Recital Guidelines

General Guidelines for all Official Music Department Recitals

  • Follow the policies and procedures provided in this handbook (Recital Guidelines I-V.)
  • Official Music Department Recitals include weekly Student Recitals, Junior and Senior Recitals that fulfill a degree requirement, recitals by any senior student taking lessons in the semester of the performance, and Chamber Ensemble, Composition, and Advanced Conducting Recitals (See I-III below.)
  • See IV below for sign up schedule for Junior and Senior Recitals.
  • Students must be taking lessons from a St. Olaf Music Department faculty member in the medium in which they will perform in order to perform in an official recital.
  • Chamber Ensemble (e.g. Brass Night, Woodwind Night), Composition, and Advanced Conducting Recital participants must be under the mentorship of a music faculty advisor.
  • No two official Music Department events may be scheduled at the same time.
  • For space availability, check the RS-25 link under “Quicklinks” found on the St. Olaf College home page. Room reservation requests are submitted through this link.

IMPORTANT! Before planning or scheduling any recital performance, see the Collaborative Pianist section in this handbook or at http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/music/collaborativepianist.html for collaborative pianist information.

I.  Student Recitals

  • Locations: Urness, Studio A, and Boe Chapel (Organists have priority in Boe. Consult the Student Recitals and Events schedule posted on the bulletin board outside CHM 101 and HOM 245.)
  • Official Times: 7:00 p.m. or 8:15 p.m., typically on Tuesdays or Thursdays
  • Application forms are due in HOM 245 by 5:00 p.m. one week before the recital date. Download application forms at http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/music/resources/. Individual performance times should not exceed eight minutes. Instrumentalists wishing to perform works longer than eight minutes are encouraged to sign up for student recitals during the first weeks of the semester. Please clear performances longer than eight minutes with the Recital Committee Chair. The performance studies teacher must proof all spellings and timings included on recital application forms.
  • Rehearsal times in the recital halls are limited to 20-minutes. 
  • Chamber ensembles coached by a faculty member may also perform on Student Recitals.

II. Junior and Senior Recitals

  • Locations: Urness, Studio A, Boe Chapel (Organists only), the Orchestra Room or Fosnes
  • Times: Sunday recital times are 2:00, 3:15, 4:30, 7:00 and 8:15 p.m. Monday through Friday times are 7:00 and 8:15 p.m. There are no Saturday recitals except for one Saturday in the spring semester, when 2:00, 3:15, 4:30, 7:00 and 8:15 p.m. recital times will be available.
  • An application form must be completed in its entirety and returned to HOM 245 before a recital time can be reserved. Download applications at http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/music/resources/html. Students will be charged a $25 recital fee, which includes audio recording, at the time of application.
  • Application must be submitted by December 14, 2012 for both Fall and Spring recital dates. Students submitting applications after this date will be required to petition the recital committee.
  • Program Format: 3 weeks before the recital date you will receive a reminder that your program information is due 2 weeks before the recital. Guidelines for program submission will be included at that time.
    1. Full Recital – one hour in length: solo performer performing the entire program
    2. Half Recital – one-half hour in length: soloist performing no longer than 30 minutes. Performers should be partnered and scheduled with another Half Recital performer. The total recital length should not exceed one hour.
  • There are no official solo or group sophomore recitals. These students are strongly encouraged to perform on Student Recitals.
  • Before a Full or Half recital will be scheduled, the student must complete two performances on an official Student Recital (an entrance and/or continuance recital performance may fulfill this requirement)
  • Junior Recitals may not be scheduled after spring break.
  • Senior Recitals may take place after spring break; however no Senior Recital will be scheduled after the end of the first full weekend in May.
  • Total rehearsal time in the recital halls are limited to 2x the recital length. Rehearsal times can be reserved by sending a request through the r25 scheduling calendar/webviewer. Other spaces can be reserved for added rehearsals. Requests for a day/time that falls within 48 hours of the request for the performance space will be accommodated if the space is available at that time.
  • All Junior and Senior Recitals required for any Bachelor of Music degree must have three faculty members provide an evaluation of the recital (the student’s teacher and two additional faculty members). The student is responsible for obtaining the consenting faculty member’s signature on the recital application form before it is submitted for processing. (Note: this does not include recitals/projects for departmental distinction. The Music Office will secure three faculty members for those events.)

