Prospective Music Student Information


We are excited that you are interested in studying music at The University of Akron! Whether you major or minor in music, or are interested in keeping music as part of your education, we have world-class faculty and ensembles available to you.
 
Click here to register for an introductory visit! Open to all prospective undergraduate and graduate students.

Audition dates for 2027-2028 academic year:


Saturday, January 23, 2027, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 13, 2027, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 6, 2027, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

To audition for the School of Performing Arts, apply to UA and follow the instructions in your application. 

Apply to The University of Akron

Audition Information

About Auditions

Prospective music majors are required to audition for our degree programs and are eligible to be considered for music scholarship. Students are eligible for scholarship on only one primary instrument. Any students with secondary instruments or music interests are not required to audition on secondary instruments. Auditions are only required on primary instruments.

Prospective music minors and students not majoring in music are not required to audition but auditioning allows one to be eligible for music scholarship. All students awarded a music scholarship are expected to be enrolled at UA with a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. To maintain their music scholarship, students must be actively taking applied lessons, performing in a major conducted ensemble and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

For music scholarship consideration, auditions must be completed by March 13, 2027.

Scheduling Your Audition

  1. Apply to The University of Akron.
  2. Once you are accepted, you will be given a link in your Admissions Portal in order to register to audition. You can choose to audition on one of the scheduled audition dates or schedule a by-appointment audition (in person audition). You should only register for an audition on your primary instrument. All prospective students who wish to be considered for School of Performing Arts music scholarships must audition by March 13, 2027.
  3. Once you have scheduled your audition date, you will receive a confirmation email that will include directions, parking information, and additional details. Specific audition times will be sent 1 week before your audition.
  4. You can choose to expand your audition day with UA experiences such as campus tours, shadowing a music student for the day, sitting in on ensemble rehearsals, etc. Contact the UA School of Performing Arts at sopa@uakron.edufor more information.

Schedule a campus tour

Audition Experience

Audition Day at UA is your opportunity to gain enrollment in the School of Performing Arts, to be considered for a music scholarship, and is a great way to explore our school. We offer three audition days in the early spring. If those dates do not work for you, we can schedule an audition at your convenience. All you have to do is apply to UA and we'll walk you through the rest!

A typical UA Audition Day schedule:

  • You’ll receive your specific time 1 week before your audition date.
  • Arrive approximately 1 hour before your scheduled audition time.
  • After you check in, we'll give you space to warm up and get settled. Once you are ready to audition, you’ll perform for music faculty. For most instruments, your audition will be 15-20 minutes.
    • Percussion auditions tend to run longer due to the large number of instruments to play.
  • After your audition performance, you will have access to the School of Performing Arts faculty and administration to answer any questions you may have about the school or majoring in music.

Your audition will consist of the following requirements:

  1. Performance - Several UA music faculty will listen to your perform on your primary instrument.
  2. Theory Placement Exam - A written, online theory placement exam is used for class placement and scholarship consideration only. Results of the theory placement exam are not used to determine acceptance to the UA School of Performing Arts.
  3. Piano Proficiency Test - A basic piano skills test is performed for piano faculty. Results of the piano proficiency test are only used for class placement and are not used to determine acceptance to the UA School of Performing Arts. Auditioning students may opt out of the piano proficiency test and will be placed in the beginning Class Piano I course upon enrollment.

Instrument/Voice Specific Audition Requirements

After the Audition

Make sure to take your theory placement exam:
Theory Placement Exam

Come back to campus! Attend concerts and events! Follow us on social media! Spend more time with our faculty and students to confirm that our school is right for you.