Spring 2008 Admission

Applicants to the spring semester of 2008 must make arrangements for an audition by directly contacting the department of their major. For contact information of various Thornton departments click here.

Fall 2008 Admission

• Los Angeles Auditions - January 26 & 27, 2008*

In previous years, the USC Thornton School of Music has also held auditions in other regions of the country. Due to changes in audition policy for various Thornton departments, these regional auditions will no longer be held.

Applicants are urged to carefully review audition requirements for their particular major in the application requirements section of this Web site. Applicants who indicate in the Thornton Supplementary Application that they plan to perform an audition in Los Angeles will automatically be scheduled for an audition appointment until the schedule is full. Some exceptions to this standard procedure are listed below. Written confirmation of the audition appointment will be issued to the applicant from the Thornton admission office once it is scheduled.

Please also note the following policies which affect many Thornton programs.

• Some Choral and Sacred Music applicants, based on review of the required audition tape, will be invited by the faculty to perform an audition in Los Angeles. These auditions will not be held on the regular Los Angeles audition dates, but will take place on dates to be arranged at the time of invitation.
• Auditions are not automatically scheduled for Early Music applicants. Applicants are encouraged to contact the early music department at (213) 740-3228 to make arrangements for the required audition.
• Jazz Studies, Classical Piano, Strings, Studio/Jazz Guitar, Vocal Arts and Flute applicants - Based on review of the required pre-screen audition recording by the faculty, some applicants will be invited to perform an audition in Los Angeles on a scheduled audition date.
• Auditions are not automatically scheduled for Organ applicants. Applicants are encouraged to contact the organ department at (213) 740-7703 to make arrangements for the required audition.
• All DMA applicants (except classical piano or jazz studies applicants who are not selected from the pre-screen) are required to perform an audition in Los Angeles.

* Typically for the Los Angeles audition event, certain instruments are scheduled on Saturday and other instruments are scheduled on Sunday. Specific determinations regarding this will not be made until audition scheduling begins late in the fall semester. Therefore, it is recommended that applicants planning to audition in Los Angeles keep their schedule open for the full Los Angeles audition weekend until their audition appointment is confirmed.

* In the likely event that auditions fill up for classical piano, classical voice and/or strings, additional audition times will be opened for later in January or February. However, audition appointments will first be assigned for the January 26 and 27 dates, then for additional dates if deemed necessary by the Thornton audition scheduling coordinator.

Last updated: October 9, 2007