Student Recital Planning

Your recital is an important milestone in the music degree journey.

Students at all levels of study in the LSU School of Music regularly present recitals and lectures in fulfillment of their degree requirements. Study the policies and procedures on this page carefully to ensure the success of your event.

 

Recital Policies

The School of Music Recital Hall is used for a wide variety of events and needs in the School of Music. Please follow these guidelines for scheduling rehearsals and recitals to avoid last-minute crises and ensure good stewardship of this important space.

  • Student recitals must occur in the School of Music Recital Hall. Rare exceptions may be approved by the Director of the School of Music in consultation with faculty advisor(s) and the Recording Studio Manager.
  • All student recitals must be recorded by the School of Music recording staff.  There will be no streaming of student recitals.
  • Recital timeslots are Monday through Friday at 4:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.
  • Student recitals may not be scheduled during Concentrated Study Period, Final Exams, or on university holidays. Student recitals may not be scheduled on Saturdays. In April only, Sunday recital slots are available (1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.)
  • Recital durations are non-negotiable.
    • 4:00 p.m. recitalists must be off stage and out of the Green Room by 5:00 p.m.
    • 5:30 p.m. must be off stage and out of the Green Room by 7:00 p.m.
    • 7:30 p.m. recitalists must be off stage and out of the Green Room by 9:00 p.m.
    • A $50 fine will be assessed for going over the duration limits.
  • Only ONE Recital Hall dress rehearsal is allowed, no exceptions. Dress rehearsals may be scheduled during the following weekday time periods:
    • 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
    • 10:30 a.m. - Noon
    • Noon - 1:30 p.m.
    • 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  • Given heavy use of the venue, recitals not required by degree may not be scheduled in the Recital Hall. There are provisions for alternative venues. Students wishing to perform a recital not required by degree are encouraged to do so and to visit with the Director of Operations for further information. 
  • All programs for degree-required recitals must follow the SoM Program Style Guide, which is available on the recital planning page of the SoM website. All final programs must be approved by the programs team staff. With few exceptions, programs will be delivered to the audience in a digital format and can be located on the College website or using a scannable QR code available at the event.
  • A non-refundable fee of $75.00 is charged to students for recitals. The fee covers hall use, recording, piano tuning, hall staffing, and publicity.

 

Procedures

  1. Register for the appropriate course number and the correct number of credit hours based on degree requirements (MUS 7798, 9001, 9002, 9003, 9005, 9008, etc.). You may not reserve a recital date without proof of registration. Submit a copy of your course schedule with your recital request. This is mandatory for both degree-required and other student recitals.
  2. For Doctoral Solo Recitals, the School of Music provides a staff collaborative pianist. All other collaborative services are the financial responsibility of the student.
  3. Check the dates of events on the Planning Calendar. Recital dates should avoid any conflict with major ensembles and faculty performances. Also check dates of events outside the School of Music, such as the Baton Rouge Symphony.
  4. Check dates with your collaborative pianist, applied teacher, and ensemble members. When you schedule your recital and dress rehearsal, we will assume that you have made sure your applied teacher and collaborators are available to attend.
  5. One week before the semester begins, you will receive an informational email from the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies or the Assistant Dean of the Office Student Success. Reply to this email as directed. Those who reply first will receive the first opportunities to select a recital date.
  6. Email confirmation of recital scheduling will be sent to the performer, applied teacher, collaborative pianist, and any identified ensemble members. Priority for scheduling recital requests is on a first-come first-served basis.
  7. Dress rehearsals will be scheduled at the same time the performance date is set.
  8. One a recital date is set, it will not be changed except in extreme cases. Rescheduling will require approval from the Director of the School of Music in consultation with faculty advisor(s) and the Recording Studio Manager.

 

Scheduling Timeline

Degree-required Recitals

Monday - Friday, during the first two weeks of classes.

Non-required Recitals

Monday - Friday, during the third week of classes.

 

Piano Services

For up to three DMA recitals, the School of Music covers the cost of a faculty collaborative pianist. Relevant recitals are Doctoral Solo Recitals (MUS 9001 and 9002), Concerto with Orchestra (using piano reduction; MUS 9005), and Lecture Recitals with Written Document (MUS 9010). MUS 9008 (Chamber Recital) is not included.

Contact time with the faculty collaborative pianist, whether in or out of the lesson setting, can equal up to 8 hours, which includes the dress rehearsal and the performance. Arrangements for any other collaborative services (extra rehearsals beyond three, qualifying recitals, concerto competitions, opera auditions, juries, etc.) are the financial responsibility of the student.

The School of Music does not cover the cost of pianists for MM recitals, or senior recitals. The school has a limited number of staff pianists and graduate assistants who will be assigned by the Coordinator of Collaborative Piano, Ana María Otamendi, to some MM and senior recitalists.

The pianist is responsible for attending a 30-minute weekly rehearsal, as well as playing for 30 minutes during the weekly lesson time, for a total of 15 hours during the semester. The student can choose to accumulate up to 6 hours of these 15 and reschedule them later in the semester. A recital is the financial responsibility of the student. A fee of $150 - $200 is appropriate, depending on whether it is a half or full program. 

The relationship between collaborators is dynamic, requiring ongoing attention by all parties in order to foster communication, professionalism, respect, and artistic integrity. It is the pianist's responsibility to be well prepared for lessons and rehearsals. Students should talk to the pianist and to Prof. Otamendi if preparation is not satisfactory. Most conflicts can be resolved if communication is prompt and efficient.

 

Programs

Programs are required for every student recital performance. Programs are official University documents and, in addition to serving as a program for the recital, these documents are stored in archives to provide permanent records of School of Music activities and are used to confirm accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). It is important that these documents be uniform and professional in appearance.

Building Your Program

Download the template using the button below and fill in the requisite information.

The program should include your name, date / time / place of your recital, your studio professor’s name, your degree program, program order (including intermission), titles of works, composers with their dates, all movements being performed, all personnel (including your collaborative pianist), all diacritical marks for other languages, and any other appropriate information.

Do not include program notes in the document. The template does not have any space allocated for this purpose. The creation and printing of any supplementary program notes is the responsibility of the student and should be handled separately from the main program.

DOWNLOAD STUDENT RECITAL TEMPLATE STUDENT RECITAL PROGRAM STYLE GUIDE

Submitting For Approval

Submit materials for your recital program to musicprograms@lsu.edu no later than three weeks prior to the performance date.

It is the responsibility of the student to get approval from the supervising faculty member on the program prior to submitting it for approval. If the program is in good condition (or only in need of minor edits to be consistent with the style guide), the program will be published. Otherwise, a draft with the changes will be sent to the student for final approval.

Incomplete programs or those not finalized due to the Music Programs Team receiving it after the deadline will only include the student’s name, date, time, and venue information.

If you have questions related to the program, please contact the Music Programs Team at musicprograms@lsu.edu.