ENSEMBLES
UO jazz ensembles are open to all University of Oregon students (including Part-time and Continuing Education students) by audition regardless of major. Auditions for UO Jazz Ensembles will take place in-person during the Week of Welcome, the week BEFORE classes begin for Fall Term. A single audition is used to place students in Big Bands, Combos, Latin, and Guitar ensembles. All UO Jazz Ensembles are open to any UO student by audition regardless of major.
AUDITION SCHEDULE/SIGN-UPS
All auditions will be held in the Jazz Studio, Room 184 of Frohnmayer Music Building). Audition dates and times vary by instrument so be sure to sign up accordingly.
There was a technical issue with the audition sign-up form that is now fixed. Please use the link below to sign up for your audition.
Use the following link to sign up for your audition:
https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TiOmWW5m3Q12jc
(Please Note: A separate audition is necessary to be considered for jazz combo scholarships. Audition information for that is found at the bottom of this page.)
Piano – 3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 24th
Saxophone – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Thursday, September 25th
Trumpet – 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday, September 25th
Drum Set – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 25th
Bass – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Friday, September 26th
Guitar – 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Friday, September 26th
Trombone – 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 26th
REGISTRATION
Depending on the results of your big band audition, you may be placed into either MUJ 390/391/392 (undergraduates), or MUJ 691/692 (graduate students). You may register for any of these sections before the audition if you wish, and may switch into the assigned section after audition results are posted.
Please register for MUJ 395/695 if you are interested in Small Jazz Ensemble. If you are interested in Latin Jazz Ensemble or Guitar Ensemble, please register for the appropriate CRN listed under MUJ 374/674.
AUDITIONS
Each audition will last app. 10 minutes. All musicians auditioning will be asked to perform prepared excerpts (see links below), and sight-read written lines. Pianists/guitarists/bassists should be prepared to sight-read chord charts, and drummers should also be prepared to sight-read typical ensemble parts. Students auditioning for a small group or a solo chair will be asked to improvise over a blues in concert Bb (Blues Walk, which may be played at a medium tempo or at a faster tempo if the student wishes). Students wanting to be considered for more advanced combos will also be asked to improvise over standard chord changes on sight.
Audition Materials
Saxophone Auditions 2025-26
Trumpet Auditions 2025-26
Trombone Auditions 2025-26
Piano Auditions 2025-26
Guitar Auditions 2025-26
Bass Auditions 2025-26
Drums Auditions 2025-26
If you would like to audition on an instrument/voice not listed above, please contact kruegerp@uoregon.edu to arrange an audition.
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Merker/Sandine Combo Scholarship Auditions
Thanks to the generosity of Herb Merker and Ken Sandine, the members of two UO small groups will be awarded an additional scholarship. Scholarship recipients are chosen annually in a separate audition prior to the start of Fall term each school year. These groups are open to students of any major. Auditions are held in a group format and judged by a faculty panel. These ensembles, which include JazzArts Oregon, will represent the UO’s Jazz Studies Program in concerts throughout the region.
You can sign up to audition for these ensembles when you sign up for your general jazz ensemble audition, using the form linked above.
2025-26 Merker/Sandine Scholarship Auditions (All Instruments)
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 24th
(All students auditioning should plan to arrive by 6:30 and stay until the end of the designated audition period.)
This year’s audition repertoire includes the following pieces:
Au Privave
Recorda-Me
Moment’s Notice
The Herbert T. Merker Scholarship Endowment
A scholarship fund has generously been established by Herb Merker to support the JazzArts Oregon Combo. Herbert T. Merker Jazz Combo Scholarship recipients will comprise the group for the duration of their award year with each receiving a scholarship of app. $1000 for the academic year. Recipients will be notified before the beginning of Fall term.
The Kenton Sandine Scholarship Endowment
A scholarship fund has generously been established by Ken Sandine to support UO small jazz ensemble members. Ken Sandine Jazz Combo Scholarship recipients will comprise the group for the duration of their award year with each receiving a scholarship of app. $500 for the academic year. Recipients will be notified before the beginning of Fall term.
Open Chair Auditions
If you do not complete an audition in September and do not participate in the jazz ensembles in the fall, you may still audition for open chairs. Students are expected to participate in the jazz ensembles throughout the entire year, but occasionally chairs do open up. If you are interested in auditioning for an open chair for Winter/Spring terms, please complete this form:
https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8hKcRKgL14gkEWG
Questions
If you have any questions about Jazz Ensemble auditions, please contact Paul Krueger.