III. Chamber Ensemble, Composition, and Advanced Conducting Recitals

  • Locations: Urness, Studio A, Boe Chapel, or the Orchestra Room
  • Times: Sunday recital times are 2:00, 3:15, 4:30, 7:00 and 8:15 p.m. Monday through Friday times are 7:00 and 8:15 p.m. There are no Saturday recitals

IV. Sign-up for all junior and senior recitals will be in the following manner for Fall 2012:

Beginning September 24: Senior required degree recitals

  • BM Performance
  • BM Education
  • BM Church Music
  • BM Theory/Composition (recital of compositions, not primary instrument)

Beginning October 1: Junior required degree recitals

  • BM Performance
  • BM Church Music

Beginning October 8: All other official recitals

  • BA General Major
  • BA Education
  • BA Theory/Composition
  • Non-music majors taking lessons in the term of the recital

After Fall Break:

  • Unofficial recitals (see section F. Informal Recitals)

• The deadline to submit a completed application for a Junior or Senior Recital for Interim or Spring Term is December 14.

• Until fall break, the two weeks prior to Spring Break will be reserved for required junior degree recitals.

• Once scheduled, a recital date can be changed only in an emergency through petitioning and approval by the Recital Committee.

V.  Further Guidelines

  • Applications will not be accepted unless all recital participants and their respective performance studies teachers have indicated their approval by signing the recital application. Incomplete recital applications will be returned to the student’s teacher.
  • A list of all composition recital participants must be initialed by each participant and turned into the music office no later than two weeks before the performance date.
  • Recitals should not exceed one hour (including set-up, applause, stage changes, etc.)
  • The Music Office will complete the final preparation for all official recitals. The sponsoring faculty member must approve and proofread program content before the Music Office will accept the program information. Programs and notes must be submitted at least two weeks before the recital date. If notes are not submitted before the deadline, the student will be responsible for preparing the notes and they will not be included in the student's or the department's permanent files. Notes should be succinct and only relate to the music performed, e.g. dedications and the thanking of one’s teachers, parents, or the dog are unacceptable. All programs must be submitted to barth@stolaf.edu in either a doc. attachment or in the body of the email. The Music Office needs four copies of the finished program. The student is responsible for placing the print order, the cost of the print order, and pick up of the print order.
  • Students are provided a stage manager, house manager and a recordist but must provide their own page-turner.  Performers are responsible for restoring the performance hall to be sure it is in good condition for the next performer(s).
  • The Music Department may provide financial assistance towards the collaborative pianist’s accompanying fee for degree-required programs; however, this must be approved by the department chair. See Collaborative Pianists in this handbook or at http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/music/collaborativepianists.html for additional information.
  • Receptions in the CHM Reception Room are automatically scheduled for the hour following the Jr/Sr. Recital. Students are responsible for clean up afterwards.
  • Posters are to be no larger than 11 X 17 inches.
  • Consult your teacher for points of etiquette, i.e. bowing, entering and leaving the stage, etc. Unauthorized photography or video and audio recording is prohibited. No flash pictures during any recital.
  • Any student wanting to use the harpsichord or forte-piano for a recital must contact the Music Office at least two weeks prior to the recital.
  • It is the student's responsibility to inform family and friends attending the recital that flowers on stage and presentation bouquets are not allowed. There are to be no encores.

VI. Informal Recitals

  • An Informal Recital is a recital that doesn’t fall into the “official recital” category (e.g. a sophomore student or non-degree recital).
  • Informal recitals may be given in residence halls (as permitted by hall directors) without applying to the Department of Music.
  • Informal recitals are not allowed in Urness, Studio A or Boe Chapel.
  • With the permission of one’s performance studies instructor, a student may petition the Recital Committee to be allowed to hold an informal recital in the Orchestra Room (chm140), the Band Room (chm138) or Fosnes (chm233).
  • The student or ensemble must complete two solo performances on a Student Recital before an informal recital is scheduled in the Orchestra Room, the Band Room or Fosnes.
  • Organists only may petition to hold an informal recital in Studio A.
  • Requests for informal recitals will be accepted after fall break.
  • Students will not be supplied with a stage manager, a house manager or a recordist
  • Students will not be permitted to advertise the event as a St. Olaf Music Department recital.
  • Students will supply their own printed programs, if needed.
  • Students will be fully responsible for setting up the stage for the recital and for returning the space to the condition it was in before the recital.
  • Informal recitals do not fulfill any of the performance requirements for the music major and are not included in the Music Department calendar.
  • They are not pink card events.