Conducting

The following requirements must be met for the chosen study programme:

• evidence of the higher education entrance qualification
• successful completion of the aptitude test
• evidence of knowledge of German
• evidence of health insurance
• evidence of payment of the semester fee

The audition consists of several parts. If you fail one part, your audition will end there. The pieces/works/sections to be conducted and/or performed will be selected by the board of examiners. If one of the selected pieces/works/sections has only been partially prepared or not prepared at all, the audition will be assessed as “fail“.

No preliminary round

Audition

A. CONDUCTING two pianists:

1. Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 C-minor, first movement, exposition

2. Carl Orff: Carmina burana, Uf dem Anger, Dance

3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Cosi fan tutte, Recitativo of Fiordiligi "Temerari" (bar 44) until "Come scoglio" (end of Recit., bar 68), including marking the singers‘ parts with your voice

For piano majors:
B. PERFORMING A VOCAL SCORE (The programme has to be submitted in written form):

Perform of a section (4-5 min) of a vocal score, including marking the singers‘ parts with your voice (duration c. 10 min.); level of difficulty e.g. Giacomo Puccini: Boheme Act I: fig. 10 – fig. 17 or Act II: fig. 16 – fig. 27

For other majors:
B. PERFORMING A VOCAL SCORE (The programme has to be submitted in written form):

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute, No. 15 Sarastro’s Aria including marking the singers‘ parts with your voice or a piece of comparable difficulty

C. INSTRUMENTAL / VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Presentation of a programme of 20 minutes duration for your main instrument/voice. (The programme has to be submitted in written form). The repertoire has to be of a challenging level and contain music from different eras including contemporary music, possibly also etudes or single movements. The works/movements should be prepared in their entirety.

D. COLLOQUIUM:

Short colloquium on different musical subjects (sight-reading, sight-singing, music styles, score reading/performance).

The audition consists of several parts. If you fail one part, your audition will end there. The pieces/works/sections to be conducted and/or performed will be selected by the board of examiners. If one of the selected pieces/works/sections has only been partially prepared or not prepared at all, the audition will be assessed as “fail“.

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Preliminary round Video
Please send us the following video examples:

A. CONDUCTING

3 short videos which may comprise concert recordings, recordings of rehearsals or silent conducting (10’) (medium level of difficulty). They should not be more than 1 year old.

B. SCORE-READING

Playing and simultaneously singing a choral score of medium difficulty (e.g. Brahms: Warum ist das Licht gegeben, H. Wolf: 6 geistliche Gesänge, M. Reger: Geistliche Gesänge)

C. MAIN INSTRUMENT OR VOICE

Performance of a short piece on the main instrument. The piece may also be included in the audition repertoire.

Audition

A. CONDUCTING

1. Taking a choir rehearsal (c. 15 minutes) with an obligatory work.

2. Conducting an obligatory work (with piano accompaniment).

Both works will be sent to the candidates two weeks before the audition.

B. SCORE READING AND REDUCTION

Prepared:

1. Playing and simultaneously singing a choral score of medium difficulty (see video, e.g.: Brahms: „Warum ist das Licht gegeben, H. Wolf: 6 geistliche Gesänge, M. Reger: Geistliche Gesänge.)

2. Playing and simultaneously singing a recitative or an aria from an oratorium,

C. UNPREPARED

Playing a choral score of medium difficulty in new clefs, singing a choral part of medium difficulty

D. MAIN INSTRUMENT/VOICE

Performance of a 20-minute programme for your main instrument/voice. The list of prepared works has to be submitted to the audition panel in written form. The repertoire has to be of a challenging level and comprise music from different eras including contemporary music, possibly also etudes or single movements. The works/movements should be prepared in their entirety.

Study Emphasis Orchestral Conducting

no preliminary round

audition: 

Presentation of a programme of 20 minutes duration for your main instrument/voice. (The programme has to be submitted in written form). The repertoire has to be of a challenging level and contain music from different eras including contemporary music, possibly also etudes or single movements. The works/movements should be prepared in their entirety.

Study Emphasis Choral Conducting

Preliminary round:

Performance of a short piece on the main instrument. The piece may also be included in the audition repertoire.

Audition: 

Performance of a 20-minute programme for your main instrument/voice. The list of prepared works has to be submitted to the audition panel in written form. The repertoire has to be of a challenging level and comprise music from different eras including contemporary music, possibly also etudes or single movements. The works/movements should be prepared in their entirety.

If the main instrumental subject is not piano, then audition in the compulsory subject piano (Performance of two piano works of intermediate difficulty from different musical periods, e.g. J. S. Bach: Französische Suiten; Haydn: Sonata in G-Minor; Chopin: Waltz in A-Minor; Bartok: Sonatina.)
 

Major in choral conducting: compulsory subject singing (if the main instrumental subject is piano): If the main instrumental subject is piano, then audition in the compulsory subject voice (Two pieces (e.g. Lied, aria, unaccompanied song or an unaccompanied folksong) are to be performed from memory. One piece must be in the German language.).

In a colloquium with the audition panel of up to 15 minutes, typical stylistic classifications of score pictures from different periods are to be made and sufficient prior knowledge of genres, styles, composers and musical literature from the Renaissance to the present is to be demonstrated.

