Hearings
Hearing times can be scheduled for recitals or other departmental evaluations. Hearings are required for students scheduling recitals in the B.M., B.S.O.F., B.M.E., M.M. and P.D. Hearings are also necessary for students needing to complete the Performance Proficiency, or composition students needing to complete their eighth-semester jury. Some graduate students, on the advice of their teacher, and with the permission of the department chair, may schedule re-auditions for financial aid ratings. Hearings may also double as ad hoc auditions for new degree programs; for more information about the audition process for current Jacobs students, please visit the piano admissions page.
Hearings are usually held Monday evenings, between 5pm and 6:30pm in Recital Hall, and should take place at least two weeks before your recital. Please note that if a recital hearing is NOT passed and there are less than 17 days before your recital, the student performer may still be charged for the cost of program preparation and printing.
To schedule a hearing time, please email the piano department (pianodep@indiana.edu) by 5pm not less than one week before your desired hearing date.
Emails should contain:
- Your name, degree and teacher
- Hearing date requested
- Date and hall of recital if this is a recital hearing
- A word document (docx) or .pdf of the program you will be playing
Students should bring five copies of their one-page program listing to the hearing.
Hearing Dates for 2024-2025 Academic Year:
- September 16
- September 23
- September 30
- October 7
- October 14
- October 21
- October 28
- November 4
- November 11
- November 18
- February 3
- February 10
- February 17
- February 24 (Last day for current Jacobs student ad hoc auditions for AI consideration)
- March 10
- March 24
- March 31
- April 7
- April 14
- April 21
Please note that repertoire prepared for the fulfillment of degree or diploma requirements must be repertoire learned by the student during their study at the IU Jacobs School of Music. Repertoire that the student studied prior to matriculation at the Jacobs School, or which was previously used for audition to the Jacobs School, is not permissible for further use toward degree or diploma performance requirements.
Undergraduate students, master's students, and Performer Diploma students are eligible for the Performer's Certificate, which is awarded as a special recognition of musical understanding and technical proficiency demonstrated in recital. Award of the Performer's Certificate is a three-step process involving the hearing, the recital, and a special hearing by the All-Faculty Performer's Certificate Committee. For more information, please visit the Performer's Certificate page.
A.I. Consideration
Candidates for the piano AI are considered on an annual basis. If you are a first-year student in a two-year program, you may play an AI hearing during the spring semester of your first year to be considered for an AI for your second year. Please also note that only graduate/diploma students can teach as AIs (not undergraduates).
1. DATES:
The last date to play a hearing for a piano AI rating is February 24, 2025 (to be considered for an AI position for the 2024-2025 academic year).
- If you are NOTchanging programs (for example, if you are a first-year MM student hoping to get an AI position for your second year): February 24 is the only date for an AI rating.
- If you ARE changing programs (for example, using your recital hearing to audition for a PD or MM for the coming year): February 24 is the last date for an AI rating.
- If your recital is later in the semester, but you want to be considered for the AI, you should play on February 24, and play your recital hearing again later if necessary.
- Any internal auditions played after February 24 are still eligible for financial aid consideration, but not AI consideration. (However, please note that playing your hearing late in the spring has some risks; there may not be that much financial aid left to give.)
2. REPERTOIRE:
Your teacher should know that you are planning to audition for the AI and can help you choose repertoire. The piano department expects three contrasting major works for AI consideration. If you're playing a piano sonata and/or a Baroque suite as part of your hearing, it is expected that you play the complete work.
3. TOEFL:
If you're an international student, another element to consider is the TEPAIC interview, which is required for all graduate students at Indiana University who are non-native speakers of English and wish to be considered for an AI position. You must score above TOEFL minima to be sent for the TEPAIC, and those minimum scores are listed below. If your TOEFL doesn't meet these requirements, or if it has expired, you should try to take the TOEFL before your AI hearing to try to meet these minima, or contact the piano department chair (nkrieger@iu.edu) and the secondary piano program coordinator (elizyao@iu.edu) about the possibility of an exemption.
Minimum English proficiency scores for TEPAIC:
Internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT) 79
Print-based TOEFL 550
IELTS 6.5
Pearson PTE 53
MELAB 79
4. INTERVIEW:
Lastly, you should contact the secondary piano program coordinator, Dr. Elizabeth Yao (elizyao@iu.edu) to set up a brief interview about your teaching background and experiences. Please schedule your interview no later than two weeks after your AI hearing.
For further questions, please contact the piano department (pianodep@indiana.edu) and Dr. Elizabeth Yao (elizyao@iu.edu).
Juries
Freshman Jury
This jury is for first-year performance majors, and typically takes place at the end of your second semester of P400-level lessons (Spring semester). Each faculty member present in the examination will assign a grade, and the student will receive the average of these grades.
Students are expected to prepare a varied program with the studio teacher’s consultation. Repertoire must be music learned by the student during their degree study at the IU Jacobs School of Music. Repertoire choice must show students’ continuous progress.
Upper-Divisional Examination
The purpose of this exam is for the faculty to hear each student and certify that they are prepared for upper-level courses, and are ready to begin preparing for their upcoming junior and senior recitals.
This examination is for second-year performance majors and typically takes place at the end of the fourth semester of P400-level lessons (Spring semester). Each faculty member present in the examination will assign a grade, and the student will receive the average of these grades. A minimum grade of a C is required to pass the Upper-Divisional. Completion of the Upper-Divisional Examination is required before students can enroll in their fifth semester of P400-level lessons.
There are three possible outcomes of the exam:
- Passed examination
- Retake of examination at a later date
- Dismissal from the program
- Recommendation for a different program
Students are expected to prepare a varied program with the studio teacher’s consultation of 40 minutes in length. Repertoire must be music learned by the student during their degree study at the IU Jacobs School of Music. Repertoire choice must show students’ continuous progress and differ from one that was performed for the Freshman Jury.
Keyboard Proficiency
All piano majors (undergraduate and graduate) must complete the Piano Major Keyboard Proficiency. Undergraduate students must complete the Keyboard Proficiency prior to the completion of their Upper-Divisional Exam.
Piano Major Keyboard Proficiencies are scheduled through the secondary piano program (secpiano@indiana.edu). For more information about sign-ups and deadlines, please visit the Keyboard Proficiency page.