Required:
Optional (9 credits from the following):
Performance Exams
Deadlines
Beginning of year: Book the hall for your recital with the Production Office, Room C208.
The following deadlines apply for all exams listed above.
Submit your Graduate Exam Application Form by (this is a different form than the one given by the Production Office):
- October 1st for exams between November and January;
- December 1st for exams between February and March;
- February 15th for exams between April and October:
Submit program notes up to 3 weeks before your recital, if applicable.
Guidelines
Planning the Performance Project
- Discuss with your teacher how to use and schedule options to complete 18 credits of thesis exams required or your program, including planning for the 2nd year.
Selecting & Booking a Hall
- Attend concerts in the halls. Visit our Facilities pages early in your program to find concert hall seating plans, technical requirements, and booking instructions.
- Consider repertoire, instrumentation, type of audience, and any other additional requirements (i.e. overhead projection). Ìý
- Consult with your teacher about their availability (typically May for Master's recitals) and book your hall at the beginning of the year if possible. To book your recital, please see the Production Office in Room C-208.
Quick Study
- Quick Studies are arranged and held on a pre-determined date around mid-November or the end of March/April each year, and announced in the Spring of each semester.
- Fill out the Graduate Exam Application Form and notify the Collaborative Piano Coordinator of your intent to do the quick study.
- Repertoire will be assigned three weeks before the scheduled performance date. Approximately 20 minutes of music of an appropriate song cycle, group of songs, opera or oratorio role, or instrumental work which you are required to help coach and prepare.
Examiners for Performance Exams
Please see the Examiner's List under the Graduate Exam Application Form section.
Working Collaboratively
- Agreements with accompanists should be confirmed in writing and include dates and times of rehearsals, repertoire, fees, and how the fees will be paid.
- Cultivate a professional working relationship with your accompanist:
- Provide repertoire well ahead of rehearsals and concert times. Ìý
- Create an efficient rehearsal schedule, with defined goals, in advance.
- Cancel or change rehearsal times only in exceptional circumstances.
- Be prepared for each rehearsal. ÌýListen to recordings of great performances and discuss with your teacher what makes that particular collaborative relationship so artistic or powerful.
Recording your Recital
Recitals can be recorded using the one-touch recording system. Otherwise there will be a service charge according to the maximum of musicians on stage at any given time. Please contact the Production Office (production.music [at] mcgill.ca) for prices. All recording requests must be made on the appropriate form available from the Production Office (C-208) and returned no later than 2 weeks before the event.
Grading Policy
The final mark for all performance exams will be an average of the three grades submitted by the three examiners.
Read the
Performance Examination Policy (PDF) for more information.
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"The key is preparation...This includes a lot of mental prep such as studying the score, listening to recordings, conducting through the new piece..."
-Carol-Anne Fraser, MMus., Artist Diploma, 2014
"Give your collaborators as much liberty as possible to inject their own style and personality into the music..."
-Paul Rushka, D.Mus. (jazz)
