Y S T A U D I T I O N 2 0 2 1

Guide & Frequently Asked Questions

KEY DATES

When to apply and audition.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Application and Submission of Materials

ONLINE APPLICATION

1 OCT – 30 DEC 2020

SUBMISSION OF RECORDED VIDEO AUDITION (FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

ONLY)

By 30 DEC 2020 (for ALL MAJORS except COMPOSITION)

SUBMISSION OF COMPOSITION PORTFOLIO (FOR COMPOSITION APPLICANTS

ONLY)

By 15 FEB 2021

ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS

MAR – MAY 2021

FIRST-YEAR ORIENTATION

JUL – AUG 2021

AUDITIONS

JAN – MAR 2021

NOTE: All candidates will be required to take an Online Theory Test on 1 March 2020. International applicants who are not eligible for waiver of English requirements are required to take an Online English Test on 2 March 2020.

2021 Audition Schedule

Woodwinds

Bassoon 25 January 2021

Oboe 26 January 2021

Clarinet 29 January 2021

Flute 30 January 2021

Strings

Cello 27 January 2021

Violin 8 February 2021

Viola 9 February 2021

Double Bass 3 March 2021

Harp 24 February 2021

Brass &

Percussion

Horn 16 February 2021

Trumpet 17 February 2021

Trombone 18 February 2021

Tuba 19 February 2021

Percussion 22 February 2021

Voice, Piano, Composition,

AAS, MS/MCP

Voice 26 – 27 February 2021

Piano 5 – 6 March 2021

Composition 8 March 2021

Audio Arts &

Sciences

10 March 2021

Music & Society

Music Collaboration

& Production

24 March 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

How to apply and be informed of the audition.

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How to Apply

ONLINE APPLICATION

Apply online at https://www.ystmusic.nus.edu.sg/admissions-how-to-apply/

NOTE:

• The application form consists of 8 sections that will ask for your personal,

programme, audition and academic information, and teachers’

recommendations. It will end with a section for you to upload files. Fields

marked * are mandatory.

• Before you begin to apply, you must ensure that you have the full repertoire that

you are offering to perform for the audition and that you have your personal

contact information and address.

• After you have submitted your online application successfully, you may proceed

to obtain and organise your supporting documents to be uploaded on the

application portal before the final deadline of 30 December 2020. Applications

received that have missing supporting documents after the final deadline may

be rejected as incomplete applications.

CONFIRMATION OF ONLINE REGISTRATION

After you have completed all the sections in the online application form, you will see

a “SUCCESSFUL” confirmation page after submitting your application. You may

review the application submitted via the main dashboard upon login to the portal.

CONFIRMATION OF AUDITION DATE AND TIME

All candidates will be notified of their application status via email. All candidates,

whether shortlisted or not, will be notified of the result by mid-January 2021.

REQUEST FOR CHANGES TO AUDITION REPERTOIRE

Candidates may request to change their audition repertoire by writing to YST

Admissions Office (email: musadmissions@nus.edu.sg). Changes to the repertoire

must be approved prior to the audition.

NOTIFICATION OF SHORTLIST TO AUDITION

Our main mode of communication with candidates is via email so it is important that

you check your email regularly for information, including audition schedule and

application status. Applicants who are unsuccessful may email YST Admissions

Office to appeal by 30 January 2021. Appeals will be reviewed with the final decision

at the discretion of the faculty.

FAQs

1.1 Who is eligible to apply for the Bachelor of Music (Hons) Degree programme?

Prospective candidates must have completed (or be completing) senior high school

studies (of any discipline and subject combination) to attain the following academic

qualifications as required by NUS. Music diploma students from the Nanyang

Academy of Fine Arts and LaSalle College of the Arts are also welcome to apply.

Students currently in the final year of high school are suitable to apply if they are

expecting to finish their course and obtain the necessary qualifications by 1 July.

Students who are home-schooled must also attain one of the accepted high school

qualifications to be eligible to apply.

Besides fulfilling NUS academic requirements, you are also required to offer an

audition that meets our requirements. Please refer to the respective major

requirements under Programmes.

External gradings such as the ABRSM or Trinity certificates have no bearing on

admission and will not be accepted as equivalent academic qualifications.

1.2 I have not completed my high school examinations. Am I eligible to apply

before the audition or will I have to wait till I receive my high school results and

certificate?

If you are currently in your final year of high school studies, you may first submit an

application online. An offer of admission will be subject to your successful

completion of high school studies by 1 July before matriculating in the University.

1.3 Is there an application fee?

There is no application or other fee involved during the application phase.

