Auditions for undergraduate studies
This section will enable you to properly prepare for your audition according to your instrument and the chosen study program.
Audition dates and interviews per program
Undergraduate programs
Applicants for admission must fill out their application online within the deadlines specified on the programs’ fact sheets (“Admission et exigences” [Admission and requirements] tab).
Study program | Program number | Dates for auditions, interviews and tests | |
Bachelor of Music | 1-600-1-1 | Auditions : Placement tests: June 2025 | |
1-605-1-8 | Auditions - Winds : Woods : Sunday, Frebruary 9th 2025 Brass : Saturday, Frebruary 8th 2025
Auditions - Strings : Thursday, February 13th 2025 Sunday, February 23th 2025
Auditions- Classical piano : Saturday, February 15th 2025 Sunday, February 16th 2025 Placement tests: June 2025 | ||
Bachelor of Music – Classical Singing Performance | 1-605-1-9 | Auditions : Saturday, February 8th 2025 Sunday, February 9th 2025 Placement tests: June 2025 | |
Bachelor of Music – Jazz Performance | 1-605-1-6 | Auditions : Sunday, February 23th 2025 Placement tests: June 2025 | |
1-615-2-6 | |||
1-610-4-6 | Auditions: By tape (all details will be send after your application) | ||
1-610-1-0 | Auditions (optionnal for Digital Music):By tape (all details will be send after your application) Interviews: Saturday, 22th 2025 Placement tests: June 2025 | ||
1-615-1-1 | |||
1-615-1-2 | |||
1-615-5-0 | Placement tests (optional): June 2025 | ||
1-620-2-0 | Interviews: Saturday, 22th 2025 Placement tests: June 2025 | ||
1-620-4-0 | |||
1-615-2-1 | Placement tests (optional): June 2025 | ||
1-615-4-1 | |||
1-615-2-2 | Placement tests: June 2025 | ||
1-615-4-2 |
Documents and requirements per program
Undergraduate programs
Undergraduate programs | |
Bachelor of Music (160011) Fulltime or part time | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; music theory; writing and analysis c) Cover letter, CV and transcript |
Bachelor of Music – Classical Instrument Performance (160518) Fulltime | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; writing and analysis b) Classical audition: See according to your instrument c) Cover letter |
Bachelor of Music – Classical Singing Performance (160519) Fulltime | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; writing and analysis c) Cover letter |
Bachelor of Music – Jazz Performance (160516) Fulltime | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege b) Jazz audition c) Transcripts d) “Profil-jazz” form to be completed |
Bachelor’s in Musicology (161511) Fulltime or part-time | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; music theory; writing and analysis c) Cover letter, CV and transcripts d) Interview |
Bachelor’s in Music – Writing (162011) Fulltime or part-time | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; music theory; writing and analysis b) Classical or jazz audition c) 2 to 4 works in writing d) Interview |
Bachelor of Music – Instrumental Composition (161013) Fulltime | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; music theory; writing and analysis b) Exemption tests in August: harmony; counterpoint d) Cover letter, CV and transcripts e) 2 to 5 compositions (scores and recordings or simulations) f) Interview |
Bachelor of Music – Mixed Composition (161014) Fulltime | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; music theory; writing and analysis b) Exemption tests in August: harmony; counterpoint d) Cover letter, CV and transcripts e) 2 to 5 compositions (scores and recordings or simulations) f) Interview |
Bachelor’s in Digital Music (161512) Fulltime | a) Tests: music theory b) Optional tests (only if the student wishes to take courses in the “Writing and analysis” block): c) Classical or jazz audition: Only for students wishing to take instrument courses d) Cover letter, CV and transcripts e) 2 to 5 achievements in digital or audiovisual sound composition f) Interview |
Certificate programs, major and minor
Certificate programs, Major and minor | |
Certificate in Music and Arts (161550) Full time or part time | a) Cover letter, CV and transcripts |
Major in Jazz and World Music (161526) Fulltime or part time | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; theory, writing and analysis b) Cover letter, CV and transcripts c) Jazz audition |
Minor in Jazz Composition and Arrangement (161046) Fulltime or part time | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege b) Cover letter, CV and transcripts c) 3 compositions for different ensembles |
Major / Minor in Digital Music (161521 / 161541) Fulltime or part time | a) Cover letter, CV and transcripts (in your CV, highlight your experience in the area of digital music) b) Optional tests: music theory, writing and analysis (only if the student wishes to take the course Initiation à la théorie musicale [Introduction to music theory] or Introduction à l’écriture et à l’analyse [Introduction to writing and analysis]) |
Major in Music, History and Societies (161522) Fulltime or part time | a) Tests: classical dictation and solfege; music theory; writing and analysis
b) Cover letter, CV and transcripts |
Minor in Music, History and Societies (161542) Fulltime or part time | a) Cover letter, CV and transcripts |
Major / Minor in Music Writing (162020 / 162040) Fulltime or part time | a) Tests: dictation and classical solfege; music theory, writing and analysis b) Cover letter, CV and transcripts c) 2 to 4 works in writing d) Interview |
Undergraduate audition repertoire
Candidates for admission must represent repertoire elements based on their programs and/or their respective instruments. Please select the heading below according to your audition.
