What is the Emerging Musicians Program?

Open to high school students in grades 9–12, the Emerging Musicians Program
provides a unique opportunity for students to compete for a chance to work with a master artist
teacher at the Mary Pappert School of Music free of charge. Winners enjoy 14 weeks of 1-on-1 private
instruction as well as optional Musicianship classes (beginning January 2024) and
build toward a final capstone recital in the spring. A short application is required
along with the submission of a recorded audition. Winners will be selected by faculty
panel.

Deadline to apply is December 1, 2023.

Apply

Program Details

Questions about the program?

Contact Us
Selected students will be paired with a master artist teacher for private instruction on their instrument or voice. In-person lessons will be held weekly (up to 60 minutes) at the Mary Pappert School of Music. Participants will also have the option to take a musicianship course. A final capstone recital will be presented by participating students and faculty to showcase the improvements and outcomes of the program.
The Emerging Musicians Program begins Saturday, January 20, 2024 and includes 14 weekly sessions that occur on Saturdays at the Mary Pappert School of Music during City Music Center hours of operation (8 a.m.–4 p.m.). Participating students present a collective recital on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 4 p.m.
Selected winners will receive a scholarship valued at $1,200. This award will cover the full cost of the program as well as up to $100 in music materials such as sheet music or instrumental supplies. The scholarship is only valid for the spring 2024 semester (January–May 2024).
High school instrumentalists and singers enrolled in grades 9–12 during the 2023-24 academic year are eligible. The application requires submission of a recorded audition which is shared as hyperlinked media.

How Do I Apply?

Apply

Take a moment to review the performance suggestions for your instrument.

 

Winds

  • Flute: Suggested solos include two contrasting movements of a baroque sonata of choice (e.g. Telemann, Vivaldi, Handel, Bach).
  • Clarinet: Suggested solos include Mozart Concerto; Debussy Rhapsodie, Weber Concerto 1 and 2; Copland Concerto.
  • Oboe: Suggested solos include the G Minor Concerto or a sonata by Handel; F Minor Concerto or A Minor Sonata by Telemann.
  • Bassoon: Suggested solos include any concerto by Vivaldi; Sonata by Galliard or Hindemith; Etude by Orefici.
  • Saxophone: Suggested solos include transcriptions of Sonatas by Eccles, Handel, and Bach, or "Sonata for Saxophone" by L. Lunde or B. Heiden.

Brass

  • Trumpet: Suggested solos include Franz Joseph Haydn, Concerto in Eb, Mvt. 1 (exposition).
  • French Horn: Suggested solos include Horn Concerto No. 1 or No. 3 by Mozart; Horn Concerto No. 2 by Haydn; Sonata by Beethoven.
  • Trombone: Suggested solos should be similar to or exceed in difficulty the Guilmant Morceau Symphonique or Barat Andante and Allegro
  • Tuba/Euphonium: Suggested solos include Bach/Bell Air and Bouree, Persichetti Serenade #12, and Hartley Unaccompanied Suite.

Guitars

  • Classical Guitar: Solo suggestions include compositions from Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, or Romantic period.
  • Jazz Guitar/Electric Bass: Solo suggestions include pieces from the jazz standard repertoire (your choice) e.g. (Blues, ballad, up-tempo) 

Keyboards

  • Piano: Suggested solos include a Bach 2 or 3-part invention, a Sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven, or a Chopin Nocturn.
  • Organ: Suggested solos include a Bach fugue, a piece from the romantic period, or a hymn of your choosing.

Percussion

  • Concert Perc: Suggested solos include a 2 or 4 mallet piece or Timpani etude such as Firth, Carroll, Goodman, or Delecuse.
  • Drum Kit: Suggested solos/styles include a 32-bar blues, swing, rock, fusion, and latin.

Strings

  • Violin: Suggested solos include a piece of the level of Vivaldi A Minor/Bach A Minor/Mozart G Major or harder (Bruch, Mendelssohn, Lalo).
  • Viola: Suggested solos include the first movement from Hoffmeister or Stamitz viola Concerto, Telemann Concerto, or a prelude from one of the 6 suites by JS Bach
  • Cello: Suggested solos include a movement from any of the Bach cello suites, or the first movement from a standard cello concerto/sonata.
  • Bass: Suggested solos include one movement from a sonata by Marcello, Vivaldi, or Eccles, or a concerto by Capuzzi, Dragonetti, Dittersdorf, or similar.
  • Harp: Suggested solos include an orchestral excerpt (such as the Waltz of the Flowers harp cadenza from the Nutcracker Suite).

Voice

  • Classical Voices: Suggested solos include art songs and arias in French, German, and Italian of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. 
  • Jazz Voices: Suggested solos include transcriptions of any legendary jazz vocalist (e.g. Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker) or a jazz standard.

 

Follow these guidelines when recording your audition pieces.

 

For all recordings:

  • No edits, effects, auto-tuning, or overdubbing are permitted.
  • Your selection should be at least 3 minutes in length, but no more than 8 minutes.
  • We recommend recording video using a smart device, tablet, or laptop with an external USB microphone for best results.

Include your recorded media when you submit your application.

When you apply for the Emerging Musicians Program, you will have the ability to include your recorded media. All recordings must be submitted with the online application as hyperlinked media. You may use any cloud storage platform you prefer, but make sure the link is publicly viewable.

Examples:

https://google.drive/YOUR_FILE_NAME

https://youtu.be/YOUR_FILE_NAME

https://dropbox/YOUR_FILE_NAME

 

Email cmcFREEDUQUESNE if you need assistance.