LHSOM auditions

Woman and man at piano, performing

Audition at the LHSOM 

When you audition at the Lionel Hampton School of Music (LHSOM), you are taking the first step towards your career in music. This process isn’t meant to exclude anyone from studying music at U of I - this is your chance to meet your future professors and classmates, learn about the LHSOM and share your music with us. Your audition makes you eligible for over 130 music scholarships.  

Important dates:

  • Audition Day: Jan. 31, 2026
  • Scholarship priority deadline: Feb. 21, 2026
  • Admissions letter: within 2 weeks of auditioning
  • First round scholarship awards: By March 31 
Audition day LHSOM

Audition with us

Sign-up to audition in-person on Audition Day (Jan. 31) or schedule a virtual audition. 

Register now

How to audition at the LHSOM

We have several ways you can audition with us:

  • In-person, on campus.  
  • Schedule a private Zoom audition with us.
  • Submit an audition video. 

Audition Day at the LHSOM: Jan. 31, 2026

The best way to audition is to attend our on-campus Audition Day on Jan. 31, 2026.  Activities include:

  • Meeting one-on-one with professors who will shape your career and your future classmates.
  • Hearing U of I faculty and students perform.
  • Attending a panel discussion with current students who will answer questions about what it is like to be a music student at LHSOM.
  • Auditioning for admission and scholarships.
  • Touring our beautiful campus on the Vandal Trolley.
  • Discussing financial aid, scholarships and admission with experts. 

Click here to see the Audition Day schedule.
 

Explore our degrees

Undergraduate degrees

  • B.Mus. in music education
    • If you would like to share your love of music with the next generation, a degree in music education is the perfect fit. In your final semester, you will intern in public schools to prepare for entry into your career. Students who graduate from this program are certified to teach music in public schools. In addition to preparing for a career in education, you will have abundant opportunities to develop your performance skills.
  • B.Mus. in music composition
    • If you are an aspiring composer, the B.Mus. composition program offers a solid foundation for you to start your composition career immediately or pursue graduate study. As a student in this program, you’ll study one-on-one with expert composition faculty while developing performance skills on your preferred instrument or voice-type.  
  • B.Mus. in music performance
    • If you’re ready to turn your passion for performing music into a career, this program is for you. Through focused study, you’ll learn by creating, analyzing and listening to music. You’ll prepare for the professional world through individualized instruction, ensemble participation and masterclasses with distinguished faculty and guest artists.  
  • B.A. in applied music and B.S. in applied music
    • If you are interested in building a career that combines music with other fields, our applied music program provides a strong musical foundation and the flexibility to pursue additional coursework tailored to your career goals. Intensive courses in theory, history and performance will help you refine your musical talent, while courses outside of music build a strong foundation in the humanities and sciences.

Graduate degrees

  • M.Mus. in music
    • Advance your music studies at the LHSOM. We offer concentration options in music education, performance, composition, piano pedagogy and performance studies, or collaborative piano.  
Apply to U of I

In addition to completing your LHSOM audition, you must also apply to the University of Idaho. Explore admission requirements and apply on the Admissions website. 

Audition for the LHSOM

Please complete the LHSOM audition form to tell us about you and your music experience. On the form, you will select whether you plan to attend Audition Day or schedule a virtual audition. Keep an eye on the email you submitted in your audition form – this is where LHSOM faculty and staff will contact you about your application.

Click here to submit your LHSOM audition form. 

Preparing for your audition

Select your primary instrument below to connect with your studio professor and learn what you need to prepare for your audition.

Scholarships and audition results

Once your audition is complete, you can expect a follow-up email regarding your admission to the LHSOM within two weeks. Additionally, your audition places you in consideration for over 130 music scholarships.

We believe that you should be supported for the entirety of your degree, so all LHSOM-specific scholarships are designated as four-year awards — provided that you make progress toward a music degree, perform in LHSOM ensembles and maintain academic standards.  

To make this possible, our scholarship committee meets every year to consider both incoming and continuing students, and each of our scholarships can fund multiple eligible students, rather than awarding each scholarship to a single recipient.  

Learn more about our scholarships and endowments.