Music theory:
Advanced knowledge of major-minor harmony, written test of up to 60 minutes duration: elaboration of a figured bass, a 2-part polyphonic and 4-part homophonic song or chorale movement. The written test is supplemented by an oral-practical test of 10-15 minutes on the piano with cadenza playing (including secondary functions and basic knowledge of modulation), continuo playing as well as harmonisations of the melodies or bass progressions presented. Example

Aural Skills:
Examination of giftedness and previous education. Written test of about 60 minutes duration: time signatures, rhythmisation of a tone sequence, interval and chord dictation, 2-part movement, melodic memory task, tone changes in free-tonal sounds, recognition of rhythmic and melodic errors. The written test will be supplemented by an oral-practical test of up to 15 minutes duration. Example

The Deutsche Tonkünstlerverband also offers preparatory courses in music theory and ear training for the aptitude test in Detmold.

The following requirements must be met for the chosen study programme:

• Proof of successfully completed studies with a Bachelor of Music degree or diploma in orchestral conducting or choir conducting, in exceptional cases also an instrumental or singing course or school or church music
• successful completion of the aptitude test
• aptitude test for specific electives if applicable
• evidence of knowledge of German
• evidence of health insurance
• evidence of payment of the semester fee

The audition consists of several parts. If you fail one part, your audition will end there. The pieces/works/sections to be conducted and/or performed will be selected by the board of examiners. If one of the selected pieces/works/sections has only been partially prepared or not prepared at all, the audition will be assessed as “fail“.

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Preliminary round Video
Please send us the following video examples:

A. CONDUCTING 
Video recordings of yourself conducting an orchestra/ensemble/pianist/choir. Possible are recordings of rehearsals/performances, also recordings of silent conducting. Please note which pieces and ensembles are seen in the recordings.

For piano majors:
B. PERFORMING A VOCAL SCORE
Performance of a section (4-5 min) of a vocal score, including marking the singers‘ parts with your voice; level of difficulty e.g. Elektra: Mägdeszene, Carmen: Schmugglerquintett or beginning of Rosenkavalier

For other majors:
B. PERFORMING A VOCAL SCORE:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute, No. 15 Sarastro’s Aria or a piece of comparable difficulty

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Audition

A. CONDUCTING

Round I: CONDUCTING TWO PIANISTS:
1. Carl Orff, Carmina burana Nr. 6, Uf dem Anger (Dance)
2. Johannes Brahms 1. Symphony, 4th movement
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Magic Flute, Finale I, bars 38-96, including marking the singers‘ parts with your voice DURING conducting.

Round II: ENSEMBLE/ORCHESTRA REHEARSAL (OPTIONAL)
The programm will be submitted two weeks before the audition.

For piano majors:
B. PERFORMING A VOCAL SCORE
(The programme has to be submitted in written form)

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro, Finale II, bars 1-608.
2. Perform of a section (4-5 min) of a vocal score, including marking the singers‘ parts with your voice; level of difficulty eg. Elektra: Mägdeszene, Carmen: Schmugglerquintett oder beginning of Rosenkavalier, each with marking the singers‘ parts

For other majors:
B. PERFORMING A VOCAL SCORE

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute, No. 15 Sarastro’s Aria or a piece of comparable difficulty

C. INSTRUMENTAL / VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Presentation of a programme of 20 minutes duration on your main instrument/voice. (The programme has to be submitted in written form). The repertoire has to be of a challenging level and contain music from different eras including contemporary, possibly also etudes or single movements. The works should be prepared in their entirety.

D. COLLOQUIUM

Short colloquium on different musical subjects (sight-reading, music styles, score reading/performance)

The audition consists of several parts. If you fail one part, your audition will end there. The pieces/works/sections to be conducted and/or performed will be selected by the board of examiners. If one of the selected pieces/works/sections has only been partially prepared or not prepared at all, the audition will be assessed as “fail“.

Preliminary round Video:

A. CONDUCTING

3 short videos, which may comprise concert recordings, recordings of rehearsals or silent conducting (10’) (medium level of difficulty). They should not be more than 2 years old.

B. SINGING

Singing of a short Lied, song or aria (a capella or accompanied)

Audition: 

A. CONDUCTING:

1. Directing a choir rehearsal (c. 20‘) with an obligatory piece, sent to the candidates 2 weeks before the audition
2. Conducting (two pianos) in Mendelssohn’s Elias, No. 10 (recitative and choir) whilst singing the voice parts simultaneously.
3. Sight-singing and sight-reading of a choral score.

B. SCORE READING:

If your main instrument is the piano:
Performance of a prepared choral score, whilst marking the voices simultaneously. Level of difficulty as in Frank Martin, „Kyrie“ from the Mass for double choir / Bach motets / Reger opus 39.

If your main instrument is NOT the piano:
Performance of an easy, prepared choral score. Level of difficulty as in Rheinberger advent motets or J. Brahms Weltliche A-Capella-Gesänge.

C. MAIN INSTRUMENT/ VOICE:

Presentation of a programme of 20 minutes duration on your main instrument/voice. (The programme has to be submitted in written form). The repertoire has to be of a challenging level and contain music from different musical eras including contemporary music. Etudes or single movements are allowed. The works should be prepared in their entirety.