Admission Procedures

Instructions for Application

An application for the Yale School of Music for September 2005 is available from the admissions office: phone, 203.432.4155; fax, 203.432.7448; e-mail, gradmusic.admissions@yale.edu. To download the application in PDF format, visit www.yale.edu/music/admissions. The information that follows will assist in filing the application. For an explanation of requirements and structure of various programs, please refer to the section entitled Degrees in this bulletin.

Although the deadline for receipt of application material is December 15, 2004, applicants are urged to submit credentials well before the deadline.

Application Fee

The fee of $100 (U.S. dollars), drawn on a U.S. bank, must accompany each application. It is nonrefundable and should be made payable to Yale University. There is no additional charge for audition appointments.

Master of Music (M.M.) Program

Applicants who will have earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent qualify to apply to the M.M. program, a two-year curriculum.

Master of Musical Arts (M.M.A.) Program

Applicants who will have earned an M.M. or M.A. degree in music prior to September 2005 may apply to the two-year M.M.A. curriculum. On the basis of the tape recording (detailed below), applicants may be invited to New Haven to audition for a faculty committee and to take written examinations. Candidates should prepare twenty minutes of music. Candidates must also demonstrate proficiencies in musicianship, keyboard, and a second language. Applicants for the M.M.A. program are required to appear in New Haven.

M.M.A. applicants are also required to submit a sample of scholarly writing (thesis, term paper, etc.). In addition, of the three letters of recommendation, one must be an academic reference. All M.M.A. applicants who hold a master’s degree from a school other than Yale must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), General Test. See GRE Tests, below.

Candidates holding a master’s degree are not obliged to apply to the M.M.A. program and may prefer to apply to Yale’s A.D. program, which has fewer academic requirements. Application to the M.M.A. program should be elected only by those who feel prepared, both in performance and academic credentials, for an accelerated degree program.

Certificate Program

Applicants who have not received a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent may apply to the Certificate in Performance program, a three-year curriculum.

Artist Diploma (A.D.) Program

Applicants who have received a master’s degree may apply to the Artist Diploma program, a full-time curriculum requiring a two-year residency. Candidates who have earned the M.M. degree at Yale may apply to the program. They will be expected to complete work for the Artist Diploma in one year.

All A.D. candidates must audition for a committee in New Haven on February 25, 2005.

Recording Guidelines

An audition recording is required of all applicants. Candidates should send a cassette or compact disc labeled with name, instrument, and works performed. Choral and orchestral conductors should provide videotapes, but instrumentalists and singers should send audiocassettes or compact discs. Composers are expected to submit scores and compact discs. The voice department will not accept videotapes; only audiocassette tapes and compact discs may be submitted. Please enclose repertoire listing within the recording case proper; do not refer to a separate listing.

Yale does not assume responsibility for loss of recordings and scores; copies should be sent. Cassettes, compact discs, and videotapes will not be returned.

The works listed below have been designated by departments as appropriate repertoire for the recording. Movements should be selected from the recommended sonatas and concertos. Pianists may not make substitutions in repertoire. Some substitution is acceptable for other instruments, but students should adhere to the suggested repertoire as closely as possible.

Keyboard

Piano: A Bach prelude and fugue or comparable work by Bach; a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert; a larger, Romantic nineteenth-century work; a twentieth-century composition. Piano applicants should send a list of principal works performed.

Organ: Representative works from the major areas of organ literature—a major Bach work, and two other pieces from the romantic or contemporary repertoire.

Harpsichord: Works of the applicant’s choice from the principal areas of the literature including a major Bach work, an important seventeenth-century composition, and illustration of the French and Italian styles.

Strings

Violin: A movement of an unaccompanied Bach sonata; a movement from a Romantic or twentieth-century concerto; any Paganini caprice; a short piece by Kreisler, Sarasate, deFalla, or comparable composer.

Viola: One movement of any of the Bach cello suites; one movement of either a Schubert or Brahms sonata; one movement of either the Bartók or Walton viola concerto.

Cello: A baroque sonata; the first movement from either the Haydn D Major, Dvorák, or Schumann concerto; a Popper étude, No. 6, 18, 26, or 33.

Bass: A baroque sonata or solo concerto; several orchestral excerpts; a work from the contemporary repertoire.

Guitar: Representative selections from the major areas of the literature including a major work of Bach and a twentieth-century composition.

Harp: A major work by Bach or another baroque composer, a major French work, and/or a work by Hindemith, Casella, Debussy, or Ravel.

Woodwinds and Brass

Flute: Sonatine of Dutilleux (with piano), the second movement of Mozart’s Concerto in D, and a work of the applicant’s choice. Those flutists invited to New Haven for live audition perform Ibert, Concerto (third movement) or Jolivet, Chant de Linos; the second movement of Mozart’s Concerto in D from memory; and the Kuhlau Duet in D major, Op. 102, No. 1, from Three Duos Brillants (movements 1 and 2, first flute part), played with Professor Wilson. Kuhlau tempos: allegro assai, M.M.=144; andante cantabile, M.M.=80.
Other winds and brass: A major sonata; a solo piece or étude; a concerto; several orchestral excerpts.

