Whether you are looking to advance in your current career path or perhaps make a career change, our graduate programs provide the opportunities to focus your studies even further. Take your education to the next level in one of dozens of programs available.
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Building skillsets for successful, competitive musicians.
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Providing valuable experience in repair and restoration situations.
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Strings
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Theory & Composition
Training musicians through outstanding instruction and mentorship.
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Voice & Opera
Developing students for a multitude of performing opportunities.
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Woodwinds
Preparing students for diverse careers in teaching and performance.
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Voice & Opera Admissions
Fostering a myriad of collaborative musical experiences in a variety of venues.
Voice & Opera
Key Admission Dates
Fall 2024
- Application and Prescreening Deadline (Voice and Opera Coaching) December 1
- Priority Deadline (Opera Directing) December 1
- Prescreening Results Released December 15
- Auditions (Voice) January 26, 27, February 9, 10, 23, 24 (other dates by appointment)
- Auditions (Opera Coaching) January 19, February 16
- Decisions Released February and March
Voice & Opera
Application Requirements
1 Apply to Florida State University
Complete the Florida State University Application and pay the $30 application fee.
- Coaching and Directing applicants should select “Opera Production – MM” on the FSU Application. You will have the opportunity to specify your emphasis (Coaching or Directing) on the supplemental application.
In order to meet the Florida State University requirements for graduate admission, applicants must have earned a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor’s degree. Applicants not meeting this requirement may be considered for admission, but only by special exception. To determine your upper-division GPA, please consult the GPA calculation worksheet. If your upper-division GPA is below a 3.0, please be sure to address this deficiency in your Statement of Purpose. You are also encouraged to have your referees address your academic preparedness for graduate study in their letters of recommendation.
The College of Music admissions requirements exceed University minimum standards. Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English, including applicants who have already studied in an English speaking country for any length of time.
For admission, attain the minimum required score on one of the following exams:
Additionally, to be eligible for a graduate assistantship:
- Students must score a minimum of 26 on the speaking portion of the IBTOEFL or;
- Achieve a score of 50 on the SPEAK Test (offered by FSU) to qualify for a graduate assistantship.
2 Apply to the College of Music
Complete the College of Music Supplemental Application and additional materials. The Supplemental Application will be added to your Application Checklist within 1-2 hours of submitting your application to FSU.
- Prescreening recordings due by December 1
- Comprehensive Solo Repertoire List
- This is a list of all significant solo works you have studied to date. Upload through the Application Status Check.
- Vita/Resume
- Include education, background, experience, honors and awards, publications, names of former teachers, and any other important information.
- Statement of Purpose
- There is no required format or prompt for the Statement of Purpose. Most are 1-2 pages in length and discuss the applicant’s background, career goals, and potential for success in the program. This may be formatted as a cover letter to accompany the Vita/Resume.
- Letters of Recommendation (3 required)
- You will enter your recommenders’ contact information through the Application Status Check.
- Prescreening recordings due by December 1
- Comprehensive Solo Repertoire List
- This is a list of all significant solo works you have studied to date. You may create your own or use our form . (You must download the form, fill it out, and save it for changes to apply.) Upload through the Application Status Check.
- Vita/Resume
- Include education, background, experience, honors and awards, publications, names of former teachers, and any other important information.
- Statement of Purpose
- There is no required format or prompt for the Statement of Purpose. Most are 1-2 pages in length and discuss the applicant’s background, career goals, and potential for success in the program. This may be formatted as a cover letter to accompany the Vita/Resume.
- Letters of Recommendation (3 required)
- You will enter your recommenders’ contact information through the Application Status Check.
Foreign Language Requirement
- Graduation from the Opera Production degree requires reading proficiency in French, German and Italian. In addition, all candidates must exhibit a thorough knowledge of correct diction in these languages, including the ability to correctly transcribe them into the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
- “Proficiency” is to be interpreted as having completed one year of each language at the college level with a grade of “B” or higher OR satisfactory performance on the language entrance examination administered by the coaching faculty.
- Identified language deficiencies will have to be made up during the period of residence.
- Vita/Resume
- Include education, background, experience, honors and awards, publications, names of former teachers, and any other important information.
- Statement of Purpose
- There is no required format or prompt for the Statement of Purpose. Most are 1-2 pages in length and discuss the applicant’s background, career goals, and potential for success in the program. This may be formatted as a cover letter to accompany the Vita/Resume.
- Letters of Recommendation (3 required)
- You will enter your recommenders’ contact information through the Application Status Check.
- Video clips of prior directing work (optional)
- Attach in the digital portfolio on the Application Status Check
Applied Music Assessment
Please know that an applied music assessment is a part of most master’s and doctoral programs in the College of Music. Non-performance graduate applicants are not assessed until actually arriving on campus for course enrollment and placement. Many non-performance students choose to complete this requirement during orientation week, prior to the start of the semester along with other curricular placement activities. This requirement must be completed by the end of the first term.
- Prescreening recordings due December 1.
