2025-2026 Ensemble Auditions
Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion
Woodwind, Brass and Percussion Ensemble Placement Auditions - DFOM Students
If you have any questions, please contact the faculty member listed below.
- Director, Wind Ensemble & Concert Band: Dr. Jacquie Dawson
Audition Times
- Tuesday, August 26, 2025
- 10:00 AM Horn
- 11:30 AM Euphonium
- 1:00 PM Trumpet
- 2:30 PM Trombone
- 4:00 PM Tuba
- Wednesday, August 27, 2025
- 10:00 AM Flute
- 11:30 AM Trumpet
- 1:00 PM Oboe
- 2:00 PM Saxophone
- 3:00 PM Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
- Thursday, August 28, 2025
- 11:00 AM Percussion
Audition Venue
The Woodwind Brass and Percussion Ensemble Placement Audition will be held in-person at the Desautels Faculty of Music in Tache 2, room 145.
Audition Instructions
Please prepare the following 3 orchestral/solo and 2 wind band excerpts which are provided in PDF’s in your instrument specific folder on this webpage. Prepare the entire excerpt unless specific portions are indicated on the PDF or listed below. If ever in doubt, contact your major practical study teacher for clarification on these requirements. Note the scheduled time for your studio. Please arrive warmed-up 15 min in advance to draw your number for the blind audition and complete/submit the audition form.
Required audition excerpts for enrolled Desautels Faculty of Music students
Please note: The following excerpts are compressed folders containing multiple excerpts that you will need to download in order to access.
- Bassoon Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Bass Clarinet Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Clarinet Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Euphonium Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Flute Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Horn Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Oboe Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Percussion Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Saxophone Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Trombone Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Trumpet Ensemble Audition Excerpts
- Tuba Ensemble Audition Excerpt
Prescribed Excerpts
| Instrument | Excerpts |
|---|---|
| Flute |
|
Piccolo (optional)
|
|
| Oboe |
|
| Bassoon |
|
| Clarinet |
|
| Bass Clarinet |
|
| Saxophone |
|
| Trumpet |
|
| Horn |
|
| Trombone |
|
| Euphonium |
|
| Tuba |
|
| Percussion |
Bernstein – Westside Story (vibes)
Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 (timpani)
Dvorak – Carnival (tambourine)
Alarcon - Duende – Mvt 2, Perc (flamenco box drum)
Gandolfi – Vientos y Tangos (xylophone)
|
Concert Band
Concert Band Auditions
If you have any questions, please contact the faculty member listed below.
- Director, Wind Ensemble & Concert Band: Dr. Jacquie Dawson
Audition Times
- Monday, August 25, 2025: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Audition Venue
If you select the live audition option, Dr. Jacquie Dawson, Director of Bands, will be in touch in early August with your specific audition time and location
Audition Instructions
The University of Manitoba Concert Band is now open to all UM students and community musicians. Auditions are being accepted for the 2025-2026 academic year. The audition material for the Concert Band are the 2025 Manitoba Senior Honour Band scales and etudes which are now available on the Manitoba Band Association website: https://www.mbband.org/honour-bands/senior-honour-band
You may submit a video audition anytime until Friday, August 22, 2025, or you may audition in person at the Desautels Faculty of Music on Monday, August 25, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Video auditions require each etude and scale to be sent in one link/file. The preferred platform is a private YouTube link. If you plan to audition by video submission or in-person, complete and submit the form below no later than Friday, August 1st, 2025.
Please send all video audition submissions to Dr. Jacquie Dawson at jacqueline.dawson@umanitoba.ca.
The form below is for non-DFOM students.
Musical Theatre and Opera Theatre
Musical Theatre and Opera Theatre Auditions
If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate contact listed below.
- Director, Opera Theatre: Katherine Twaddle
- Director, Musical Theatre: Donna Fletcher
Audition Times
- August 28 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
- September 2 10 AM to 4:30 PM (45 minute break at around 1 pm)
*Students may audition on either day but new undergraduate and graduate students should audition on August 28
Audition Venue
The Opera Theatre and Musical Theatre Ensemble auditions will be held in-person at the Desautels Faculty of Music in 266 T2
An accompanist will be provided. Students must have a double-sided legible copy of their sheet music for the accompanist. Please do not sing acapella.
An accompanist will be provided. Students must have a double-sided legible copy of their sheet music for the accompanist. Please do not sing acapella.
Audition Instructions
Students are reminded to fill out the registration form AND sign up for an audition time.
Audition Registration & Sign Ups
All voice students will be placed into either the Opera Theatre Ensemble or the Musical Theatre Ensemble by audition. Please review the instructions below carefully and submit the registration form by TBD.
Musical Theatre and Opera Theatre Ensemble Registration Form
Students should sign-up for their audition using the following link. Students should choose only one audition time, and should not remove the name of another student who has signed up. Please avoid leaving gaps when you sign up for your time. If there are too many gaps your time will be changed.
Audition requirements for Musical Theatre
Students must prepare one musical theatre or Gilbert & Sullivan piece of their choosing no more than four [4] minutes long. Please prepare a piece that demonstrates your ability to create a great character arc, suits your vocal range and shows you at your vocal best! All songs must be performed by memory so please choose something with which you are very familiar!
In the event that students cannot find an appropriate selection or are having difficulty sourcing a score, backing track (For personal rehearsal only) and score links are offered below to assist students.
1. Bad, Bad Man (Lower voices)
2. Good Thing Going (Medium & Higher voices)
3. Gorgeous (Lower & Medium voices)
4. Why Did I Choose You (Medium & Higher voices)
Backing Tracks
Audition requirements for Opera Theatre
For students whose first choice is to be placed in the Opera Theatre Ensemble, please prepare and memorize a short aria or art song of no longer than four [4] minutes. The auditions will be in person and a pianist will be provided.
Concert Choir
Concert Choir Auditions
If you have any questions, please contact the faculty member listed below.
- Director, Concert Choir: Dr. Catherine Robbins
Rehearsal Times
- Wednesdays 5:30-7:30 in the Vocal Arts Room 266 Tache 2, cross the walkway across from the library and turn left
- First Rehearsal: September 10, no auditions after this date
Concert Dates
- Winter concert date: November 28, 2025
- Spring concert date: March 28, 2026
Audition Times
- Wednesday, August 27, 2025: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Thursday, August 28, 2025: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Audition Venue and Directions
The Concert Choir auditions will be held in-person at the Desautels Faculty of Music in Tache 1, room 211
Room 211 is just down the hall when you turn right after entering through the corner doors at Dafoe Road and Maclean Crescent.
Audition Instructions
Auditions for the 2025-26 UM Concert Choir season are Wednesday, August 27, and Thursday, August 28, 2025. If you are out of town or have conflicts with the audition dates, the director is available for audition times outside these dates by appointment beginning July 21. Please email Dr. Robbins at catherine.robbins@umanitoba.ca if you require a different date or would like to meet earlier. All auditions for UMCC take place in T211 of the Desautels Faculty of Music in Dr. Robbins’ office. No auditions will take place once rehearsals begin on Wednesday, September 10 in room T266 Tache Arts Complex.
Audition requirements for Concert Choir
Auditions focus for the most part on range/tessitura, singing tone, and tonal memory, and include a brief chat about your past choir and musical experience. If you’d like to sing a short section of a song you have prepared (any style), it would be welcome. Auditions are friendly and quite informal in nature.
University Singers and Upper Voices
University Singers and Upper Voices Auditions
If you have any questions, please contact the faculty member listed below.
- Director, University Singers and Upper Voices: Dr. Elroy Friesen
Rehearsal Times
- University Singers: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 PM - 3:15 PM
- Upper Voices: Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:30 PM - 4:15 PM
Audition Times
- Wednesday, August 27, 2025: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Thursday, August 28, 2025: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Friday, August 29, 2025: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Audition Venue
University Singers and Upper Voices auditions will be held in room 225 at the Desautels Faculty of Music, 150 Dafoe Rd.
Audition Sign-Up Instructions
Sign-up below to book and audition on August 27-29, 2025. If you will not have arrived in Winnipeg by August 29th, OR if you would prefer to audition earlier in August, please contact Dr. Elroy Friesen directly at elroy.friesen@umanitoba.ca
Audition requirements for University Singers and Upper Voices
Please bring a solo of your own choice (any style – pop, classical, jazz, traditional etc.). This can be sung with piano (bring sheet music and Elroy can play for you) or you can choose to use a soundtrack or sing a cappella. The audition will also include some vocalizing to hear range and vocal colour, as well as some simple sight-reading (assisted as needed).
University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra
UMSO Auditions
If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate contact listed below.
- UMSO Coordinator & Strings Area Head: Dr. Minna Rose Chung
Audition Time
- Thursday, August 28, 2025: 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Audition Venue
All auditions will take place at Desautels Faculty of Music – Taché Hall, Room 266
Audition Instructions
This year’s auditions will be visible (no screen), at the request of the Music Director.
All Desautels Faculty of Music (DFoM) string students (except guitarists) must audition for UMSO. Based on this audition, all string students will be placed into a secondary, smaller ensemble. Non-music UM students and community members are welcome to audition for UMSO and will be placed as appropriate.
All string students must complete the ensemble audition registration form before attending the audition.
Registration deadline: Prior to the audition on Thursday, August 28, 2025
Video submissions are allowed primarily if someone has illness or is currently out-of-the-country. We will require all video submissions to be uploaded prior to the live audition.
Deadline for video submission: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 by 4:30 PM
Please upload your video and send a link to the Orchestra Coordinator:
📧 Minna Chung – minna.chung@umanitoba.ca
Required audition pieces
One solo piece of your choice (approx. 3–5 minutes), such as:
- An unaccompanied movement by Bach
- The exposition of a standard concerto
For Principal/Leadership Role Consideration:
- Prepare all excerpts from the assigned packet for your instrument
By Year of Study:
Years 1 & 2: Prepare three (3) excerpts from your packet
Years 3 & 4: Prepare all four (4) excerpts from your packet
Non-Music Majors & Community Members:
- Prepare two (2) excerpts from the assigned packet
- Prepare a solo piece (~5 minutes) of your choice
Helpful tips to prepare for your strings audition
Important Reminders
- Check your assigned excerpt packet well in advance and give yourself ample time to prepare.
- Contact Orchestra Coordinator, Dr.Minna Chung if you have questions or need clarification: minna.chung@umanitoba.ca
Summary Checklist
- Register for your audition
- Prepare the required excerpts and solo
- If needed, submit video to Dr. Chung (email above) by Tuesday, August 26 (illness/travel only)
- Arrive at Taché 2 Room 266 10 minutes before your audition time on August 28, 2025.
Feeling unsure about an excerpt? Don’t stress—many students are learning these for the first time! With a bit of research and focused practice, you’ll be well on your way.
Get Started with Online Resources:
There are excellent tools available to help you prepare, for example if you are a cellist:
OrchestraExcerpts.com: A great website with practice tips and recordings for many standard orchestral excerpts.
Spotify Playlists:
Orchestral Excerpts for Cello – Spotify Channel
Hear how your excerpts are played in professional recordings.
Masterclasses:
London Symphony Orchestra – Cello Excerpts Masterclass
Learn bowing, phrasing, and interpretation directly from pros.
Cello-specific resources from OrchestraExcerpts.com
(Many of these resources are helpful for all string players, not just cellists.)
If you need more assistance, email the Area Head, Dr. Minna Rose Chung, at minna.chung@umanitoba.ca for guidance and possible lessons with a graduate student to help prepare the audition repertoire.
Piano
Piano Ensemble Auditions
If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate contact listed below.
- Area Head for Piano: Dr. David Moroz
- Area Head for Collaborative Piano: Dr. Judy Kehler Siebert
Audition Time
- TBD
Audition Venue
Piano ensemble auditions will be held in-person at Desautels Faculty of Music in TBD
Audition Instructions
All piano students are placed into a second ensemble:
- 1st & 2nd year students register for Accompanying 1 & 2.
- 3rd and 4th year, post-baccalaureate and masters students are assigned into a chamber ensemble.
All Piano students will meet individually with the Piano faculty to confirm their studio assignment schedule. These brief meetings will take place in David Moroz's studio (Taché 226) on TBD.
Collaborative Piano students should prepare a short solo OR piano part of a chamber music piece (excerpt performed with or without instrument/voice) and bring a copy of their complete class schedule with them.
Please submit the registration form and sign-up for an audition time below no later than TBD.
Jazz
Jazz Ensemble Auditions
If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate contact listed below.
- Director, University of Manitoba Jazz Vocal Ensembles: Karly Epp
- Small Jazz Ensembles Coach: Fabio Ragnelli
- Director, University of Manitoba Jazz Orchestra: Jonathan Challoner
Jazz Ensembles & Rehearsal Times
- Small jazz ensembles: Two 1-hour rehearsals per week, to be scheduled at first jazz masterclass.
- UM Jazz Orchestra (UMJO): Rehearsals on Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
- UM Jazz Vocal Ensemble (UMJVE): Rehearsals on Thursdays, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Rhythm Section Ensemble: One 2-hour rehearsal per week, day and time TBD
Audition Video Submission
The deadline for submission of video auditions for the 2025 -2026 school year is Friday, August 15, 2025.
Audition videos should be submitted in the following ways:
Jazz student audition video submission:
- Upload to the Jazz Masterclass course shell in UMLearn
- Assessments > Assignments > Jazz Ensemble Audition Videos
Non-jazz student applicants auditioning for UMJO:
- Email your video submission to Jon Challoner.
Non-jazz student applicants auditioning for a small jazz ensemble:
- Email your video to Fabio Ragnelli.
For any questions regarding ensembles and the audition process, please email Fabio Ragnelli.
Audition Instructions
All instrumental jazz students will register for a small ensemble and all jazz vocal students will register for UMJVE (use MUSC X184 for both). All students also require a second ensemble (MUSC X190) which will be a second ensemble (to be determined).
Please note that small ensemble rehearsal times will be decided on during the first jazz masterclass, Friday, September 6th, 2024. In order to expedite this process, please submit your "Week at a Glance" as a PDF (both semesters) when submitting your audition video and take note that ensemble rehearsal times (both coached and uncoached) are the same time throughout the entire academic year due to room availability.
Jazz students can also participate in non-jazz ensembles. Students interested in a non-jazz ensemble should email Fabio Ragnelli as soon as possible if they are interested in auditioning for a non-jazz ensemble.
Non-jazz and non-music students of any instrument are welcome to audition for small jazz ensembles. Trumpet and trombone players are encouraged to audition for UMJO. Any vocalists interested in auditioning for UMJVE should email Karly Epp to determine eligibility.
Students will submit their recorded audition for UMJO along with their other jazz ensemble materials on our online portal.
All students wishing to audition must fill out the form below:
Jazz Ensembles Registration Form
Audition requirements for jazz students:
- Students entering year 1: "Oleo" (instrumentalists) / "I Got Rhythm" (vocalists)
- Students entering year 2: "There Is No Greater Love"
- Students entering year 3: "Like Someone in Love"
- Students entering year 4: "Just Friends"
Auditions may be recorded with a play-along track or a metronome at a medium or medium-up tempo.
All students should record the head in and two choruses of solo.
Drummers should play the rhythm of the melody on the drums for the head in.
Pianists, guitarists, and drummers should play one chorus of comping after their solo choruses.
Bassists should play a chorus of walking after their solo choruses.
Vocalists should choose the key most appropriate for their voice.
An out-head is not required.
Audition requirements for non-jazz students:
Non-jazz students auditioning for a small ensemble should choose a tune from the list above that they feel is most appropriate for their ability level and follow the same instructions. In most cases, small ensemble participants will be expected to bring in written-out arrangements for their ensemble and be able to solo. If you are unsure of whether or not you should audition, please email Fabio Ragnelli.
Non-jazz students auditioning for UMJO should prepare the PDF excerpt for their instrument provided below. Those wishing to be considered for solo opportunities in UMJO should also prepare three choruses of solo over a Bb blues. Soloing is not required from non-jazz students in the audition or the ensemble.
Audition instructions and instrument audition excerpts (compressed folder for download)