Voice Audition Guidelines
Undergraduate Auditions
Please submit a Slideroom application and plan to audition in-person at an on-campus audition day found on School of Music Undergraduate Admissions. If you cannot make one of our audition days, you may submit videos of your solo singing and sign up for a virtual interview session with a faculty member.
Audition Repertoire Requirements:
- Two solo selections* - one in English and one classical selection in another language (5 minutes maximum will be heard in the audition). Voice parts from choral material are not acceptable for your audition. If you are interested in the music theatre concentration, it is appropriate for your English song to be a musical theatre song.
- All selections must be sung with piano accompaniment. A collaborative pianist will be provided for your in-person audition. There will be no rehearsal time with the pianist, so please have all of your music in the appropriate key with any changes marked. No pre-recorded accompaniment tracks will be permitted in in-person auditions.
- All works must be performed from memory.
*We encourage you to express your individuality through works you find personally meaningful. Classical repertoire may take the form of art songs, arrangements of folksongs, spirituals, or oratorio/operatic arias. Choosing repertoire is an excellent opportunity to showcase works that best reflect your culture, self-identity, and interests.
In your JMU Audition after solo singing, you will have a short interview with Faculty members during which you will:
- sight-read a short selection;
- share with us a little bit about yourself as a musician, including career goals;
- be invited to ask questions of the Voice Faculty.
For more information, contact Dr. Bryce Hayes at hayeswb@jmu.edu.
Master of Music Auditions
The application process for graduate music admissions involves submitting two applications:
1) The Graduate School Application
2) School of Music Application via Slideroom
All MM applicants in voice are required to submit a pre-screening audition video and a list of repertoire offered for on-campus auditions. The video should be in unedited digital format, shot with a single camera angle, and have good-quality sound. Please note that pre-screenings submitted after the deadline will not be considered for application to enter the graduate program for the following year.
The video should have two selections*:
- One art song
- One aria from opera or oratorio
Selections should show the diversity of your music-making and feature two of the four core languages (English, German, French, Italian).
*We encourage you to express your individuality through works you find personally meaningful.
The list of selections from which your on-campus singing will be chosen may include selections from the pre-screening audition repertoire. This list should consist of six pieces, at least three art songs and one aria covering at least three different musical style periods. Four core languages (English, German, French, Italian) and the 21st century must be represented. If selected for an on-campus audition, you will be notified in advance which pieces you will perform. No substitutions will be accepted.
Voice faculty will contact applicants that pass the pre-screening round in December with the next steps for on-campus auditions. In conjunction with those auditions, invited applicants will need to complete a writing prompt, solely for the purpose of assessing language skills. On-campus graduate voice auditions will be held January 24, 2026. Please plan accordingly.
For more information, contact contact Prof. Joshua Borths at borthsjj@jmu.edu.
Doctor of Musical Arts Auditions
The application process for graduate music admissions involves submitting two applications:
1) The Graduate School Application
2) School of Music Application via Slideroom
All DMA applicants in voice are required to submit a pre-screening audition video and a recital program of repertoire offered for on-campus auditions. The video should be in unedited digital format, shot with a single camera angle, and have good-quality sound. Please note that pre-screenings submitted after the deadline will not be considered for application to enter the graduate program for the following year.
The video should have two selections*:
- One art song
- One aria from opera or oratorio
Selections should show the diversity of your music-making and feature two of the four core languages (English, German, French, Italian).
*We encourage you to express your individuality through works you find personally meaningful.
The recital program should consist of approximately 45 minutes of music from which your on-campus singing will be chosen. This program may include selections from the pre-screening video and must include both art songs and arias covering four different musical style periods. Four core languages (English, German, French, Italian) and the 21st century must be represented. If selected for an on-campus audition, you will be notified in advance which pieces you will perform. No substitutions will be accepted.
Voice faculty will contact applicants that pass the pre-screening round in December with the next steps for on-campus auditions. In conjunction with those auditions, invited applicants will need to complete a writing prompt, solely for the purpose of assessing language skills. On-campus graduate voice auditions will be held January 24, 2026. Please plan accordingly.
For more information, contact contact Prof. Joshua Borths at borthsjj@jmu.edu.
