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Music Scholarships

Music scholarships range from $1,000-$9,000 per year and are renewable annually based upon a successful audition, continued full-time enrollment at Trinity University, and participation in one or more of the performing ensembles. Piano, organ, and composition scholarships are also available for private study.

All music scholarships, including departmental awards and the Baker Duncan Fine Arts Scholarship, are offered in addition to the University's academic and financial aid awards to provide overall support for a Trinity education. Students who complete the music scholarship application will automatically be considered for both the departmental and Baker Duncan scholarships.

Auditions are for music scholarship consideration only and have no formal bearing on acceptance to the University. In addition, separate auditions are held every fall for the University's various performing ensembles, which are open to all Trinity students.

Note: Students are not required to major or minor in music to be eligible for music scholarships. To be considered, prospective students must complete the online music scholarship application form on or before Sunday, February 23, 2020 and they will be contacted to schedule an audition. If at all possible, the form should be completed at least two weeks prior to the desired audition date, which is requested as a part of the application. A representative from the Music Department will contact the student to confirm the audition date. 

Scholarship Audition Dates

Students may schedule an audition in conjunction with the Admissions Office's "Trinity in Focus" programs listed below. Auditions can also be arranged on dates other than these, and students are encouraged to work with the Music Department Office and the applicable faculty member to secure a date. Students may request their preferred audition date via the online music scholarship application, but in all cases a Music Department representative must confirm the date before it is official.

Trinity in Focus Dates for the 2019-20 academic year are*:

September 21, 2019
November 16, 2019
January 25, 2020

Final Audition Day:

February 29, 2020

*Auditions pending availability of music department faculty.

The deadline for scholarship auditions is Saturday, February 29, 2020.
Scholarship application submissions will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, 2020.

Note: Audition slots on each Trinity in Focus date are limited, and student auditions are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. If a requested audition date is already full, a Music Department representative will attempt to find an alternative date, if possible. No auditions will be held after February 29, 2020.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to audition in person. If circumstances prevent this, a student may submit a recorded audition. The audition can be sent electronically as an email attachment or YouTube channel link, or a DVD or CD recording may be mailed directly to the Music Department. The deadline for receipt of audition recordings is 5 p.m. on Friday, February 28, 2020. An electronic submission should be sent directly to the faculty representative for a specific area (piano, organ, composition, winds/percussion, strings, or voice) via email.

The mailing address for recorded auditions is:

Music Department
Trinity University
One Trinity Place
San Antonio, TX 78212

Audition Requirements

Piano

  1. Two contrasting pieces, preferably memorized. 
  2. Technique (scales, arpeggios, etc.) and sight reading (two independent voices; chorale style) may be incorporated into the audition.

Note: Each student should email a repertoire list of works studied in lessons and a brief narrative describing piano studies to ctrue [at] trinity.edu prior to your audition.

Voice

  1. Two contrasting songs
    It is strongly preferred that the selections be memorized and at least one song be in a foreign language belonging to the classical art song repertoire. One selection may also be an opera/oratorio aria or musical theatre piece.
  2. Two to three short sight-reading selections sung a cappella (choice of neutral syllable or solfege).

Note: An accompanist will be provided. Please arrive no later than 10 minutes prior to the scheduled audition time to rehearse with the accompanist.

Organ

  1. Perform a work by J.S. Bach or one of his contemporaries.
  2. Perform a composition by a composer from the 19th or 20th centuries in a contrasting style.
  3. Perform a hymn of your choice.
  4. Sight reading may be incorporated as a part of the audition.

Note: Each student auditioning in organ should bring with him or her a list of the repertoire covered in lessons with his or her teacher.

Wind, Brass, and Percussion

  1. Students should prepare two contrasting selections, and while the all-state audition etudes are acceptable, it is preferred that students prepare excerpts from repertoire pieces (more along the lines of solo/ensemble type selections). Students may provide their own accompanist if they wish, but performing with accompaniment is not required (unfortunately, we cannot supply an accompanist). In addition, selections do not need to be memorized.
  2. Sight reading and major scales.

Strings (includes Harp)

  1. Two contrasting selections without accompaniment. (Selections need not be memorized.)
  2. Sight reading

Composition

Contact composition faculty for audition requirements.