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Conducting: Opera/Musical Theatre

DMA Audition Materials and Requirements: Opera/Musical Theatre Conducting
This degree is intended for the conductor/pianist who desires to pursue a career in opera and/or musical theatre.

Sufficient keyboard skills are critically important. It is expected that you will act as primary vocal coach for all operas/musicals you are conducting as part of the degree.  You will also be involved as rehearsal accompanists for other productions as is appropriate to your level of training and accomplishment.

Those in the program will have the opportunity to work both in opera and Broadway musicals.  The goal is for you to become proficient in both areas, thus opening many more options when the time comes to audition for positions.

For the audition process, you are free to choose your material from the repertory (opera or musical theatre) with which you are most comfortable.

General Requirements
You must:

• Have training and experience in orchestral conducting in concert or in the theatre (opera, ballet). This must include experience with full orchestra. Experience conducting in the theatre is not required.
• Be proficient as a vocal coach.
• Have sufficient piano skills to work with singers from the keyboard and to accompany staging rehearsals.
• Have a general knowledge of the operatic or musical theatre repertory.
• Be a proficient performer as an instrumentalist or singer.
• Have appeared on-stage as a principal or chorus member in at least one production of an opera or musical.  (If you do not meet this requirement, you will be required to perform on-stage in the chorus of one production during their study.)
• In addition, if you are planning on studying operatic repertory, you must possess at least a diction knowledge of French, German and Italian (a speaking knowledge is preferable).
• You must submit a resumé reflecting both training and performance experience.

Audition Requirements
To demonstrate proficiency as a performer, you will perform two contrasting instrumental or vocal works of your own choosing. (This portion ONLY may be either performed live or submitted on CD or tape.)

The following must be completed as part of a live audition:

• At the piano, you will play and sing a prepared excerpt from an opera (for example: Don Giovanni Scene No. 9 and Duetto No. 7), or solo scene from a musical (for example: The “Soliloquy” from Carousel).  It is not expected that you sing the vocal part beautifully, but it must be accurate in text (in the original language), rhythm, dynamics and pitch. (Octave transpositions are allowed as needed to accommodate your vocal range.)
• At the piano, you will play a prepared excerpt of a complex orchestral section or Aria accompaniment from an Opera (for example: Recitative and Aria No. 9 from Fidelio or any of the various ballet sections in Aida) or a dance sequence from a musical (for example: “Tick-Tock” (No. 14) from Company).
• At the Piano, you will sight-read opera excerpts and excerpts from musicals.
• You will sight-read selected texts in Italian, German and French to demonstrate proficiency with the diction rules for each language.
• You will conduct a pianist in previously agreed upon excerpts from opera(s) or musical(s). The selected excerpts must include some accompanied recitative and should also include tempo and meter changes.
• You will be examined verbally by the faculty on your knowledge of repertory, music theory, orchestral instruments, ranges, mechanics of the full score, etc.

More Information
Dr. William Reber, director of Opera/Musical Theatre
E: william.reber@asu.edu
P: 480.965.7168
F: 480.965.2659

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