Private Lessons

Students enrolled in applied piano take weekly private applied one-hour lessons with our piano faculty.

Master Class

Studio class meets weekly for an hour. The piano area regularly hosts nationally and internationally known guest artists.

Piano Project

An annual collaboration among piano students and faculty who put together an evening concert of piano music centered around a particular theme.

Accompaniment

Students receive regular coachings with piano faculty each semester to assist with on-campus accompanying preparation. Since ISU has no staff accompanist, ambitious students earn considerable money through additional accompanying work.

Piano Pedagogy Project

In conjunction with piano pedagogy class, the project pairs pedagogy students with young beginning pianists for supervised piano lessons, guided by the ISU faculty.

The following suggestions are representative of acceptable repertoire for undergraduate admission auditions. You are NOT limited to what is listed. Students should not hesitate to use music similar in nature and difficulty.

Undergraduate Pianists and Organists

1. Three contrasting piano works from different style periods: one Baroque, one Classical, and one Romantic or 20th/21st century. Works should be concert repertoire, not popular music.
2. Three-octave major and minor scales and arpeggios.
3. Auditioning students may be asked to sight-read.

For Music Education and Piano Performance applicants, all works must be performed from memory. For other applicants, at least one work must be performed from memory.

If you are uncertain about how to choose pieces for your audition, we can suggest the 4-volume "Audition Repertoire for the Advancing Pianist: Two Stylistically Balanced and Technically Diverse Programs," edited by Jane Magrath, published by Alfred. Volumes 3-4 are suitable for Undergraduate Music Education and Piano Performance auditions; Volumes 2-4 are suitable for other Undergraduate Music Major auditions; Volumes 1-4 are suitable for Undergraduate Music Minor auditions. It is important to choose all pieces from the same program within one of these books, as the pieces are designed to complement one another.

Graduate applicants

Prepare three works that present a balanced program showcasing your technical and musical development.

Graduate Collaborative Piano

1. A substantial solo piece that showcases your technical and musical development. Chopin or Liszt Ballade, the major movement of a mature Beethoven Sonata, a substantial work by Liszt, Debussy Images, portions of Ravel Tombeau de Couperin, Bartok Suite Op. 14 complete, a Ginastera Sonata (at least the 'major' movements), or the like. Must be performed from memory.
2. A major work for instrument and piano (no concerto or other orchestral transcription), such as the first movement of a Sonata by Brahms, Beethoven, Poulenc, or Hindemith. Must be performed with instrumentalist.
3. An art song from the standard repertory. No arias. Must be performed with singer.

Auditioning students may be asked to sight read. If you are auditioning live, you will need to work with a list of approved repertoire and ISU will provide the collaborators (ISU students). A new repertoire list is created each school year; contact Professor Tuyen Tonnu for details. If you are recording your audition, your repertoire choices are vast, though you will need to provide the collaborators.

Jazz Piano Auditions

Note: All students auditioning for acceptance into the B.M. in Jazz Studies sequence must complete two separate auditions: one classical audition on your instrument (see each studio’s requirements) and also a jazz audition (requirements listed below.)

1. Play major and minor scales two octaves ascending and descending including natural, harmonic, and melodic minor forms.
2. At least one prepared bebop melody (head) selected from: Billie’s Bounce, Au Privave, Blues for Alice, Confirmation, Anthropology or Ornithology.
3. Play a solo improvisation outlining the chord progression to:
   • A standard jazz blues progression in Bb or F.
   • A tune from the jazz standard repertoire that contrasts the blues selection. Suggestions for this would include: All the Things You Are, There Will Never Be Another You, Rhythm Changes, Autumn Leaves, Ladybird or something similar.
4. Comp using good jazz voicings over the progressions you select for your solo improvisations.
5. Sight read a selection provided at the audition.

Note: For numbers 2 - 4 above, students may use a play-along device of their choosing if desired such as “I-Real Pro” or they may choose to play un-accompanied.

On Campus

• Piano area recitals, jury recognition recitals, convocation concerts, community outreach concerts, and degree recitals.
• Interested piano students are encouraged to participate in the annual Concerto-Aria Competition, small and large chamber ensembles, Wind Bands, and the Illinois State University Symphony Orchestra.
• Other performance opportunities include premiering works written by students from the Composition Department.
• Piano majors have the opportunity to become an accompanist for one of our seven choirs, or a pianist for one of our many exciting instrumental ensembles.
• Pianists interested in jazz piano can play with one of our three jazz ensembles.

Off Campus

• Local retirement centers concert series and annual MTNA Young Artist Competitions.

Teaching opportunities

Opportunities to teach are available through:

• Community School for the Arts
• Metcalf Music Society

• Daniel Shapiro, Professor of Piano, Cleveland Institute of Music
• Uriel Tsachor, Professor of Piano, University of Iowa
• Michael Brown, pianist-composer, winner of a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant