Offered in: Chicago

The goals of the piano program are to prepare the student for a multifaceted performance career (soloist, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician) and to provide the student with the skills and pedagogical background to become a productive teacher.

The undergraduate program's objectives are to:

• acquaint the student with the vast literature for the piano through study and performance of a cross-section of standard repertory encompassing all stylistic periods, while systematically developing technical facility;
• enhance collaborative and practical skills progressively;
• develop musicianship skills, analytic abilities, and knowledge of musical style;
• introduce principles and methods of teaching piano to children and young adults, from beginning to early advanced levels;
• support the music curriculum with an array of general studies coursework.

All jury and recital repertoire requirements are listed on the Requirements tab within the academic catalogue.

Admission requirements

Please consult the CCPA Admission and Audition Information web page for audition requirements for piano.  

Grade Requirements:

• Applied Lessons: C- is the minimum passing grade for PIA 211 PIANO (LOWER DIV). B- is the minimum passing grade for PIA 311 PIANO (MAJOR).
• Recitals: B- is the minimum passing grade for PERF 313 JUNIOR RECITAL and PERF 314 SENIOR RECITAL.
• Juries: B- is the minimum passing grade for PERF 261 JURY (LOWER DIV) and PERF 361 JURY (UPPER DIV).

GPA Requirements:

A student must earn a GPA of at least 3.0 in all major subject area coursework. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to remain in good academic standing and graduate.

Residency Requirements:

The final 30 credit hours toward a student's degree must be completed at Roosevelt University, or a minimum of 60 hours must be taken in residence at Roosevelt University.

Course Requirements

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Enrollment in ensembles is contingent upon placement and assignment. All students in the Music Conservatory are required to participate in all ensembles to which they are assigned by the Chair and Program Director of Ensembles. Assignments are made at the beginning of each semester following placement and seating auditions.

Recital Repertoire

PERF 313 JUNIOR RECITAL
45 minutes of music is required, at least 30 minutes of which must consist of new material. Abbreviated performance of works that are customarily performed in their entirety (e.g. sonatas) is not permitted. The recital must include representative works from at least four stylistic periods. The student may petition to include only three stylistic periods if, in the aggregate, the time requirement is met. Both the Director of Piano and the applied instructor must approve the program. The recital will be graded by the applied instructor.

PERF 314 SENIOR RECITAL
60 minutes of music is required, at least 30 minutes of which must consist of new material, and the program may not include works performed on the junior recital. Abbreviated performance of works that are customarily performed in their entirety (e.g. sonatas) is not permitted. The recital must include representative works from at least four stylistic periods. The student may petition to include only three stylistic periods if, in the aggregate, the time requirement is met. Both the Director of Piano and the applied instructor must approve the program. The recital will be graded by the applied instructor.

Jury Repertoire

Repertoire requirements for juries must encompass six stylistic categories:
1.     Baroque
2.    Classical
3.    Romantic
4.    Impressionist
5.    Early Modern (non-impressionist works composed before 1950)
6.    Contemporary (works composed in 1950 or later)

Jury I (first semester) – 15 minutes
Repertoire will span three stylistic periods, inclusive of one brilliant étude, at least a movement of a classical sonata, plus one other contrasting work (per the major teacher’s discretion, the required polyphonic work may be presented at this time or during Jury II).  C- is the minimum passing grade.

Jury II (second semester) – 15 minutes
Repertoire will span three stylistic periods, inclusive of one brilliant étude (different from the one presented at Jury I), the remaining movements of the classical sonata presented during Jury I (if the entire sonata was presented during Jury I, a piece of contrasting character from other stylistic periods may substituted), plus one other contrasting work (if the required polyphonic work was not presented at Jury I, it must be presented here). C- is the minimum passing grade.

Jury III (third semester) – 15 minutes
Repertoire will span three stylistic periods, inclusive of one brilliant étude (different from those presented at Juries I-II), at least a movement of a classical sonata, plus one other contrasting work (per the major teacher’s discretion, the required polyphonic work may be presented at this time or during Jury IV). C- is the minimum passing grade.

Jury IV (fourth semester) – 15 minutes  
Serves as the gateway to the upper division of the piano program. Repertoire will span three stylistic periods, inclusive of one brilliant étude (different from those presented at Juries I-III), the remaining movements of the classical sonata presented during Jury III (if the entire sonata was presented during Jury III, a piece of contrasting character from other stylistic periods may substituted), plus one other contrasting work (if the required polyphonic work was not presented at Jury III, it must be presented here). B- is the minimum passing grade.

Jury V (fifth semester) – 15 minutes
Assigned repertoire will be at the discretion of the major teacher, to complete the six stylistic categories. Jury repertoire will span three contrasting stylistic periods, presenting pieces intended for inclusion on the junior degree recital program that were not presented at previous juries. B- is the minimum passing grade.

Jury VI (seventh semester) – 20 minutes
Assigned repertoire will be at the discretion of the major teacher, to complete the six stylistic categories. Jury repertoire will span three contrasting stylistic periods, presenting pieces intended for inclusion on the senior degree recital program that were not presented at previous juries. B- is the minimum passing grade.

Technique Requirements

PIA 215 TECHNIQUE EXAMINATION

These will be fulfilled within the Applied Keyboard Skills curriculum (PERF 221 APPLIED KEYBOARD SKILLS II and PERF 223 APPLIED KEYBOARD SKILLS IV). Please reference the Applied Keyboard Skills syllabus and course planner for precise requirements. Technique juries will be scheduled and administered separately from the performance juries. As described in the AKS syllabus, a two-fold system of grading will be used; one that applies toward the course as a numerical grade, and one that applies towards piano program requirements as a pass/fail administered by the full piano faculty in attendance. Students must pass both technique juries in order to advance to the upper division of the undergraduate piano program. If a student fails either jury, that student may petition to retake it at the beginning of the following semester. Only one petition for each part is allowed. Fulfillment of Technique Juries I & II will compile as a single grade on the official transcript, as PIA 215 TECHNIQUE EXAMINATION (0 credits).

This degree map charts a suggested pathway through all of your required courses. It is incumbent upon all students to fully comprehend curricular requirements and course schedules, and while it is feasible to chart an alternate pathway, it is highly recommended that you do so in close consultation with your academic advisor so as to determine a degree path appropriately tailored to your needs.

A full-time undergraduate course load comprises 12-18 credits per semester.