Woodwinds

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

Assistantships

All applicants are automatically considered for appropriate graduate assistantships. Please notify the Graduate Music Office (gradmusic@ou.edu) if you do not wish to be considered. 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.

Application Procedure

By the December 1 deadline, please submit the online application (see Graduate Admissions page) and all application materials described below. More details on the audition can be found at the bottom of the page.

Application materials required for all graduate degrees

These items must be submitted to the online graduate application system.

Resume
- Submitted to the online application under the Resume tab.
Statement of Purpose
- Submitted to the online application under the Statement of Purpose tab
- Please compose a brief personal statement (approximately 2–3 pages of double-spaced, 12-point font text with 1-inch margins) regarding your desire to pursue a graduate degree in music. Include responses to the following prompts:
  1. How would you describe your professional path to this point?
  2. Why do you want to pursue this degree at OU?
  3. How do you want to grow musically, artistically, pedagogically, and/or intellectually during your graduate studies?
  4. What skills, expertise, and experiences do you bring to graduate study at OU?
  5. Describe your post-degree plans (i.e., How will you apply your newly acquired academic knowledge and expertise?).
Three letters of reference
- Submitted to the online application under Recommendations tab
- Your three reference letters should include:
  - At least one letter from: your studio professor, ensemble conductor, chamber coach, etc., or a person who has considerable knowledge about your abilities as a performer or composer.
  - At least one letter from: a person who can speak to your abilities as a scholar of music.

Audition Dates

MM auditions will be scheduled on the following dates. See the following section for more details.

Graduate Woodwind Audition Dates
January 31, 2026
February 7, 2026 (no Bassoon auditions)
February 21, 2026

Audition Details and Requirements

After submitting the online application, please contact Dr. Myles Boothroyd at myles.boothroyd@ou.edu to schedule your audition. Live auditions are preferred and will receive priority consideration for graduate assistantships. Video auditions may be accepted with special permission from the audition committee. Audition repertoire and other requirements are the same for both live and recorded auditions.

With the approval of their applied teacher, a current OU undergraduate music major planning to apply to the MM program within twelve months of graduation may submit their senior degree recital in lieu of a formal audition. Recital repertoire must meet the MM audition requirements outlined below and be attended or otherwise reviewed by the audition committee.

MM woodwind applicants should prepare approximately 20 minutes of music.
Applicants are encouraged to reach out to the primary instrument professor in advance to discuss their proposed audition repertoire.
Repertoire should consist of music appropriate for graduate level study and may include orchestral excerpts and/or etudes.
The audition should represent a broad breadth of contrasting styles.
Applicants are encouraged to include music of underrepresented composers, but this is not required.
All MM auditions will include an interview with members of the woodwind faculty.
Live auditions will be unaccompanied.