Recital Eligibility
Seniors enrolled in the Certificate in Music Performance or the Minor in Music Performance (MPP Minor) programs are required to give a culminating recital performance to complete that degree program. For details on current recital requirements, please contact the Program Manager for Performance Activities.
Certificate in Performance/MPP Minor Required Recitals: Production staff will be in touch early in the Fall semester to provide available Spring semester dates and times, and facilitate booking.
When you are asked to submit your proposed repertoire for faculty approval, you’ll be asked to indicate any production support requests you may have. These might include the use of large instruments that will need to be delivered to the recital location, soundcheck time, click-tracks, audio playback, amplification, audio processing, and more. Students are welcome and encouraged to provide these details to the Production Manager earlier, if possible. If these needs arise after your repertoire is approved, please make sure to contact production management as soon as possible; it may not be possible to accommodate some or all last-minute requests.
Dress Rehearsal: If you would like additional time during which to familiarize yourself with the concert venue, piano, and acoustics, please make note of this in your original request, or email at least four weeks prior to your requested rehearsal time. Additional rehearsal time will only be made available after October 1 each year, and based on venue and staff availability. Therefore, it may not be possible to accommodate every request for a dress rehearsal.
Day of Recital: The house opens to audience members 30 minutes prior to the recital start time. Students can warm-up/sound-check for up to 30-minites for classical recitals or 1-hour for jazz recitals prior to the house-opening-time.
Seniors in the Certificate in Jazz Studies and MPP Minor programs are invited to advertise their recital by creating and distributing their own printed poster. Note: this is not required
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) will print 50 posters for students free-of-charge, in sizes 11×17 OR 8.5×11. Their printing hours are Sunday-Thursday, 4:30-7:30PM and Friday and Saturday 2-5PM. Posters can be emailed (PDF or PNG file) to for printing and collected from the USG office, Frist 204. You will receive an email when it is time to pick up your posters.
Poster Design Guidelines:
Unless you feel comfortable with design software, please use Canva, a free online design platform, to design your recital poster. After making a free account on the site, click on the “custom dimensions” box on the upper right corner of the homepage. Set those dimensions to 8.5×11 inches (horizontal poster) or 11×17 inches (vertical poster).
Check-list and/or recommendations for creating your senior recital poster:
- Proper name of venue, including both auditorium and hall (e.g. Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall).
- Full date (day of week, month, date, year).
- Full name, class year, and instrument(s) of all student performers.
- Headshot
- A list of the composers you’ll perform on the program. You can list specific pieces (optional).
- The poster must specify that the event is “Free, Unticketed.”
Students presenting required recitals for the Certificate/Minor in Music Performance programs:
- Are required to submit their intended recital program in performance order, with approximate timings no later six weeks prior to their recital.
- Repertoire for required recitals must be approved both by your assigned Studio Faculty Member and your relevant Program Director. More information about this approval process has been provided by the Program Manager in Performance Activities, who can answer questions you may have.
- Students are required to write program notes for each piece on their recital. Program booklet page count is up to 8 pages. Program notes length is 750-2000 words max, and exists within the maximum 8-page count.
- Solo Vocalists: In addition to notes, you are also required to prepare texts and translations of your works. These will not be included in the final program book, but you are required to print this separately on your own using any of the printers on campus. We recommend printing 50 copies total.
Seniors are responsible for drafting and editing their own programs to be professionally printed. The Department covers the cost of printing 50 copies of the program booklet.
Visit this document for a detailed how-to on creating your program in Canva.
The final program using the Canva template (including a list of works to be performed, bios for all recital participants, and program notes) must be submitted for Department approval and printing no later than four weeks before the recital using the form below. Programs sent less than four weeks out will not be printed by the Department.
Program PDF Submission
Please use the following as a reference:
For classical recitals:
| COMPOSER (composer’s dates) | ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856) |
| Name of Piece, Op./cat.# (if applicable) | Märchenbilder, Op. 113 |
| Listing of Movements | Nicht schnell Lebhaft Rasch Langsam |
| Other performer(s), Instrument | Albert Einstein, Piano |
| Estimated duration (by movement) | Durations: 3 – 4 – 3 – 5 min |
For jazz recitals:
| Title of Piece | Duke Ellington!s Sound of Love |
| Composer | Charles Mingus |
| Arranger (if applicable) | Arr: Jack Walrath |
| Estimated duration | Duration: 12 minutes |
All required recitals and relevant Music Major Senior Thesis performances taking place in Music Department venues are audio recorded by an audio specialist employed by the Music Department. If you are interested in recording at an alternate venue and/or live streaming your performance, please bring this to production management’s attention during the recital booking process so staff can assess your request.
Students who would like to record a non-required are welcome to make their own arrangements. A list of recommended recordists is available upon request, and a video camera is available for students to borrow. (Visit the Student Resources page for available equipment).
All Music Department recordings will be archived in the Mendel Library at the Woolworth Music Center.A digital copy of recordings of required recitals will be provided to the recitalist.
Please note that any such recordings are for personal use only. University restrictions and U.S. copyright law do not allow distribution or sales of these recordings.
