescheduled, but may submit a final recorded audition.
Inclement Weather
If inclement weather prevents an applicant from being able to attend a scheduled audition, we will make every attempt to reschedule the audition to another day or time. However, we are unable to guarantee that an audition space will be available, in which case the applicant may submit a self-prepared audition recording. Boston auditions follow the recommendation of the Boston University closings hotline at: 617-353-SNOW.