Application Deadline
  Award Type
Merit-Based
  Award Amount

$1,500 - $10,000

  Eligibility
First Year
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Description
Eligibility
How to Apply
Auditions
Important Details
Contact

  Description

Piano, Voice, Organ, Strings, Harp, Guitar, Woodwind, Brass, Percussion, and Composition awards available to music majors and non-majors alike.

Music scholarships are based exclusively on musical ability, irrespective of a major. All music scholarships, including departmental awards, are offered in addition to the University's academic and financial aid awards to provide overall support for a Trinity education.

  Eligibility

Who is eligible:

All prospective incoming First-year students, regardless of intended major or minor.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply and audition for a music scholarship as soon as they are prepared and establish interest in Trinity.

Students may audition at any time in the application process and should not wait until after they receive their official admission decision.

 

Who is not eligible:

Sophomore, Junior, Senior, and Graduate students

While one may audition at any time, Music Scholarship Awards will only be offered to Incoming First-Year students who have completed their university application prior to the deadline and have been officially admitted to Trinity at the time of the Music Scholarship offer.

 

Note for International Students:

International students must complete an application for admission before applying and auditioning for music scholarships. Scholarships for international applicants are extremely limited in order to adhere to funding policies. Direct any questions about eligibility and timelines to the Office of Admissions.

 

Explore further: Trinity’s Student Profile

  How to Apply

Separate application and audition required.

STEP 1

Complete the Music Scholarship Application:

Complete the Music Scholarship Application. ​If at all possible, students should complete the form at least two weeks prior to the desired audition date.

DEADLINE:

Feb. 20

 

STEP 2

Complete Your Audition

Students are encouraged to audition in person whenever possible. To audition in-person, you may select an audition time during one of the Admissions program visit dates or separately establish a day and time. If it is not possible to audition in-person, you may record the audition and send the file as an email attachment or specified link [see Audition Information for details].

Audition Process
  • Complete the Music Scholarship Application Form
  • Schedule an audition by indicating your proposed date on the application form
  • You will receive confirmation (or a request for an alternate date if needed) from either a music department office representative or the faculty member in your performance area
  • Student should then contact the faculty member in your performance area to finalize all pertinent details [see Audition Information for details]

Students should complete the Music Scholarship Application form at least 2 weeks prior to their scheduled in-person audition date.

DEADLINE:

Feb. 28

  Audition Information

Icon:icon-arrow-right Trinity icon set
Icon:icon-arrow-right Trinity icon set

STEP 1

Confirm your audition timeslot

Stay in contact with your music faculty member and confirm your visit at least two days prior to your visit, so the department can document your visit for contact tracing purposes.
 

STEP 2

Day of Visit

Parking
Park in the assigned visitor spots located on Trinity Place (entrance near Northrup Hall) or the overflow parking in Alamo Stadium as indicated on the map.

Connect with your faculty member
Contact your faculty member informing them you have arrived.

Practice Rooms
Practice Rooms will be made available for warm-up and each faculty member will arrange when and how to meet on your audition day.

How to Submit

In lieu of in-person auditions, students may send their audition electronically (video preferred, but audio-only accepted) as an email attachment or YouTube channel link. Electronic submissions can be sent until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday February 28, 2026. The electronic submission should be sent directly to the faculty representative for a specific area (piano, organ, composition, winds/percussion, strings, or voice) via email.

Alternatively, a DVD or CD recording may be mailed directly to the Music Department. The deadline for receipt of audition recordings in the mail is Friday, February 27, 2026.

Mailed recordings should be sent to:
Trinity University Music Department
1 Trinity Place
San Antonio, Texas 78212-7200

Piano (Dr. Carolyn True )

  1.  Two contrasting pieces, preferably memorized.
  2. Technique (scales, arpeggios, etc.) and sight reading (two independent voices; chorale style) may be incorporated into the audition.

Note: Each student should email a repertoire list of works studied in lessons and a brief narrative describing piano studies to ctrue@trinity.edu prior to your audition.

Voice (Dr. Gary Seighman)

  1. Two contrasting songs (It is strongly preferred that the selections be memorized and at least one song be in a foreign language belonging to the classical art song repertoire. One selection may also be an opera/oratorio aria or musical theatre piece.)
  2. Two to three short sight-reading selections sung a cappella (choice of neutral syllable or solfege).

Note: An accompanist will be provided. Please arrive no later than 10 minutes prior to the scheduled audition time to rehearse with the accompanist.

Organ (Dr. David Heller)

  1. Perform a work by J.S. Bach or one of his contemporaries.
  2. Perform a composition by a composer from the 19th or 20th centuries in a contrasting style.
  3. Perform a hymn of your choice.
  4. Sight reading may be incorporated as a part of the audition.

Note: Each student auditioning in organ should bring with him or her a list of the repertoire covered in lessons with his or her teacher.

Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion (Dr. James Worman)

  1. Students will prepare two contrasting selections, and while the all-state audition etudes are acceptable, it is preferred that students prepare excerpts from repertoire pieces (more along the lines of solo/ensemble type selections. Students may provide their own accompanist if they wish, but performing with accompaniment is not required (unfortunately, we cannot supply an accompanist). Selections do not need to be memorized.
  2. Sight reading and major scales.

Strings (includes Harp and Guitar) (Dr. Joseph Kneer )

  1. Two contrasting selections without accompaniment. (Selections need not be memorized.)
  2. Sight reading

Composition (Dr. Brian Bondari)

Contact Dr. Brian Bondari for audition requirements.

  Important Details

Selection Criteria

No scholarship award decisions are made until the entire process ends on the audition deadline listed above. The Music Department mails Letters of Notification in mid-March.

Additional Details

  • Students are not required to major or minor in music to be eligible for music scholarships
Renewal Information
  • Awards are  renewable for a total of eight semesters contingent upon continued full-time enrollment and participation in one or more of the performing ensembles.
  • Piano, Organ, and Guitar scholarships are renewable with continued private study.
How Trinity Determines Eligibility

Simple math!
Cost of Attendance - Student Aid Index = Financial Need

Note: If a student is provided an initial Financial Aid package prior to the mid-March award notification and receives a music scholarship, the Office of Student Financial Services will revise the University package and send the amended package directly following departmental notification.

  Contact

Application and audition process:

Department of Music
Andrew Tucker, Academic Office Manager
210-999-8212 
@email

All other financial aid inquiries:

Student Financial Services
Northrup Hall, Room 108
210-999-8898
@email