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
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).
- 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
- For DMA Applicants: Approx. 500 words on the following subject:
- Please describe what you feel is the most challenging piece of piano repertoire you have studied in the past four years, your process in learning the piece and how this experience has contributed to your development as an artist.
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.
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
*An interview is required if you are invited by faculty.
Collaborative Piano (Accompanying) - MM
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 14 in order to be considered for admissions. In person auditions are held on January 28 and February 11, 2023.
Pre-screening Requirements
Collaborative piano applicants must submit the following:
- A solo piano selection (5’ -8’ 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.
- Horn Concerto by Glière – first movement.
- Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, op 19 by Rachmaninoff – first movement.
- Mozart – Count’s recit. and aria “Hai già vinta… Vedrò mentr’io sospiro” from Le nozze di Figaro
- Schumann - op 39 Liederkreis (Eichendorff) “Waldesgespräch” – high key
- Debussy – Ariettes oubliées – “C’est l’extase langoureuse” – original key
- Copland – Twelve poems of Emily Dickinson - “Heart, we will forget him”
All collaborative piano applicants will have two sight-reading tests:
- Sight-reading a piano part from a collaborative work that 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.
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 theatre repertoire
- Knowledge and experience in musical theatre repertoire is mandatory.
- Please email Professor Mark Gibson if you have any questions about the musical theatre accompanying 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
Instrumental studio GA:
- One movement from a Sonata for piano and either a wind or string instrument.
Vocal Studio GA:
- Two art songs, one of which must be by Schubert. The second song should be in another language.
- One standard opera aria in any language
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 an Instrumental Assistantship – prepare both the Glière and Rachmaninoff movements from the list above.
- If auditioning for a Vocal Studio Assistantship – prepare all the vocal repertoire listed above.
- If auditioning for both assistantships, ALL REPERTOIRE must be prepared.
