GUIDELINES FOR STUDY

For String MM Oral Examination (rev. 2016)

Questions may be taken from these areas of discussion:

I. Masters program repertoire
a. Describe solo repertoire (concerti, sonatas, unaccompanied) that you have studies and
performed during you MM program, citing
i. Composer, date
ii. Historical background: dedicatee, premiere, etc.
iii. Knowledge of where the pieces fall in the context of other pieces by the composer and
of similar works
b. Describe chamber works that you have studied and performed during your MM program, citing
i. Composer, date
ii. Historical background: dedicatee, premiere, etc.
iii. Knowledge of where the pieces fall in the context of other pieces by the composer and
of similar works.
c. Describe orchestral works you participated in during your MM program, citing
i. Composer, date
ii. Historical background: dedicatee, premiere, etc.
iii. Knowledge of where the pieces fall in the context of other pieces by the composer and
of similar works.
d. Cite representative composers of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, together with
those of the 20th/21st centuries, with an emphasis on examples of concerti, sonatas, and chamber
music from each period.

II. Summarize the academic courses that you chose to take, and discuss major points that you took away
from those studies.

III. Articulate any other extracurricular musical activities that you were involved with during your MM
degree (i.e. new music/Baroque, teaching, outside performances, musical service/volunteering,
blogging, entrepreneurial ideas)

IV. Professional Awareness

a. Be able to name at least 6 significant performers of your instrument of different eras and
describe their style of playing and contribution to the field.
b. Be able to name at least 3 significant performers for each of the other stringed instruments you
do not play (not your main focus).
c. Cite several physical (non electronic) resources which deal with string playing (i.e. biographies,
historical treatises, pedagogical books, magazines, etc.)
d. Listed are some professional organizations for musicians. Pick a few (you may find others not
on the list) and describe their mission and function: Musicians Union, MTNA, ASTA, College
Music Society, Chamber Music America, Viola Congress.
e. Identify significant publishers (such as Henle Verlag, Barenreiter, G. Schirmer, Universal,
Peters, Simrock, and Durand) and discuss the relevance of Urtext editions in building an
interpretation.

V. As a near graduate of the MM program at USC, what do you plan to do after finishing the program?
What options do you think are possible? What are your dreams? How do you see yourself fitting into the
professional field?