Graduate Percussion Audition Repertoire

To schedule an audition, or for further questions about graduate percussion programs, please contact Prof. Timothy Adams, area chair.

Masters Percussion Audition List

Solo Repertoire

• Snare: A concert solo (e.g., Delecluse, Hard Times, etc.)
• Mallets: A two-mallet solo (e.g., Green: Rag, Bach, Delecluse) and a contemporary four-mallet solo *(no more than 3 minutes of each)*
• Timpani: A four-drum solo (e.g., Delecluse, Carter, or others of equivalent difficulty)

Orchestral Excerpts

• Snare:
  • Prokofiev - Lieutenant Kije Suite
    • Mvt. I, [1]-[2], [13]-End
  • Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade
    • Mvt. III, [D]-[E], [F]-[H]
    • Mvt. IV, 4 before [N]-16 before [O], [P]-[R], [T]-[U]
  • Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10
    • Mvt. I, [43]-[44]
    • Mvt. II, [98]- End
    • Mvt. III, [133]-[135]
    • Mvt. IV, 4 before [206]-End
• Xylophone:
  • Copland - Appalachian Spring
    • 4 after [48]- 3 after [49]
  • Gershwin - Porgy and Bess Overture
    • m. 4-18
  • Kabalevsky - Colas Breugnon
    • 1 after [9]-[12]
    • 1 before [36]-[37]
    • [57]-End
  • Messiaen - Oiseaux Exotiques
    • [6]-[7]
• Glockenspiel:
  • Dukas - Sorcerer's Apprentice
    • 3 after [17]- 3 before [20]
    • [22]-[24]
  • Mozart - The Magic Flute
    • Act 1- No. 8, Finale
• Tambourine:
  • Dvorak - Carnival Overture
    • Beginning – 4 before [C]
    • 8 before [U] - End

• Triangle:
  • Brahms - Symphony No. 4
    • Mvt. III, [I] - End
• Cymbals:
  • Tchaikovsky - Romeo & Juliet
    • [E] – 6 before [F]
    • 17 after [S] – 13 before [U]
  • Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
    • 5 before [20] – End
• Bass Drum:
  • Britten - Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
    • m. 10-14, m. 43-50
  • Mahler - Symphony No. 3
    • Mvt. I, 7 after [1] – 3 after [2]
• Timpani:
  • Beethoven - Symphony No. 1
    • Mvt. II, m. 53-64, m. 81-95
    • Mvt. III, m. 44-79, last 14 measures of Trio
  • Brahms - Symphony No. 1
    • Mvt. IV, m. 375 – End
  • Mozart - Symphony No. 39
    • Mvt. I, m. 1-21
  • Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
    • Mvt. I, 2 before [H] – [L]
    • Mvt. I, 4 before [T] – [V]

DMA Percussion Audition List

Solo Repertoire

• Snare: A concert solo (e.g., Delecluse, Hard Times, etc.)
• Mallets: A two-mallet solo (e.g., Green: Rag, Bach, Delecluse) and a contemporary four-mallet solo *(no more than 3 minutes of each)*
• Timpani: A four-drum solo (e.g., Delecluse, Carter, or others of equivalent difficulty)

Orchestral Excerpts

• Snare:
  • Prokofiev - Lieutenant Kije Suite
    • Mvt. I, [1]-[2], [13]-End
  • Prokofiev - Symphony No. 5
    • Mvt. II, [37]-[40]
    • Mvt. IV, [111]-End
  • Ravel - Bolero
    • Start at beginning, play 16 bars
  • Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade
    • Mvt. III, [D]-[E], [F]-[H]
    • Mvt. IV, 4 before [N]-16 before [O], [P]-[R], [T]-[U]
  • Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio Espagnole
    • Mvt. III, Opening to [H], [I]-[K]
    • Mvt. IV, Opening to 5 after [L]
  • Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10
    • Mvt. I, [43]-[44]
    • Mvt. II, [98]- End
    • Mvt. III, [133]-[135]
    • Mvt. IV, 4 before [206]-End
• Xylophone:
  • Bartok - Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta
    • Mvt. III, m. 1-5
    • Mvt. IV, m. 173-183
  • Copland - Appalachian Spring
    • 4 after [48]- 3 after [49]
  • Gershwin - Porgy and Bess Overture
    • m. 4-18
  • Kabalevsky - Colas Breugnon
    • 1 after [9]-[12]
    • 1 before [36]-[37]
    • [57]-End

Kodaly - Hary Janos, Mvt. VI

• • • Beginning to [1]
    • [7] – 7 before [8]
    • 1 after [10] - End
  • Messiaen - Oiseaux Exotiques
    • [6]-[7]
  • Schuman - Symphony No. 3 
    • m. 230-244
• Glockenspiel:
  • Debussy - La Mer
    • Mvt. II, Beginning – 4 before [19]
  • Dukas - Sorcerer's Apprentice
    • 3 after [17]- 3 before [20]
    • [22]-[24]
  • Mozart - The Magic Flute
    • Act 1- No. 8, Finale
  • Respighi - Pines of Rome
    • Beginning – 15 before [3]
    • [3] to 3 bars of roll
  • Stravinsky - Petrushka (1911)
    • 5 after [14] – [17]
    • [18]-[19]
    • [27] – [28]
    • 8 after [36]-[39]
    • [122]-[123]
• Tambourine:
  • Bizet - Carmen Suites I and II
    • No. 1a “Aragonaise” Beginning – 8 before [C]
    • No. 11 “Danse Boheme” 3 before [D] – 3 after [E]
  • Chabrier – España
    • [L] – 4 before [M]
  • Dvorak - Carnival Overture
    • Beginning – 4 before [C]
    • 8 before [U] - End
  • Tchaikovsky - "Trepak" from The Nutcracker
    • 6 after [C] – End
• Triangle:
  • Brahms - Symphony No. 4
    • Mvt. III, [I] - End
  • Dvorak - Symphony No. 9
    • 31 after [5] – [6]
  • Liszt - Piano Concerto No. 1
    • Allegretto vivace – [F]
• Cymbals:
  • Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain
    • [S] – 9 before [T]
  • Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2
    • [32] – 17 before [33]
  • Tchaikovsky - Romeo & Juliet
    • [E] – 6 before [F]
    • 17 after [S] – 13 before [U]
  • Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
    • 5 before [20] – End
• Bass Drum:
  • Britten - Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
    • m. 10-14, m. 43-50
  • Mahler - Symphony No. 3
    • Mvt. I, 7 after [1] – 3 after [2]
  • Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
    • Danse de la Terre, [72] – 3 after [74]
• Timpani:
  • Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra
    • Mvt. IV, m. 42-50
    • Mvt. V, m. 556-573
  • Beethoven - Symphony No. 1
    • Mvt. II, m. 53-64, m. 81-95
    • Mvt. III, m. 44-79, last 14 measures of Trio
  • Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
    • Mvt. I, m. 346 – End
    • Mvt. II, [A] – m. 37
    • Mvt. IV, m. 1-22  
  • Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
    • Mvt. I, m. 16-35, 4 before [K] – 7 after [L], 18 before [S]-End
  • Brahms - Symphony No. 1
    • Mvt. IV, m. 375 – End
  • Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis
    • Mvt. II, 5 after [S] – [T]
    • 5 after [V] – 8 after [W]
    • 2 before [Z] – End
  • Mozart - Symphony No. 39
    • Mvt. I, m. 1-21
  • Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
    • Mvt. I, 2 before [H] – [L]
    • Mvt. I, 4 before [T] – [V]