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I'm surprised that this doesn't get discussed much, but those of you who have gone on to study music at a higher institution, what did you specifically play at your audition? Which prelude/fugue, which sonata, what romantic work, etc?? I'm really curious regarding those who were admitted to the more prestigious conservatories in the USA. What did you play?

I got into Eastman, NEC, USC, and UCLA with:

Bach - Prelude and Fugue in C# Major WTC I
beethoven - Tempest Sonata
Mendelssohn - Variation Serieuse
Dello Joio - Capriccio on the INterval of a Second
Chopin - Ocean Etude

Michigan with:

Bach - Prelude and Fugue in Eb Major, WTC I
Haydn - Andante and Variations in f minor
Ravel - Une Barque sur l'Ocean
Schubert - Sonata in a minor, D. 784
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz

Oberlin, Maryland, and WVU with

Bach Prelude and Fugue C sharp major, WTC 1
Chopin: Ballade No. 1
Beethoven: Op. 2, No. 3
Liszt: Un Sospiro
Griffes: Scherzo

Undergrad (CCM/Oberlin):

Bach - P&F in C# major, WTC I
Beethoven - op. 10#1
Chopin - op. 10, #12
Brahms - op. 79, #1
Prokofiev - Sonata #3

Master's (CCM/IU):

Haydn - Sonata in E-flat, Hob. 52
Liszt - Sonata in b minor
Messiaen - Regard de l'Esprit de Joie

Doctoral (Stony Brook/UMKC):

Beethoven - Waldstein
Chopin - Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise op. 22
Prokofiev - Sonata #8
Messiaen - Noel, Je Dors mais mon coeur vielle

Got into everywhere except Stony Brook, RIP.

Eastman and Oberlin with:

Bach - P&F in G Major, WTC I
Beethoven - Op. 28
Chopin - Ballade No. 4
Liszt - La Campanella
Barber - Sonata

Last year, I got into Stockholm with:

Brahms: op 79 no 1
Vine: Piano sonata no 1, first movement
Beethoven: op 78 i F# major, first movement
Bach: Prelude and fugue in G major


This year, I wanted to switch to a program, also in Stockholm but located elsewhere, which has more focus on chamber music and also more solo tuition. In general, it's harder to get in there and they usually only accept pianists for masters, but I got in playing:

Ravel: Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit
Chopin: Etude op 10 no 1
Beethoven: op 78, first movement (again)

I also had the Vine prepared again but it they didn't have time to hear it.

Indiana University with:

Bach Prelude and Fugue in eb minor, bk 1
Beethoven Pathetique
Brahms Rhapsody in g minor
Sibelius Romance

Undergrad [Peabody, NEC, Oberlin, Eastman, Shenandoah U]:

Bach - f minor, WTC II
Beethoven - Op. 28 "Pastorale" sonata
Liszt - Invocation from "Harmonies poetiques et religieuses"
Prokofiev - waltz transcription from War and Piece
Chopin - etude op. 25 no. 10 [octaves]

Masters [Peabody, Syracuse U]:

Bach D# minor, WTC II
Beethoven Tempest
Rachmaninoff e-flat minor etude tableaux [the famous one]
Prokofiev sonata #7

Doctoral [University of Texas, UMKC]:

Schubert impromptus, op. 142 [all 4]
Scriabin sonata #9 "Black Mass"
Shostakovich prelude & fugue #15 in D-flat major [the one with the 12-tone fugue subject]

Got rejected for Eastman undergrad [bad memory slip] and waitlisted at Oberlin, but in at all the others.

Undergrad (Juilliard)
Bach WTC II, F Major
Beethoven Tempest
Brahms B minor Rhapsody
Prokofiev Sonata #2

Masters (Juilliard, MSM, Mannes)
Bach WTC I, B Minor
Beethoven Op 31/3
Schumann Kreisleriana
Scriabin Etude Op 42/5
Copland Variations

Successful in all cases, demonstrating that super-advanced rep is not necessary.

CCM, Catholic U:

Bach - Prelue and Fuge, XX WTC Book 2
Beethoven - Tempest Sonata
Chopin - Etude 10/9

Those were the only two schools I auditioned at - figured I'd give it a shot, not really expecting to get in. Ended up getting offered full tuition to Catholic and accepted with some (not a ton) of money to CCM.