International students are requested to consult the YST Admissions Office if they

come across agents charging them an application fee.

1.4 I am a Singaporean male and will be enlisted for National Service after

completion of high school. When should I apply to YST?

Singaporean and Singaporean PR males are not exempted from National Service

after completion of high school. However, you may want to plan forward and apply

either in your first or second year in the army as we can hold your place at YST for up

to a maximum of one year.

1.5 Does having previous music qualifications such as certificates, diplomas etc.

provide any advantage for applicants?

Music qualifications (music diplomas or degrees) obtained through full-time studies

at a music conservatory, arts school, middle schools attached to a conservatory or

colleges with a developed arts programme e.g. Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts,

LaSalle College of the Arts are not prerequisites but may be an advantage for

admission.

Music certificates and diplomas obtained through external examinations (e.g.

ABRSM certificates) are not considered for admission and will not be used as a tool

to assess the candidate’s performance standard.

1.6 Is it necessary for international applicants to submit SAT, IELTS (English

Language Testing System), or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

scores?

TOEFL, IELTS and SAT are not required for admission to YST, although English

language ability will be assessed as part of the audition.

1.7 Will I be given credits if I have a diploma in music?

Applicants who have a diploma in music (obtained locally or abroad through full-time

studies) must first meet the admission requirements to NUS. Obtaining a diploma

from e.g. the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts or LaSalle College of the Arts does not

automatically shorten a student’s candidature period for the BMus programme at

YST, which is a 4-year duration. Transfer of credits may be considered by the

academic office on a case-by-case basis.

1.8 If I wish to transfer to YST from another BMus programme, will I enter at the

same level that I am at my current school?

It is possible to do so, but you will need to compete for a place through an audition

process. In addition, your placement will be decided by the audition panel and the

academic office who will consider a couple of factors. Firstly, not only must you be

shortlisted for consideration of an offer of admission, but you will also need to be

playing at a level beyond the first-year students. Secondly, the academic office will

decide which credits are transferable and you will need to have done very well for

your academic studies in order to justify the transfer.

All transfer students must be in-residence for a minimum of two years in order to

receive a degree from NUS.

1.9 If I cannot accept your offer of admission and/or scholarship, will you hold my

acceptance and scholarship so that I can begin classes the following year?

At YST, we are not able to allow an applicant to defer acceptance from one year to

the next. Admission to YST is competitive and there are limited vacancies for each

major. Priority will be given to the applicants most qualified in each particular year. If

you are unable to accept an offer for a particular year, you will need to submit a new

application and re-audition if you wish to be considered for admission the following

year.

1.10 Can I choose my studio teacher?

Where there is a choice of studio teachers, you may indicate your choice of studio

teacher during online application. For students offered admission to YST, studio

assignments will be announced in your offer letter or weeks leading to freshmen

orientation in July.

1.11 What is the relationship between YST and NUS? Do I need to apply to NUS if I

have applied to YST?

YST is one of 13 undergraduate schools in NUS and students join the campus

community of over 31,000 undergraduates, 11,000 graduate students. If you apply to

YST’s BMus programme through the YST Admissions Portal, you do not need to

submit a separate application to NUS. Graduates of YST will be conferred an NUS

degree.

1.12 Can I apply to YST if I also wish to enrol in another programme in NUS?

YST offers NUS students access to major study from their first year. Applicants

must first apply to YST, indicate their interest only for gaining access to a major

study and audition for the major with the same audition requirements and

conditions. While YST does not offer a double degree programme, students who

gain access to a major study, may be considered for enrolment as 2nd major after

one year of study, on provision that they perform well in the study area and that their

home faculty allows and is supportive.

AUDITION

Preparations and how to attend ‘live’ and ‘virtual’ auditions.

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Preparations for Audition Pieces

SELECTING AUDITION REPERTOIRE

The audition is an opportunity for the audition panel to have an accurate impression

of your expertise in the major study area. It is therefore important for you to select

repertoire that is suitable for your current ability level and age, than attempting works

that may be too difficult for you. The selection of pieces should also encompass a

variety of music styles to demonstrate your strengths in performance. When in

doubt, you may want to seek advice from your instrumental teacher for the best

repertoire to offer for the audition. After you have decided on the audition repertoire,

you should prepare all the pieces that you have listed in your application. Violin and

piano applicants must note that repertoire whether recorded on video or performing

‘live’ must be fully memorized.

CONTEXTUAL KNOWLEDGE

While the audition performance or composition portfolio is central in our

assessment of your application, candidates should also be prepared to demonstrate

contextual awareness to the repertoire they perform. Candidates may be engaged in

discussions on music theory and general musicianship as part of the interview after

the panel has listened to the ‘live’ or ‘virtual’ audition.

