CCM's admissions process begins on August 1 (undergraduate) and September 1 (graduate) for entrance in the following year's fall semester. All application materials must be submitted on or before December 1 to be considered for specific scholarship awards. Visit the CCM Admissions website for additional application instructions.
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 in order to be considered for admissions.
Pre-screening Requirements
- At least three solo pieces from contrasting style periods and must include a complete sonata of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (excluding Opus 49) or Schubert
- All Sonatas, Variations, Suites, and other individual works written with multiple movements must be prepared in their entirety. Sets of pieces that are intended to be performed together must be prepared in their entirety (For example: Schumann Carnaval, Davidsbündlertanze, or Kreisleriana; Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition; Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue)
- Compositions should be performed by memory with the exception of extraordinarily prohibitive 20th and 21st century compositions
- Etudes encouraged
BM Piano Performance and Double Majors
The repertoire requirements are the same as the pre-screening requirements.
BM Music Education (Piano Concentration)
- At least three solo pieces from contrasting style periods and must include an allegro movement from a sonata of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert
- Compositions should be performed by memory with the exception of extraordinarily prohibitive 20th and 21st century compositions
- February 7 (on campus)
- February 8 (on campus)
- February 13 (on campus)
- February 14 (on campus)
- February 15 (on campus)
Recorded auditions are permitted and must be uploaded to Acceptd by February 1.
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 in order to be invited for an audition and considered for admissions.
Pre-screening Requirements
- At least three solo pieces from contrasting style periods and must include a complete sonata of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (excluding Opus 49) or Schubert
- All Sonatas, Variations, Suites and other individual works written with multiple movements must be prepared in their entirety
- Sets of pieces that are intended to be performed together must be prepared in their entirety (For example: Schumann Carnaval, Davidsbündlertanze, or Kreisleriana; Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition; Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue).
- Etudes are encouraged
- Compositions should be performed by memory with the exception of extraordinarily prohibitive 20th and 21st century compositions.
- The choice of repertoire should be indicative of the capacity to thrive artistically in graduate level piano study.
- Repertoire is the same as the pre-screening requirements
- February 7 (on campus)
- February 8 (on campus)
- February 13 (on campus)
- February 14 (on campus)
- February 15 (on campus)
Recorded auditions are permitted and must be uploaded to Acceptd by February 1.
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 in order to be considered for admissions.
Pre-screening Requirements
- At least 60 minutes of solo repertoire, preferably from diverse style periods, giving ample evidence of the capacity to perform, record and compete at an international level.
- Etude encouraged for all degree programs
- All Sonatas, Variations, Suites, and other individual works written with multiple movements must be prepared in their entirety
- Sets of pieces that are intended to be performed together must be prepared in their entirety (For example: Schumann Carnaval, Davidsbündlertanze, or Kreisleriana; Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition; Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue)
- Same requirements as prescreening.
- February 7 (on campus)
- February 8 (on campus)
- February 13 (on campus)
- February 14 (on campus)
- February 15 (on campus)
Recorded auditions are permitted and must be uploaded to Acceptd by February 1.
Secondary Piano Graduate Assistantship Application Requirements
Upload the following three-page PDF document to your graduate application:
- Your name, address, phone, email
- Previous degrees
- The degree program you are applying for in CCM
- Name and email of three references
- Pedagogy courses
- Teaching background
- Experience in any sort of working environment
Page Three: Teaching Philosophy
- Why you want a teaching assistantship?
- What qualifications do you have that would make you a good fit for the position?
- Anything that would be of benefit when we are looking at potential graduate assistants
*Interviews will be determined after admissions decisions are released.
Collaborative Piano (Accompanying) - MM
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3.
Pre-screening Requirements
- A solo piano selections (5’-7’ in length) performed on a grand piano
- One movement from a Sonata for piano and either a wind or string instrument
- Two art songs, one of which must be by Schubert
- One opera aria
- It is understood that all of these selections will be performed with appropriate partners
Applicants who are invited to audition must send their choices from the following repertoire three weeks before your scheduled live audition date to Professor Griffiths [griffikr@ucmail.uc.edu]
- the first movement of one of the following works Brahms Sonata Op 120 #1 OR #2 (with clarinet) Beethoven Sonata for Cello and Piano Op 69 OR op 102 #1
- Four of the following art songs:
- Schubert "Rastlose Liebe”
- Brahms "Feldeinsamkeit”
- Copland "When they come back” from 12 Poems of Emily Dickinson
- Debussy "Green” from Ariettes oubliées
- Fauré "Mandoline”
- Either Mimi’s aria "Donde lieta” from La Boheme OR the recitative to the Contessa’s aria "Dove sono” from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro
If you are especially interested in instrumental collaboration, you may substitute the first movement of Rachmaninov’s Sonata for Cello and Piano instead of the above options and offer two art songs plus one of the opera selections above.
All collaborative piano applicants will have two sight-reading tests:
- Sight reading a piano part from a collaborative work you have not played
- Play AND sing, OR add the vocal line to the piano part of a song you will receive at the audition.
- February 8 (on campus)
- February 15 (on campus)
Recorded auditions are not permitted.
Details for Accompanying Assistantships
Musical Theatre Accompanying Assistantship
Open to all pianists, no pre-screening required.
- Play something you know well
- Sight read material from the musical theater repertoire
- Knowledge and experience in musical theater repertoire is mandatory
- Please email Ian Axness [axnessir@ucmail.uc.edu] if you have any questions about this assistantship.
Opera Pianists Accompanying Assistantship
See AD Opera Coaching for more information about pre-screening and live audition requirements.
Studio Accompanying Assistantship
Pre-screening Requirements
- One movement from a Sonata for piano with either a wind or string instrument.
In addition, applicants for the studio accompanist assistantship must email Professor Kenneth Griffiths at griffikr@ucmail.uc.edu the following:
- a professional resume or CV
- a personal statement indicating your interest in collaborating with other musicians.
- and a complete repertoire list (vocal, instrumental, or both)
- If auditioning for the Instrumental Assistantship - prepare ONE of the Beethoven or Brahms Sonata movements OR the first movement of the Rachmaninov Sonata for Cello and piano
- If auditioning for the Vocal Studio Assistantship – prepare four of the five options listed above
- If auditioning for both assistantships, all of the above requirements must be prepared.
CCM's Collaborative Piano MM degree includes the opportunity to hone your craft with our exceptionally talented singers and instrumentalists, guided by the department's experienced and highly respected faculty. Additionally, Collaborative Piano majors receive individual lessons weekly from Piano Department faculty members as well as the collaborative piano faculty.
In addition to the Graduate Assistantship awards, the Collaborative Department will award a $5,000 scholarship to the outstanding applicant of the year.
“CCM’s collaborative piano program gave me the necessary skills and opportunities to begin and sustain a career in this richly varied field. I am endlessly grateful for the faculty’s knowledge, leadership, and guidance, as well as the relationships I built with classmates who have become lifelong friends and colleagues.”
Allen Perriello (MM 2008)
“The industry-leading and renowned CCM Collaborative Piano faculty have taken a personal interest in my development as an artist and have provided me with all the tools necessary to succeed in the profession. My education coupled with the vibrant Cincinnati arts community has given me valuable and varied experience that will enable my future success.”
Parker Konkle MM 2024