Bachelor’s in Instrumental Composition
- Classical audition (2 own-choice pieces, with or without score) or jazz audition (1 jazz standard and 1 improvisation in a blues structure)
Bachelor’s in Mixed Composition
- Classical audition (2 own-choice pieces, with or without score) or jazz audition (1 jazz standard and 1 improvisation in a blues structure)
Bachelor’s in Music Writing
- Classical audition (2 own-choice pieces, with or without score) or jazz audition (1 jazz standard and 1 improvisation in a blues structure)
Bachelor’s in Performance – Classical Singing
Prepare a program lasting 15 to 20 minutes.
- 1 french melody OR German lied
- 1 opera aria OR Italian classic
- 1 own-choice piece sung (no popular music)
The works must be performed from memory.
The works must be performed in at least 2 different languages.
Piano accompaniment is required.
Bachelor’s in Performance – Classical Instruments
Strings (violin, viola, cello or double bass)
- 1 scale
- 1 study
- 1 movement from a solo work by J. S. Bach
- 1 own-choice piece
Harpsichord
Prepare a program lasting 15 to 20 minutes.
- Johann Sebastian Bach:
- Own-choice Prelude and Fugue (Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I or II) or
- Own-choice English Suite, French Suite or Partita (excerpts)
- French music:
- Louis Couperin, François Couperin, D’Anglebert, Rameau, Forqueray, Duphly, Royer or others (excerpts from a suite)
- One or more pieces excluding Johann Sebastian Bach and French music
- Examples: Frescobaldi, Rossi, Scarlatti, Byrd, Bull, Froberger, Purcell, Handel or others
or
- Harpsichord piece from the repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries
- Examples: Martinu, Ligeti, Serge Arcuri, Jean Lesage, Daniel Pinkham or others
Guitar
- 3 own-choice pieces in different styles
Harp
- 3 own-choice pieces in different styles for an audition of 15 to 20 minutes, including 2 pieces presented from memory
Percussion
Snare drum
- Knowledge of the 26 drum rudiments, including the closed roll
- 3 own-choice studies illustrating basic technical skills on the instrument
Tympani
- Knowledge of basic technique
- 2 own-choice studies
Keyboards
- Major and minor scales and arpeggios over 2 octaves, with 2 sticks
- 2 own-choice pieces, including a transcription from the baroque or classical repertoire
- 1 own-choice vibraphone piece
- A sight reading test
Organ
Bachelor’s: prepare a program lasting about 20 minutes
- Johann Sebastian Bach:
- Own-choice Prelude and Fugue
or
- 1 slow or fast movement from a trio sonata
- French music: François Couperin (Messe des Couvents or Messe des paroisses), De Grigny, Clérambault, Du Mage or others (1 or 2 excerpts)
- 1 or more own-choice pieces, excluding Johann Sebastian Bach and French music. The piece(s) presented may be selected from the following repertoire:
- Early (before Bach)
- examples: Frescobaldi, Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Lübeck or others
- romantic
- examples: Franck, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Widor or others
- 20th or 21st centuries
- examples: Langlais, Hindemith, Alain, Messiaen or others
Piano
- A work from the baroque repertoire or an Allegro movement from a classical sonata or an equivalent work from the same period
- A study or a virtuoso piece demonstrating technical skills
- A lyrical piece from the romantic repertoire
Concertos and chamber music are not permitted, and works must be performed from memory.
