Ensemble Placement Auditions
Ensemble placement/seating auditions are required for any student participating in instrumental ensemble, including all music majors and EPS recipients. Music majors are auditioning for placement within the appropriate ensemble as well as seating within their instrument section (if applicable). Advance sign-up is required of ALL students!
Questions? Please contact the School of Music office at music@butler.edu or 317-940-9246 or contact the ensemble director.
Spring 2026
IF you plan to audition on two instruments (flute and piccolo for example) you need to fill out the form TWICE!
To make your life easier, I’ve also created a playlist of repertoire below includes recording to all audition material. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC6P23IxZzRWlljix_mu_73P7L0-zY0Ct&si=aANMqyDVroZIgvNc
BRASS/WOODWINDS/PERCUSSION FOR ORCHESTRA/WIND ENSEMBLE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026 You must fill out the Orchestra/Wind Ensemble Audition Sign-Up Form by January 5, 2026 in order to secure an audition time and access the audition music. You MUST download the music on the FINAL page of your google form submission. You will find a pdf of full parts and title pages with cuts. YOU MUST PREPARE ALL AUDITION EXCERPTS.
| Flute | 5:00-7:00 PM | LH 124 |
| Oboe | 3:00-4:00 PM | LH 145 |
| Clarinet | 3:30-5:00 PM | LH 124 |
| Bassoon | 4:15-5:30 PM | LH 145 |
| Saxophone | 2:30-3:30 PM | LH 124 |
| Trumpet | 1:00-3:00 PM | LH 112 |
| Horn | 5:00-7:00 PM | LH 112 |
| Trombone | 3:15-5:00 PM | LH 112 |
| Percussion | 3:00-5:00 PM | LH 320 |
STRINGS FOR ORCHESTRA/WIND ENSEMBLE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026 You must fill out the Orchestra/Wind Ensemble Audition Sign-Up Form by January 5, 2026 in order to secure an audition time and access the audition music. You MUST download the music on the FINAL page of your google form submission. You will find a pdf of full parts and title pages with cuts. YOU MUST PREPARE ALL AUDITION EXCERPTS.
| Violin | 5:00-7:00 PM | LH 110 |
| Viola | 3:30-5:00 PM | LH 133 |
| Cello | 3:30-5:00 PM | LH 110 |
| Bass | 2:00-3:30 PM | LH 110 |
IMPORTANT DATES: BUWE First rehearsal: Monday, January 12, 2026, 2:25-3:25pm LH 112 BSO First rehearsal: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 2:30-5:30pm LH 112
Spring 2026
Instrumental Jazz
Information, excerpts, and audition time sign-up can be found here.
Jordan Jazz (Vocal Jazz ensemble)
Excerpts/Materials
- Be prepared to sing a Jazz standard of your choice.
Schedule and Sign-Up Sheet
- Contact Prof. Erin Benedict at ebenedic@butler.edu to set up an audition.
Fall 2025
Butler Choral ensembles: Chorale, Chamber Singers, and Spectra
Calling all singers! We are excited to offer three different choruses open to all Butler students through audition: Chorale and Chamber Singers are offered for SATB voice parts and Spectra for treble voices (SA) only. Chorale and Spectra rehearse MWF 12:30-1:50 pm. Chamber Singers rehearses on Friday only 2:00 – 3:30 pm.
Be sure to complete this audition sign up form by 6:00 PM on August 22nd to receive an audition time!
ALL students must complete the form linked above. Forms must be received before 6 pm on Friday, August 22, 2025. Submissions received after this time are not guaranteed membership in a Butler choir. Note that your confirmed audition time will be sent to you on August 25, 2024.
For your planning purposes, all auditions will take place on August 25, 2025, between 4 and 10 pm in Lilly Hall room 110. Last year’s members of Chorale who wish to return to Chorale do not need to re-audition, but must complete this form.
In the meantime, please contact Director of Choral Activities Dr. Eric Stark with any questions you may have: estark@butler.edu
What to Prepare & Expect
Please come prepared to sing approximately 16 measures or roughly 30 seconds of a song. This could be a song you used for a college audition, a song you’ve studied in voice lessons, or simply a song you prepared on your own. We will provide a piano accompanist, so please bring sheet music if that is appropriate for the style of song with which you are auditioning. You may also sing a cappella (unaccompanied) or accompany yourself on a chordal instrument (i.e. ukulele or guitar). This aspect of the audition allows us to hear you sing something that you feel best shows off your voice. Based upon the song you choose, we may ask to vocalize you briefly to hear other parts of your range.