- Comprehensive Solo Repertoire List
- This is a list of all significant solo works you have studied to date.
- Vita/Resume
- Include education, background, experience, honors and awards, publications, names of former teachers, and any other important information.
- Statement of Purpose
- There is no required format or prompt for the Statement of Purpose. Most are 1-2 pages in length and discuss the applicant’s background, career goals, and potential for success in the program. This may be formatted as a cover letter to accompany the Vita/Resume.
- Scholarly Writing Sample
- Acceptable scholarly writing sample may include either
- A paper of at least 5 pages submitted for an MM-level course, including proper citations and appropriate bibliography; or
- Program notes for the pieces to be performed for the audition (same criteria for minimum length, citations and bibliography apply)
- Please note that an anti-plagiarism monitoring program to ensure the originality of the work may be used to check papers.
- Acceptable scholarly writing sample may include either
- Letters of Recommendation (3 required)
- You will enter your recommenders’ contact information through the Application Status Check.
3 Submit transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
For the purposes of the admission review, transcripts may be official or unofficial. Prior to matriculation, entering students are required to submit final, official transcripts.
4 Complete your audition
Be sure to review the audition requirements below for your program. An accompanist will be provided, free of charge, for all voice auditions.
For those who choose the recorded audition option:
Video and audio is required. Each selection should be recorded in a separate, unedited take. Please introduce yourself and the piece at the beginning of each video.
Please note that Opera Coaching applicants may not select the recorded audition option.
Voice & Opera
Audition Requirements
Select your instrument from the list below to view audition requirements
Prescreening Requirements (MM and DM):
Two uploaded video recordings: one aria and one art song representing two different languages chosen from Italian, German, French, and English.
Master of Music Audition Requirements:
Six (6) memorized selections including:
- One aria or art song from the Baroque or Classical Eras.
- One Romantic or 20th or 21st Century Aria in the original language.
- Four art songs OR three art songs and another aria.
In addition to English, at least two foreign languages must be chosen from Italian, French, and German. Latin may not substitute for Italian. Other languages may be used in addition.
Doctor of Music Audition Requirements:
Seven (7) memorized selections including:
- One aria or art song from the Baroque or Classic Eras.
- One Romantic aria
- One 20th or 21st Century aria or art song in the original language.
- Four art songs OR three art songs and another aria.
The English, Italian, French, and German languages must be represented. Latin may not substitute for Italian. Other languages may be used in addition to the required four.
Applicants who have questions about appropriate audition repertoire please contact Dr. Marcía Porter.
Prescreening Requirements:
Video uploads, unedited, from within the last two years, consisting of two contrasting opera arias (both selections must be presented with a singer).
Audition Requirements:
- Prepare two scenes from the opera repertory, in contrasting styles. Examples of appropriate selections include a finale from a Mozart or Rossini opera, a complete act of a Puccini or Verdi opera, or a complete scene from the operas of Bizet, Massenet, Gounod, Wagner, Richard Strauss, etc.
- Prepare three arias in contrasting languages and styles. Auditioners should select repertoire that reveals their technical and musical skills. Prospective students are strongly advised to select a major aria from the operas of Mozart, along with challenging arias from the works of Handel, Gounod, Massenet, Wagner, Richard Strauss, Stravinsky, etc.
- Sightreading
- The student will be expected to demonstrate their skills in playing the orchestral reduction of opera excerpts at the piano, singing cues in ensembles and multi-character scenes, and following a conductor.
- The repertoire selected for the audition should be prepared in the original languages, and should cover at least three different languages (Italian, French, German, English, Czech, Russian).
Opera coaching applicants should have a repertoire that reflects experience in and acquaintance with the standard operatic repertoire.
Common Questions
Expand AllEveryone who completes the application process (including interview and/or audition, if required) is automatically considered for scholarships and assistantships, and no additional application is necessary. Only graduate students interested in auditioning for accompanying or group piano teaching assistantships are required to take an additional audition. Contact College of Music Admissions for further details.
Prescreenings are required for the following instruments/degree programs:
- MM or DM in Brass Performance
- MM or DM in String Performance (Violin only)
- MM or DM in Woodwind Performance
- MM or DM in Voice Performance
- MM or DM in Piano Performance
- MM in Piano Pedagogy
- MM or DM in Accompanying
- MM in Opera Coaching
Prescreening submissions are due by December 1 and results will be released by December 15. Applicants who are successful in this first round will be invited to campus for a full audition on one of the dates listed above. (Music Theatre will have a second round via Zoom, followed by a final round on campus).
An accompanist is provided, free of charge, for all voice and music theatre auditions on campus. Rehearsal time is not provided, however, and scores should not be submitted in advance. Please bring neat copies, in a book or organized in a binder, in the appropriate key(s). Students may bring their own accompanist to the audition if they wish.
Instrumental auditions will be unaccompanied.
Students are allowed a maximum of three audition attempts per instrument/voice, per degree level (bachelors, master’s, doctoral). Applicants are allowed one audition per application.