Recitals

*Updated 9/18/2024. 

The guidelines described here are designed to benefit the performer’s professional development. Please direct any questions to Dan Fernandez, Director of Marketing and Communications or Jesse Montgomery, Director of Operations.

• Before scheduling, be sure of the following:

  • Only School of Music students (i.e. undergrad majors, music grad students and music BXA students) may schedule a recital
  • Select your date according to the availability of Kresge Theatre, Mellon Institute or Alumni Concert Hall. To avoid possible conflicts, check the Music Events AND all venue calendars showing scheduled performances or ensemble rehearsals, and other events that are happening in the halls.
  • The dates you choose must be verified and approved by your teacher, accompanist, and any recital partners before you submit the form. Please follow the guidelines in the Recital Accompanist Policy when choosing your pianist.
  • Blackout dates: Recitals may not be scheduled during fall (Oct 12-20) or spring break (Mar 1-9) including the weekend before or after, during the Thanksgiving break (Nov 27-Dec 1), on university holidays, on Easter (Apr 20) or during Carnival weekend (Apr 3-5).
  • Your recital may not coincide with School of Music events or with another recital. This rule applies to all ensemble concerts, opera productions and performances, and faculty/student recitals. For recitals requested adjacent to Large Ensemble dress rehearsals & performances, recording services may not be available.
  • The months of April/May are strictly reserved for required degree recitals for students expecting to graduate in the spring. (i.e. no Sophomore/Junior or optional joint/chamber recitals).  
  Recitals may not for any reason be canceled or rescheduled within two (2) weeks of the date scheduled. (i.e. a March 1 recital cannot be canceled after February 15). A cancellation or reschedule within two weeks of the recital will incur a $75 fee assessed on the student's account. The SoM is sensitive to the fact that during a typical school year, personal and family situations will sometimes necessitate postponement or complete cancellation of a student recital. In this instance, the notification by a student to this effect will be taken under advisement on a case-by-case basis. ALL cancellations and postponements must be communicated to the Music Events Team by the student's studio teacher.

To select a recital date and time, complete an on-line electronic Recital and Recording Scheduling Form.

If you are a BXA student that has a recital component as part of your capstone project and/or anticipate having non-standard recital elements, please consult with the Music Events Team in the planning stages to discuss the feasibility of any additional technical/recording elements.

Dress rehearsals can be scheduled within one month of the scheduled recital. The recitalist is entitled to two (2) hours of rehearsal time in the venue leading up to the recital, subject to availability, not including the warmup hour before the recital.

You are encouraged to schedule this as soon as your recital is approved to ensure availability using the “Dress Rehearsal” event type on the room scheduling form. 

All recitals MUST have a printed program, and recitalists must also submit a run sheet and stage plot.

1. Download the program template to your computer, then fill in all information to be appear in your program:

• Selections to be performed (in order and including movements)
• Composers’ full names and years of birth/death
• The name of your accompanist (if applicable)
• Additional performers (if applicable)
• Your studio professor’s name
• Your anticipated degree and year of graduation
• Placement of the intermission (if applicable)
• It is the performer’s responsibility to proofread for errors and ensure the accuracy of information
• Please note: Translations are not included in the programs for voice recitals, but are required and are the responsibility of the recitalist.

Program submissions sent in without using the template will not be accepted.

Students sharing a recital should submit one completed program template.

• Your name, instrument, and start time at the top
• Each composer and piece in your program on the WHITE lines on the sheet, plus the length of each piece. You must add +2 minutes to the length of each piece for applause.
• Select from the drop-down menu on the GRAY lines on the sheet to select the appropriate item for in-between pieces (i.e. a piano move, a 15 minute intermission, no break at all, etc.) which will auto-populate the appropriate amount of time in the Length column.
• Verify that all the items and times are correct.

Then download a copy of the Run Sheet as an Excel file. You will submit this to the Recital Document Submission Form along with the Program and Stage Plot.

3. Open the Stage Plot template, then make a copy that you can edit in Google Slides or Powerpoint.

• On the new copy of the Stage Plot, follow the instructions to show your plan for the stage for each set.
• You can drag and drop specific piano icons, chairs, benches, music stands, etc. where they should go on the plot.
• If your set up does not change between two pieces you do not have to make a new setup for the second piece. However, if the stage needs do change, add a slide with the new setup.
• Use the version (Kresge or ACH) appropriate for your venue.

Then download a copy of the updated Stage Plot as a Powerpoint file. You will submit this to the Recital Document Submission Form along with the Program and Run Sheet (see the next section).

After you have completed the steps above, submit the Recital Program, Run Sheet and Stage Plot  to the Music Events team by using the Recital Document Submission Form. Please reach out to the Music Events team if you have questions about submitting your documents.

Recital documents are due at least two weeks prior to your scheduled recital date. Be sure you have your documents ready for submission using the template, to the submission form by 14 days before your recital. 

Program templates received after the designated deadline are not guaranteed to be ready in time for the recital.

Reminder for pianists: contact our piano technician, Peter Stumpf (piano@nbzhiai.com) to request the tuning of a specific piano if requested at least two weeks out. 

Please see the Recording Services policies page for more details. Fees apply for audio, video recording and/or livestreaming.

The marketing and communications (M/C) office is responsible for all marketing, communications and public relations for the School of Music. This guide has been designed to assist students and faculty in understanding the types of resources available through the School of Music for the marketing and promotion of all School of Music student recitals to the campus and greater Pittsburgh community. Only recitals that have a confirmed date, time and location will be accepted for promotion.

As long as you have submitted your updated biography, and requested your recital through the main resource request form, the M/C office will have the basic amount of information to create a website calendar listing.

Additional information required - more than 2 weeks prior to the recital date, as detailed, prompted and captured in the automated follow-up Program Submission form:

• Student Name and instrument
• Studio faculty name(s)
• Degree/Certificate that is being sought
• Recital date, time and location
• Accompanist’s name – if applicable
• Guest artists names and instrument(s) – if applicable
• Repertoire to be performed
• Short biography & headshot - if available
  • Headshot = Jpeg files only. Needs to be at least 800 pixels wide x 800 pixels tall
• Anecdotal information about the recital (Are new works being performed? Are there special collaborations involved in the recital?)

Complete details can be found in the Undergraduate/Graduate Student Recital Marketing & Promotion document.