In addition to the prepared song, we will ask each auditioner to sight sing a brief excerpt (4 to 8 measures) from a choral score. This aspect of the audition provides us insight into your music reading skills at this time. We know that everyone has different levels of comfort with sightreading, so don’t panic if this isn’t your strongest area. You will continue to develop these skills in your time with Butler choirs.
If you are unsure of what song to prepare, you may sing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” If you have other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Stark (estark@butler.edu), University Chorale director, or Dr. Marsh (bmarsh1@butler.edu), Spectra director.
Orchestra (BSO) and Wind Ensemble (BUWE)
- We will audition for BSO, and BUWE placement at the start of each fall and spring semester. Auditions will happen just before the start of classes, as close to the first day of class as possible. Ensemble directors and their Graduate Assistants will oversee this process.
- For spring semester auditions, the schedule should be determined before the end of the fall semester. The fall semester audition schedule will be included with Orientation information to incoming students and emailed to all incoming and returning students as well as posted on the Ensemble Auditions webpage.
- Every effort will be made to have anonymous auditions where the identity of the performer is unknown to the evaluators.
- Auditions will be grouped in schedule blocks by instruments (i.e. all violins will audition in one schedule block). Logistical and scheduling details may prevent this in some cases, but every effort will be made to keep instruments grouped together.
- Auditions will be evaluated by studio teachers when possible. These may be grouped by individual instruments (i.e. bassoon students will audition for the bassoon instructor), by groups (i.e. double reed students will audition for the oboe and bassoon instructors), or by area (i.e. woodwind students will audition for the woodwind faculty). Details will be arranged by each area and may depend upon schedules and availability.
- Evaluators will rank the auditionees based upon their performance in that audition only. After the order has been determined, the identity of the auditionees will be revealed to the evaluators.
- Faculty will then present this ranking to the ensemble directors and meet with them to determine ensemble assignments (BSO, WE, SB). Ensemble assignments will be decided jointly by the studio instructors and the ensemble directors. A schedule conflict may preclude a student’s placement in a specific ensemble. Furthermore, faculty will take into consideration previous ensemble participation, the needs of the ensembles, and the best interest of individual students when determining ensemble assignments. (i.e. ‘Wind Ensemble needs a strong EH player this semester’; ‘This student needs more orchestral experience’, etc.)
- Directors will consider audition results when making part assignments for their ensembles.
- Percussionists will continue to be auditioned and assigned to ensembles by the percussion faculty.
Jazz Ensemble and Combos
- We will audition for Jazz Ensemble and Combo placement at the start of each fall and spring semester. Auditions will happen just before the start of classes, as close to the first day of class as possible. The ensemble/combo directors and Jazz Area Graduate Assistant will oversee this process.
- For spring semester auditions, the schedule should be determined before the end of the fall semester. The fall semester audition schedule will be included with Orientation information to incoming students and emailed to all incoming and returning students as well as posted on the Ensemble Auditions webpage.
- Auditions will be grouped in schedule blocks by instruments (i.e. all saxophones will audition in one schedule block). Logistical and scheduling details may prevent this in some cases, but every effort will be made to keep instruments grouped together.
- Auditions will be evaluated by jazz faculty. These may be grouped by individual instruments (i.e. sax students will audition for the jazz sax instructors), by groups (i.e. brass students will audition for the brass instructors), or by area (i.e. rhythm section students will audition for the rhythm section faculty). Details will be arranged by each area and may depend upon schedules and availability.
- Evaluators will rank the auditionees based upon their performance in that audition only.
- Jazz faculty will then present this ranking to the ensemble directors and meet with them to determine ensemble assignments. Ensemble assignments will be decided jointly by the jazz faculty and director of jazz studies. A schedule conflict may preclude a student’s placement in a specific ensemble. Furthermore, faculty will take into consideration previous ensemble participation, the needs of the ensembles, and the best interest of individual students when determining ensemble assignments.
- Conductors will consider audition results when making part assignments for their ensembles.
Choral Ensembles
- Choral ensembles will host choral auditions and hearings at the start of each fall and spring semester. Auditions will happen just before the start of classes, as close to the first day of class as possible. Ensemble directors and the Choral Area Graduate Assistants will oversee this process.
- For spring semester auditions, the schedule should be determined before the end of the fall semester and may only apply to new choir members or those desiring to switch choral ensembles. The fall semester audition schedule will be included with Orientation information to incoming students and emailed to all incoming and returning students as well as posted on the Ensemble Auditions webpage.
- Auditions will be evaluated by choral faculty, and voice faculty when applicable.
If you have questions about the audition process or about specific ensembles, please contact the School of Music office at music@butler.edu or contact the appropriate ensemble director.