Graduate Recital Procedures

All Performance and Literature students are required to complete two recitals as part of their degree.  The following procedures and guidelines have been established by the Graduate Music Department.

Repertoire and Jury Approval

Repertoire and performance time will normally be endorsed by the Applied Instructor, but must ultimately be approved by the Chair of the Graduate Music Department or designate. Students will submit a complete a  Graduate Department Credit Recital Approval Form detailing their proposed repertoire with accurate timings and list of jurors (with signatures) to the Music Office no fewer than 8 WEEKS before the proposed recital date. Once approved, no changes to recital date or repertoire are permitted.

The Applied Instructor will suggest jurors (3 are required, normally the Applied Instructor is included). The student will then approach the proposed jurors and obtain their agreement and signatures on the Graduate Recital Form, which is then submitted to the Music Office.

  • Repertoire Guidelines: The Chair of the Graduate Music Department will take into consideration both duration and technical difficulty of the proposed repertoire when considering proposals for this recital.
  • Concerto is understood to include any work scored for solo instrument and orchestra.
  • Major Chamber Work is understood to include groupings of a trio or larger. Collaborative Pianists are required to choose a Major Chamber Work.

Once the Graduate Recital has been approved and the Form signed by the Chair, the student will provide a completed Graduate Student Program Template to the Music Office.

Recitals may not be scheduled later than the end of the examination period in any term. 

Recital dates, once confirmed by approval of the Graduate Department chair, are fixed. Students may request a change to their recital date or repertoire only for reasons related to emergent health issues or emergent family situations arising in their lives or the lives of recital collaborators. The submission of verifying documentation (i.e. a note from a medical professional) may be required on a case-by-case basis. In these cases, this confidential documentation will be submitted to the Music Office and kept on file in a secure location. 

Booking a Recital Space

Recording and Stage Assistant

Arrangements for a concert assistant and for recording must be made in advance, in accordance with Lorne Watson Recital Hall booking policy.

63:613 Recital I

Recital Length: Performance time will be recommended by the applied instructor, but must ultimately be approved by the Graduate Music Department. For instrumentalists the normal length will be approximately 50-60 minutes. For students in the conducting and composition streams, the suggested length is approximately 30 minutes.

Program Notes (for conducting students only) will have an approximate length of 1,000 words and will be submitted for approval no less than one month prior to the recital date. Students must meet with the Graduate Chair to review Program Note submission details. Where appropriate, program notes should include footnotes and bibliographic information. Students are referred to the Preparation Guide for Program Notes .

Collaborative Pianists are required to include a solo work or group of works in their program.

63:614 Public Recital II

Recital Length: Suggested duration is 50-60 minutes for Performance & Literature instrumentalists. Suggested duration is 20-30 minutes for Composition.

Program Notes will have an approximate length of 1,000 words and will be submitted for approval no less than one month prior to the recital date. Students must meet with the Graduate Chair to review Program Note submission details. For students who completed their Program Note requirement in Recital I, the note requirement is waived for Public Recital II. Where appropriate, program notes should include footnotes and bibliographic information. Students are referred to Preparation Guide for Program Notes .

63:615 Public Recital III

A joint recital which shall include representative works from different style periods. The recital program must be approved by the Graduate Music Department. Performance time shall be on hour. the student will be expected to prepare program notes (approximately 1,000 words) to be distributed with the printed program.