Your Recording Audition - Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

Your Recording Audition
UNDERGRADUATE/POSTGRADUATE
MUSIC AUDITIONS BY RECORDING
APPLICANTS
Introduction
This guide tells you everything you
need to know about submitting a
DVD audition to the Royal Welsh
College of Music & Drama. Please
read the following information
carefully; it contains audition
guidance for Instrumentalists and
Composers.
Instrumental Auditions
We are able to accept recorded
auditions on the following media.
• DVD
• CD
• Electronic files
(mwa, mov, mp4 etc)
Your audition should be a video
file and should open with a verbal
account of your experience and
aims for the future. Your recording
should include performances of two
contrasting pieces and you should
take care to select pieces that allow
you to demonstrate the full extent
of your ability. In total, your
performance should last
approximately 10 minutes. The
recording must clearly show you
playing your instrument without
any obstruction.
Applicants for the MA in Opera
Performance should include three
operatic arias, including one in Italian.
Piano Applicants must perform a
piece showing the use of the pedal,
and the recording must show your
feet.
Percussion Applicants must perform
one piece on tuned percussion and a
piece on a snare drum. The recording
must show your hands.
Vocal Applicants (not MA Opera
Performance) must perform one
piece in Italian.
Please include a short verbal
introduction of each piece in your
recording.
Please also note that presentation
(dress, deportment and general
stage demeanour) will be taken into
account by academic staff assessing
your audition.
If it is impossible for you to produce
a video recording, it may be possible
for us to accept an audio recording. If
you submit an audio recording, you
will need to ask at least one of your
referees to provide written
verification of the authenticity of the
recording, and written confirmation
of the reasons you are unable to
produce a video recording.
Please send your recording to:
Admissions
Royal Welsh College of Music &
Drama
Castle Grounds
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3ER
Written Work.
For MMus & MA applicants a piece
of written work is also required.
For MA applicants this should take
the form of an analytical programme
note of approximately 1,000 words
on a piece of core repertoire for your
principal study area, discussing both
the music and its context.
For MMus applicants the essay
should be approximately 2,000
words long, fully referenced with
bibliography, on the following topic:
“Compare and contrast three
recordings of a core piece of
repertoire for your principal study
area and discuss how your findings
affect your performance of this
work”
This must be your own work and
needs to be submitted with your
video recording.
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UNDERGRADUATE/POSTGRADUATE
MUSIC AUDITIONS BY RECORDING
APPLICANTS
Composition Applicants
Once you have applied via CUKAS,
you should submit copies of at least
three contrasting, fully notated
pieces, preferably with recordings.
You should send these to:
Admissions
Royal Welsh College of Music &
Drama
Castle Grounds
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3ER
We are happy to accept submissions
as soon as applications open.
Scores should be printed or copied
onto both sides of the paper and
bound in a way that allows the work
to be read naturally. Recordings
should be properly named and
identified, with durations and a
description of how each recording
was made, who was involved, and
whether the notated scores of the
recorded works were created before
or after the recording was made.
You may wish to include a
commentary about the composition
and recording process to support
your application.
Once your submission has been
reviewed by the college’s academic
staff, you may be invited to interview
via Skype.
Written Work.
For MMus & MA applicants a piece
of written work is also required.
For MA applicants the piece of
written work should take the form of
an analytical programme note of
approximately 1,000 words on a
piece of your choice, discussing both
the music and its context.
For MMus applicants the essay
should be approximately 2,000
words long, fully referenced with
bibliography, on the following topic:
“Compare and contrast three
recordings of a piece of your choice
and discuss how your findings affect
your performance of this work”
This must be your own work and
should be sent with your
submission.
You can find details of all music
programmes on the course pages
of the college’s website
www.rwcmd.ac.uk. If you have any
further questions or concerns about
the interview and selection process,
please contact our Admissions Team,
who will be glad to help you. Please
state your full name and CUKAS ID
Number in all correspondence.
T: +44 (0)29 2039 1361
E: admissions@rwcmd.ac.uk
Applicants should note that
communication regarding audition
dates and times is sent electronically
via CUKAS Track and email.
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