SUNY Potsdam

Admission to The Crane School consists of two parts: 1) acceptance by Crane following successful completion of the Crane audition process; and 2) academic admission by the College.

The scheduling of an audition on one of the specific On-or Off-Campus Audition Days is the first step in the Crane admissions process.  Registration for each audition ends two weeks prior to the audition day.

To obtain an Application for Admission to the College, please visit the Office of Admissions.

All auditions must be scheduled on one of the specific On-or Off-Campus Audition Days.

Harp and percussion auditions are only available on the On-Campus dates.  Piano auditions are only available on campus or at the
Steinway Hall audition site on February 16, 2013.

Off-Campus Audition requests require a $50 fee to help us offset the costs of off-campus auditions.

On the day of the audition, the prospective student will be asked to complete a performance audition and an aural evaluation (AE Sample Treble Clef PDF | AE Sample Bass Clef PDF).

The performance audition is designed to give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to pursue college-level, private music instruction and will include a 15 or 20-minute appointment with faculty members qualified to evaluate the student's performance on his/her primary instrument or voice.

On-Campus Auditions are usually administered by the teacher or teachers of that specific instrument.    

Off-Campus Auditions are administered by a teacher from the area (one of the string teachers for all strings,one of the brass teachers for all brass,etc.) and video taped for the primary teacher's review.

As a general rule, it is desirable for candidates other than vocalists to perform two contrasting movements or pieces (one fast, technical, the other slow, lyrical). A movement or work from a different style period is useful but not required. The audition usually includes a brief sight-reading example of moderate difficulty as well. An alphabetical listing of representative repertoire for auditions by performance medium can be found by clicking the "Repertoire for Auditions" link found on the right side of this page.

Pianists and vocalists are required to perform from memory. Performers on other instruments need not memorize their music.    

Accompanists for both On-and Off-Campus voice auditions are available for a fee of $30.  For recommendations about providing music for our accompanists, please click here. Instrumentalists are not required to perform with accompaniment.

Students auditioning for the Bachelor of Music: Musical Studies degree with an emphasis in Composition must apply for admission to the composition program. A portfolio of compositions with audio recordings of the works is required for consideration for the program. Please send these materials to: Music Admissions, The Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, 44 Pierrepont Avenue, Potsdam, NY 13676.  Note that the portfolio submission does not replace a performance audition; applicants for the composition major must complete a performance audition as well.  If you have any questions about applying for the concentration in composition, please contact Dr. Wanamaker at (315) 267-2297.

Due to the large number of auditions each year for admission to Crane, prospective students are only allowed one audition per performance area, per year/admissions cycle. Students who are ill for their scheduled audition date should contact Crane prior to the audition and the appointment will be rescheduled. The first opportunity for a student to re-audition is on the December audition date of the next audition year/cycle.

In the case of inclement weather, please confirm your audition appointment with Crane (8:00 AM-4:30 PM) or the SUNY Potsdam University Police (315) 267-2222.