Percussion

One significant solo work for each of the following: marimba, timpani, solo percussion, snare drum; six orchestral excerpts of the candidate’s choice.

Voice

Repertoire for the audition tape should include seven selections from the operatic, oratorio, and/or art song repertoire of contrasting style and language. Four of these selections should be operatic arias.

Composition

Scores and compact discs of at least three recent works, each written for a different group of instruments, voice, and/or electronic media. (Composers should note the GRE requirements, below)

Conducting

Orchestral: Applicants are selected to audition in New Haven on the basis of the application, videotape, and supporting credentials. At the audition candidates must demonstrate a high level of comprehensive musicianship, including theory, transposition, keyboard skill, and score reading. In addition, each will be asked to conduct assigned movements or sections from the standard orchestral repertoire.

Choral: Applicants are selected for audition on the basis of the application, videotape, and supporting credentials. If invited for a personal interview, candidates will be asked to present an audition in New Haven. At that time candidates will be expected to present a highly developed level of comprehensive musicianship, including theory, transposition, keyboard skill, and score reading. In addition, each will be asked to conduct one or two assigned choral works with a University ensemble.

Recommendations

The recommendation forms enclosed with the application should be given to three musicians who are willing to support the applicant’s candidacy for graduate study.

Transcripts

Applicants must have an official transcript (academic records forwarded to the School of Music) from all colleges or universities attended. Faxes and copies are not acceptable.

GRE Tests

Students applying to the Certificate, Master of Music, or Artist Diploma programs are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), with the exception of applicants to the composition department. All applicants in the composition department, regardless of the degree, must take the GRE General Test.

The GRE General Test is required of all applicants applying to the Master of Musical Arts program who hold a master’s degree from a school other than Yale. The computer-based general test is given regularly at testing centers around the world.

Contact the Educational Testing Service for further information at www.gre.org/ or call 609.771.7670.

Note: Candidates who have not submitted the required test scores will not be considered for admission.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Students for whom English is not a native language must demonstrate, with a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (213 for the computer examination), a level of language proficiency appropriate for graduate study. TOEFL applications may be obtained from Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Educational Testing Service (ETS), PO Box 6154, Princeton nj 08541-6154, 609.771.7100, www.toefl.org. The institution code for TOEFL reports is 3992. Students are advised to make testing arrangements at least six months before the application deadline.

Tuition and Expenses

Tuition for the 2004–2005 academic year is $22,800. Total expenses are estimated at $33,300. If information filed with the Office of Financial Aid indicates that the applicant qualifies for financial aid, he or she will receive a scholarship award, usually in conjunction with a loan and work opportunities. However, School of Music financial awards meet only a portion of students’ needs. Applicants are urged to explore all possibilities for financial assistance, including educational and musical foundations as well as private sources.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

Financial aid at the School is awarded on the basis of need, which is determined in accordance with formulas established by the U.S. Congress. Financial circumstances do not affect the admissions process.

When need is shown, the Yale School of Music makes every effort to provide a financial aid package composed of scholarships, loans, and work opportunities that provide the student with the resources to pursue studies at Yale. Approximately 92 percent of the students enrolled at the School of Music receive some form of financial aid. Awards are determined by the needs of the School as well as the needs of the student. Assistance for financial aid cannot be considered without a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This form is available on the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The federal school code needed for the application is 001426. To ensure access to scarce scholarship funds, applicants requiring financial assistance are strongly urged not to wait for notice of acceptance but to submit an application no later than February 28, 2005.

Present demands on student aid resources greatly exceed the funds available. Every effort is made to provide financial assistance, but the University can assume no responsibility for individual financial difficulties. Course requirements preclude the possibility of very extensive outside employment. It is advisable for students entering the School of Music to have funds sufficient to meet the expense of at least the first year, because available positions for outside employment are usually preempted by students already in attendance.

Students are encouraged to discuss individual questions on financial aid with the financial aid administrator at 203.432.1962; fax 203.432.7448.

Financial Aid for International Students

An International Student Financial Aid Application, Certification of Finances, and an Affidavit of Support can be downloaded from the School of Music Web site, www.yale.edu/music/finaid.html. There are three links you must follow in order to print the total of six pages. Completed forms should be returned no later than February 28, 2005. These forms are required for an international student to gain admission and to obtain a visa. Because limited funds are available for international students, every attempt should be made to obtain financial assistance from the applicant’s government; this information should be included in the Financial Aid Application.

Students are encouraged to discuss individual questions on financial aid with the financial aid administrator at 203.432.1962; fax 203.432.7448.

Auditions/Interviews

Candidates are invited for a personal audition/interview in New Haven on the basis of the recorded performance and other credentials. Applicants will be notified in January and February and must be prepared to perform all material specified in the recording guidelines. Candidates may be asked to demonstrate sight-reading ability and other essential musical skills during the audition. Auditions are held in New Haven.

Audition/Interview Schedule, 2005

* Certificate and M.M. applicants will be heard on February 22 to 26, 2005. Audition dates for specific instruments will be determined by November 1, 2004.
† The M.M.A. examination, required of all M.M.A. candidates, will be given only on Saturday and Sunday, February 26 and 27, 2005.
‡ Artist Diploma auditions will be scheduled only on Friday, February 25, 2005.

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