Winds (woodwinds and brass)
Recorder
- 20 minutes of repertoire illustrating different recorder styles and including 1 of the preludes from Hotteterre’s L’Art de préluder
Other wind instruments
- Scales and arpeggios (woodwinds only):
- 2 major scales and arpeggios
- 2 minor scales and arpeggios
- 2 contrasting studies
- 2 own-choice pieces
Bachelor’s in Jazz Performance / Major in Jazz and World Music
You must provide your accompaniment on an audio support connecting with a 1/8 jack, except for jazz singing, where a bassist, drummer and pianist will accompany the audition.
For each instrument, studies or pieces are own-choice from the suggested repertoire or the equivalent.
For admission to the jazz program, you must fill out the Profil-Jazz form and turn it in with your application on the document deposit site.
Electric bass – Double bass
Repertoire and improvisation
Make a video in which you play 3 pieces, including 2 jazz standards:
- Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is Thing Called Love,” “In You Own Sweet Way,” etc.
And/or
Bebop blues, funk or Latin (reference: Fake Book)
- Examples : “Au Privave,” “Straight No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.
You will need to play the theme, a walking bass chorus and a solo chorus for each piece. Preferably with an iReal Pro style accompaniment or other.
Technique
To be admitted, you must know the major scales, the minor scales (harmonic and melodic), and their modes, pentatonic, blues, diminished, and arpeggios. We ask you to play a few examples on the video.
Sight reading
Exceptionally, because of COVID-19 and the health measures in effect, sight reading tests are suspended.
Drums
Technique
- An own-choice snare drum study demonstrating sound knowledge of the basics
Examples : Benjamin Podemski, Jacques Delécluse, Charley Wilcoxon, etc.
Repertoire
- 1 piece in the standard genre
Examples : “Stella by Starlight,” ” Autumn Leaves,” ” What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.
Improvisation
- Demonstrate improvising skills in a bebop blues, funk or Latin structure
Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.
Sight reading
- A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style
It’s essential to have a sound knowledge of the principal styles (bebop swing, Latin, fusion, samba, etc.).
Jazz singing
Video/audio recording, centered, standing, vertically framed (so that we see all of you)
Record and sing, accompanied by an instrumental soundtrack.
Repertoire
- 1 ballad at a tempo of quarter note = ±66 bpm
Examples: “Misty,” “Body and Soul,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is” - 1 swing at a tempo of quarter note = ±138 bpm
Examples: “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Mack the Knife,” “The Lady Is a Tramp”
Improvisation
- Trading fours with piano in blues form. The instrumental track will be forwarded to you with an email detailing the procedure for uploading your documents and recordings.
- Spelling chords : sing a capella the spellings of major, minor or dominant chords (1-3-5-7) on the circle of descending fifths (C – F – B-flat, etc.), naming the notes, one chord per bar, in 4/4, at a tempo of quarter note = 108 bpm
Jazz flute
- 2 standards
- 1 blues
- 1 study either classical or transcription of a jazz solo
Jazz guitar
Technique
- Scales: major, minor (harmonic and melodic), bebop, pentatonic, blues, diminished and by tones over 2 octaves, execution in sixteenth notes at a tempo of quarter note = 120 bpm
- Arpeggios: major, minor, major7, minor, dominant7, minor7b5, diminished7 and augmented over two octaves, execution in sixteenth notes at a tempo of quarter note = 120 bpm
Dubbing
- 1 64-bar written jazz solo (dubbing done by the candidate) played simultaneously with the original recording of one of the following guitarists: Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Pat Martino, Emily Remler, Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, Grant Green or Tal Farlow
Improvisation
- Demonstrate improvising skills on two memorized jazz standards
Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc. - Demonstrate improvising skills on the following progressions and following chord types in all keys:
- Circle of fifths: C7, F7, Bb7, Eb7, Ab7, etc.
- Major progressions: Dm7, G7, Cmaj7, etc.
- Minor progressions: Dm7b5, G7alt, Cm7, etc.
- Altered chords: G7#9#5, C7#9#5, F7#9#5, etc.
- Minor7b5 chords: Cm7b5, Fm7b5, etc.
