Instrumental Conducting - Orchestral

To receive full consideration for admission and graduate assistantships, the application deadline is January 1. The School of Music cannot guarantee an audition, interview, admission, or graduate assistantship if application is received after the deadline.

There is no separate application for assistantship. Unless the applicant indicates otherwise, we assume that all applicants are interested in being considered for assistantships. Please note that assistantships are usually awarded for the Fall and Spring semesters together. We very seldom have assistantships available for anyone entering in a Spring semester. We do not award assistantships for Summer sessions.

Submit the online application (see Graduate Admissions page) and all materials described below. The Conductor of the OU Symphony Orchestra (major professor for this degree) will review the written and recorded materials to determine whether or not to contact the applicant to schedule an audition. More details about the audition can be found at the bottom of this page.

These items must be submitted to the online graduate application system

• Two short (5 to 8 minute) video recordings of recent performances; and a video recording of similar length of a recent rehearsal.
  • Video files or links to online video recordings may be submitted to the online application under Digital Portfolio > Upload Media.
• A detailed description of the applicant's current conducting program (ensemble size, ability of performers, rehearsal and performance schedule, repertoire, etc.).
  • Submitted to the online application under Supporting Documents.

The Conductor of the OU Symphony Orchestra (major professor for this degree) will review the written and recorded materials to determine whether or not to contact the applicant to schedule a live, on-campus audition.

• Applicants invited to campus for a live audition will present a conducting audition with a University ensemble presented before a committee consisting of appropriate members of the Graduate Music Faculty.
• The audition will consist of a 30-minute rehearsal with orchestra of works assigned prior to the audition, and a 15-minute session at the piano with Dr. Shames that will focus largely but not entirely on score-reading.