Keyboard Studies

The application fee for the USC Graduate application is $90. Application fee waivers are available to qualified applicants, and must be requested before submitting the USC Graduate Application. If you plan to apply for a waiver of the USC Graduate Application fee, please do so at least two weeks before the application deadline. The deadline will not be extended for applicants who fail to request a fee waiver in time. Details and instructions can be found here.

All Thornton graduate applicants must upload transcripts into both the USC Graduate Application (Liaison) AND Thornton SlideRoom Application. The transcript submission deadline is October 1st. Please carefully read the instructions below.

Step 1– You must obtain official transcripts from the registrar’s office of each of your prior institutions before you can complete and submit the application forms. This may take some time, please plan accordingly.

Step 2– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the “Academic History” section of the USC Graduate application (Liaison).

Step 3– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the SlideRoom application where indicated.

Unofficial transcripts or documents printed from an on-line student system will not be accepted. Failure to upload scans of official transcripts in both application forms may significantly delay the release of a final admission decision.

When completing the USC Graduate application, it is important to pay special attention to the following items that you will find in the “program materials” section of the application:

• Thornton SlideRoom portal – A link to access the Thornton SlideRoom portal will be provided in this section.
• The Documents tab – Documents submitted in this section will not be accessible to the Thornton faculty. Thornton faculty will only be able to review documents submitted via the Thornton SlideRoom portal. In order to complete this section, you must check the box indicating that you do not wish to upload documents in this section.
• The Questions tab – Enter your SlideRoom Confirmation number where indicated (you will receive your SlideRoom confirmation number upon submission of the SlideRoom form).

Click here for important additional requirements and instructions.

A link to the SlideRoom portal is located inside the USC Application for Graduate Admission, in the “Program Materials” Section.

The SlideRoom application fee is $25 (fee waivers are not available). Thornton supplemental materials will not be accepted via mail or email.

The SlideRoom form must be submitted before the USC Application for Graduate Admission (Applicants can start both forms and work on them at the same time). Once SlideRoom is submitted, you will need to enter your SlideRoom confirmation number into the “Questions” tab, also located in the “program materials” section of the USC Graduate application.

Applicants to programs in Keyboard Studies must submit a prescreen recording to be reviewed by the faculty. Video recordings are required. Audio only recordings will not be accepted. The results of this prescreen will determine whether an applicant will be invited to perform a live audition. Applicants will be notified of prescreen results and live audition details via email from the corresponding Thornton department.

All applicants should carefully note that no concerti will be accepted as audition pieces and that all audition pieces MUST be memorized. Persons failing to prepare the full audition program following the guidelines described on the prescreen recording, will not be permitted to perform a live audition nor offered admission to the program.

The Keyboard Studies faculty welcomes and encourages repertoire composed by marginalized and/or under-represented groups, including but not limited to, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women. To view a list, please click here.

Each movement of each piece submitted for prescreen must be uploaded as a separate file (e.g., a Bach prelude and fugue must be uploaded separately, each movement of a Beethoven sonata must be uploaded separately). Each uploaded file must also be labeled to indicate the composer, title, and movement (if applicable). This labeling must be done in the designated “TITLE” field in the SlideRoom portal. 

Current USC Thornton students applying for a graduate program are not required to submit a prescreen recording, however they must indicate on the application that they are a current Thornton student or they will not automatically be scheduled for a live audition. Current USC students are encouraged to contact Kit Bellamy (keb@usc.edu) in the Thornton Admission office with any questions or concerns regarding audition scheduling.

The prescreen recording should include the following works entirely from memory:

Master of Music and Graduate Certificate

1. A Prelude and Fugue by J.S. Bach from The Well-Tempered Clavier
2. A complete sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, or Beethoven, excluding Beethoven opp. 49 and 79
3. A complete work of a 19th-century composer
4. One piece or single movement of contemporary, modern or impressionist style
5. An etude of virtuosity at the level of those by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky or Ligeti

The résumé should list musical, professional, and academic experience and is generally 1-2 pages in length.

This list should include works studied and performed. Etudes, scale studies, arias, art songs, chamber music, solo pieces, and original compositions are all examples of what could be included in this list.

Graduate applicants are encouraged to prepare a brief statement of their professional goals, as well as their purpose in applying for the Keyboard Studies program. The Statement of Purpose is typically 1-2 pages in length.

All Thornton graduate applicants must upload transcripts into both the USC Graduate Application (Liaison) AND Thornton SlideRoom Application. The transcript submission deadline is October 1st. Please carefully read the instructions below.

Step 1– You must obtain official transcripts from the registrar’s office of each of your prior institutions before you can complete and submit the application forms. This may take some time, please plan accordingly.

Step 2– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the SlideRoom application where indicated.

Step 3– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the “Academic History” section of the USC Graduate application (Liaison).

Unofficial transcripts or documents printed from an on-line student system will not be accepted. Failure to upload scans of official transcripts in both application forms may significantly delay the release of a final admission decision.

1-3 recommendation letters are required from graduate Keyboard Studies applicants for the spring semester. Recommendation letters are to be submitted online through the Thornton SlideRoom portal via the “References” section by October 1. We cannot guarantee the review of any material received after October 1.

Applicants to the Thornton School will be required to complete and upload the following form in SlideRoom:

• Consent and Release Form (if applicant is under 18 years of age by December 1, 2024)

For helpful Slideroom media upload troubleshooting tips, please click here.

All applicants should carefully note that no concerti will be accepted as audition pieces and that all audition pieces MUST be memorized. Persons failing to prepare the full audition program following the guidelines described on the prescreen recording, will not be permitted to perform a live audition nor offered admission to the program.

The live audition should include the following works entirely from memory:

Master of Music and Graduate Certificate

1. A Prelude and Fugue by J.S. Bach from The Well-Tempered Clavier
2. A complete sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, or Beethoven, excluding Beethoven opp. 49 and 79
3. A complete work of a 19th-century composer
4. One piece or single movement of contemporary, modern or impressionist style
5. An etude of virtuosity at the level of those by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky or Ligeti

Current USC Thornton Classical Piano students pursuing certain piano performance degrees may be eligible for modified or reduced requirements for the audition. Please consult with the Keyboard Studies department coordinator and/or chair and refer to the Keyboard Studies Department Handbook to begin planning your audition process.