- A sight improvisation test on the progressions and chords mentioned above taken from the Jamey Aebersold recordings, volumes 3 and 21
Sight reading
- A sight reading test in the bebop swing or fusion style
Jazz piano
Technique
- Major and minor scales, Mixolydian modes with chromatic passing note, diminished and by tones over 4 octaves, execution in sixteenth notes at a tempo of quarter note = 120 bpm
- These arpeggios: major7, minor7, minor7b5 and diminished7
- All the qualities of closed 3- and 4-note chords, as well as the 4-, 5- and 6-note open chords, must also be executed in the way mentioned above
Repertoire
- 1 written 64-bar jazz solo (transcription generally made by the candidate) of one of the following pianists: Bud Powell, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans
- 1 classical study or piece (C. Czerny, a prelude and fugue by J. S. Bach, etc.) or a piece from the classical, romantic or contemporary repertoire or an equivalent written jazz piece (the jazz notebooks of Bill Evans or Oscar Peterson)
Improvisation
- Demonstrate improvising skills in a standard played at moderate tempo
Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc. - 1 bebop blues
Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc. - 1 piece in the Latin jazz genre
Examples: “Blue Bossa,” “Black Orpheus,” “On Fire,” “Recorda-Me,” “Armando’s Rhumba,” etc. - 1 piece in the harmonized jazz ballad genre
Examples: “Darn That Dream,” “I Can’t Get Started,” “’Round Midnight,” etc.
The above standards must be performed according to the following structure : theme, improvisation, accompaniment (“comping”) and theme.
Sight reading
- A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style
Jazz saxophone
Technique
- Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) and blues scales in the 12 keys
- These arpeggios: major7, minor7, dominant7 and diminished7, in the 12 keys
Repertoire
- 1 classical study
Example: Franz Wilhelm Ferling, etc. - 1 transcribed jazz solo
Examples: Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, etc. - 1 “standard” piece
Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.
Improvisation
- Demonstrate improvising skills in a bebop blues structure
Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.
Sight reading
A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style
Jazz trombone
Technique
- Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) and blues scales in the 12 keys
- Major7, minor7, dominant7 and diminished7 arpeggios in the 12 keys
Repertoire
- 2 classical studies: a study by Rochut or one of the Studies in Legato by Fink and 1 study by Arban, by Kopprasch, by Hering or by Bleger
- A “standard” piece
Examples : “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You,” “Body and Soul,” “Sophisticated Lady,” etc. - A transcribed jazz solo by Jay Jay Johnson, by Kai Winding, by Urbie Green or by Bill Watrous
Improvisation
- Demonstrate improvising skills in a blues bebop structure
Examples: “Georgia on My Mind,” “Blue Monk,” etc.
Sight reading
- A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style
Jazz trumpet
Technique
- Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) scales and blues in the 12 keys
- Major7, minor7, dominant7 and dimished7 arpeggios in the 12 keys
Repertoire
- 1 classical study (a “Characteristic Study” by Arban or by Saint-Jacome)
- 1 transcribed jazz solo
Examples: Modern Jazz Trumpet Solos by Ken Slone, by Clifford Brown, by Chet Baker, etc. - 1 “standard” piece
Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.
Improvisation
- Demonstrate improvising skills in a bebop blues structure
Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.
Sight reading
- A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style
Jazz violin
Technique
- Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) and blues scales over 2 octaves in the 12 keys
- Major7, minor7, dominant7 and dimished7 arpeggios over 3 octaves in the 12 keys
Dubbing
- 1 64-bar written jazz solo (dubbing done by the candidate) played simultaneously with the original recording
This may come from jazz violinists like Didier Lockwood, Jean-Luc Ponty, Christian Howes or other jazz instrumentalists.
Improvisation
- Demonstrate improvising skills in a standard played at moderate tempo
Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “All of Me,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” etc. - 1 bebop blues
Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc. - 1 piece in the Latin jazz genre
Examples: “Blue Bossa,” “Black Orpheus,” “Armando’s Rhumba,” etc. - 1 piece in the harmonized jazz ballad genre
Examples: “Misty,” “I Can’t Get Started,” “’Round Midnight,” etc.
Sight reading
A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style
Bachelor’s in Musicology
- Audition either classical (2 own-choice pieces, with or without score) or jazz (1 jazz standard and an improvisation in a blues structure)
Bachelor of Music
- Audition either classical (2 own-choice pieces, with or without score) or jazz (1 jazz standard and an improvisation in a blues structure)
Bachelor’s in Digital Music
- An audition is required (classical audition or jazz audition) only for students wishing to take instrument courses:
- Classical audition: 2 own-choice pieces, with or without score
- Jazz audition: 1 jazz standard and 1 improvisation in a blues structure