Other Preparations

PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT

Where possible, applicants should perform or record with piano accompaniment as

it would demonstrate further understanding of the score from the performer’s

perspective. Voice applicants should note that piano accompaniment is compulsory.

Candidates attending the ‘live’ audition in Singapore may contact the YST

Admissions Office for a list of piano accompanists and their fees.

SHORT READING PIECE

A short reading piece will be emailed to all shortlisted candidates a day before their

‘live’ or ‘virtual’ audition. Candidates are responsible for checking their emails for the

score and are recommended to print it out to study before the audition.

OTHER TESTS

Candidates shortlisted to the ‘live’ or ‘virtual’ auditions must be prepared for further

tests as part of the holistic assessment of candidates for a place in the programme.

These will include an English test and a separate music theory test in March 2021,

both of which will be conducted online.

Setting up to record the audition video and for ‘virtual’ audition

RECORDING POSITION AND CAMERA ANGLE

It is not necessary to submit a professionally produced recording, but the sound quality should be good. Candidates are advised to use good external microphones when

recording and in a space with acceptable acoustics. Where possible, candidates recording the video or attending the ‘virtual’ audition should book a rehearsal studio or

practice room with reliable acoustics and sound-proofing, adequate and proper lighting and properly-tuned grand piano.

Example 1: Piano audition Example 2: Violin audition

3m 3m

Camera should be placed about 3m away and directly facing the performer

RECORDING AND SAVING VIDEO FILES

For the recorded audition video, each piece must be uploaded as a separate file and clearly labelled with the composer’s name, title of work, and movement (if applicable).

For consistency, each piece must be an unedited, high quality recording performed in one sitting with the same room conditions.

Files may be saved in any of the following format: MP4, MPEG, MOV, MPG, WMV

All recorded files should be saved into one folder and uploaded to a shareable online drive such as Google Drive, DropBox, OneDrive or other similar platforms. Copy the link

to the folder in a word/text document, PDF it, and upload the file to the Application Portal.

FAQs

2.1 Can I choose to do a video audition without doing a ‘live’ or ‘virtual’ audition?

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, YST’s new audition format for 2021 will allow

prospective candidates to audition safely and successfully wherever they apply

from. The requirement for international applicants to submit a recorded video

audition for the initial selection is such that all applicants may still be considered

even if they are unable to travel to Singapore to audition. However, all shortlisted

applicants who have been requested to perform a ‘virtual’ audition must attend the

‘virtual’ audition or their applications will be considered incomplete and void.

2.2 Can I request for an alternative live audition date if I am unable to attend due to

conflicts in schedule (e.g. school exams, overseas exchanges, music festivals,

performances, etc)?

Audition dates have been arranged to deconflict national examinations in various

cities and may not be changed. Candidates are advised to plan ahead to commit

time to attend the ‘live’ or ‘virtual’ audition.

2.3 Can I choose pieces other than those listed in the requirements for my

audition?

We list the audition repertoire in order to communicate to the applicants the musical

requirements we need to hear to determine the level of excellence of each applicant.

If the audition material listed under your specific instrument gives you some

flexibility in choosing literature, you should prepare music of contrasting styles that

best exhibits your abilities in the areas of technique, sound, musicianship and style.

You may wish to consult your major teacher for advice.

2.4 I have been shortlisted for the ‘live’ audition in Singapore. Can I rent a practice

room in YST to practise prior to my audition day?

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, YST is unable to rent out its premises for

prospective applicants to practise for their audition. However, candidates will have

30 minutes to warm up in a practice room equipped with a grand piano just before

the audition.

2.5 I am interested to apply for the Composition major. What kind of works should I

prepare for my portfolio?

The Composition faculty are looking for examples of notated music that use piano,

voice and/or orchestral instruments. Familiar formats would be a symphonic band,

orchestra, string quartet, voice with piano accompaniment, wind quintet, brass

quintet, or a combination of orchestral instruments e.g. flute, cello, and piano.

Music arrangements or popular genres will not be considered; popular genres refers

to popular musical styles e.g. rock, pop, blues, jazz. These styles can be referenced

in a composition – for instance, a string quartet might have a section that is

influenced by jazz – but the composition itself isn’t a “pop song”. A good litmus test

would be to ask the following question: would this piece be appropriate for the radio

or for a concert hall? Usually music on the radio (except on the classical station) is

popular music. Music performed in concert halls usually does not fit under the

umbrella of popular genres.

At the interview, applicants should be able to discuss their influences and musical

interests in relation to the field of composition.