Contemporary Music Division Auditions & Interviews

2023 - 2024 On-Campus and Live Virtual Composition Interview Dates

Saturday, February 10, 2024
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Saturday, February 17, 2024

Composition Screening

The Composition screening portfolio should consist of 3 original scores (and recordings, if possible). Scores will be judged on their imaginativeness, idiomatic instrumental/vocal writing, development of musical ideas, textural variety, and accurate, legible notation. Scores will be accepted in PDF format (Sibelius or Finale files will not be accepted). Scores and recordings can be submitted via digital upload to the Audition and Screening Dropbox on your Applicant Portal or by mail. Mailed materials should be sent to Conservatory Admissions, 39 W. College St., Oberlin, OH 44074. Appropriate formats include computer-engraved scores and/or photocopies of hand-written manuscripts, and audio recordings. Presentation and thoroughness of the portfolio are very important. Please carefully label all items. Any materials submitted will not be returned.

The deadline for receipt of the screening portfolio is December 4. 

Composition Interviews

No instrumental audition is required for consideration in this program. Students do not perform instrumental auditions, rather, applicants are invited to interview with Composition faculty. If an applicant is not able to attend an on-campus interview, the Composition faculty will conduct a Zoom interview, however to get the full experience of interview day activities we strongly encourage you to interview on campus.

Interested applicants who have substantial preparation in a traditional performance medium, acoustic composition, and/or related art forms, but little or no experience in music technology, are encouraged to submit a screening portfolio. While TIMARA faculty recognize an applicant’s technological experience, they also place substantial value on creativity and artistic expression.  Please do not hesitate to contact a member of the TIMARA faculty with questions about the program.

2023 - 2024 On-Campus and Live Virtual TIMARA Interview Dates

Saturday, February 10, 2024
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Sunday, February 18, 2024

Although all interviews will take place on the dates listed above, students who pass screening are encouraged to plan on attending the events that begin the Friday before.

Tentative weekend schedule of events for February 2024 can be found here.

TIMARA Screening

The TIMARA screening portfolio should consist of 3 examples of creative work. Applicants are encouraged to submit a variety of works that illustrate skill in more than one style, aesthetic approach, and compositional technique, including but not limited to purely electronic works, purely acoustic works, and video works. We do not require a score be included in the portfolio, however if applicants have pieces that are notated we encourage you to include the score with any recordings. Materials can be submitted via digital upload to the Audition and Screening Dropbox on your Applicant Portal or by mail. Mailed materials should be sent to Conservatory Admissions, 39 W. College St., Oberlin, OH 44074. Appropriate formats include CD for purely electronic works, printed notation of purely acoustic works, and DVD of video works. Presentation and thoroughness of the portfolio are very important. Please carefully label all items. Any materials submitted will not be returned.

The deadline for receipt of the screening portfolio is December 4.

TIMARA Interviews

Students do not perform instrumental auditions, rather, applicants will interview with TIMARA Faculty. If an applicant is not able to attend an on-campus interview, the TIMARA Faculty will conduct a Zoom interview. However to get the full experience of of the campus community and the TIMARA studios, we strongly encourage you to interview in person. Also, an in-person interview will provide TIMARA Faculty ample opportunity to experience everything you would bring to the department.

Oberlin Conservatory’s BM in Recording Arts & Production is intended for students interested in exploring the history, theory and practice of recorded music.  RA&P focuses on applying skills acquired in the classroom in collaboration with ensembles of all sizes and styles.  Although much of what we do is based in the conservatory, this major is genre non-specific and seeks to teach musicians of all styles the technical skills and aesthetic considerations needed to explore the field of music production as both a profession and an art.

Core courses in RA&P focus on analog and digital audio theory, recording, mixing  and mastering techniques, with a significant emphasis on critical listening.  Third and fourth year group and individual projects serve as an opportunity to work through the entire production process from preparation to final product.  While there is a strong focus on recording technology, this program seeks to reinforce that knowledge with a comprehensive musical foundation rooted in the conservatory tradition.

2023 - 2024 On-Campus and Live Virtual RA&P Interview Dates

Saturday, February 10, 2024
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Sunday, February 18, 2024

RA&P Screening

The RA&P screening portfolio must consist of 3 examples of recorded music. Each recording should be submitted with a brief explanation of the production and recording process used, include any limitations encountered and what you did to work around them. Applicants are encouraged to submit examples of work that demonstrate a variety of approaches and diversity of work.

The deadline for receipt of the screening portfolio is January 15.

RA&P Interviews

In place of instrumental auditions, RA&P applicants will perform a critical listening screening as part of their interview with RA&P faculty. If an applicant is not able to attend an on-campus interview, the RA&P faculty will conduct a Zoom interview. However to get the full experience of the campus community and the RA&P studios, we strongly encourage you to interview in person. Also, an in-person interview will provide RA&P faculty ample opportunity to experience everything you would bring to the department.