Admission Requirements for the Oriental Music Division

a. Academic Qualifications

Applicants must hold one of the following:

An Israeli Matriculation Certificate (Bagrut), or
An equivalent qualification, such as:
A recognized pre-academic preparatory program approved by the Council for Higher Education
A foreign high school diploma recognized by the Ministry of Education
A “30+ Preparatory Program” certificate 

b.Instrument examination

Oud and Oriental Violin

1. Theory of Oriental music: familiarity with Maqamat and the principal rhythms commonly used in Arabic music, both theoretically and practically.
2. Playing a maqam scale in two octaves, ascending and descending.
3. A taqsim excerpt no longer than 3 minutes, including at least three modulations to different secondary maqamat, apart from the main opening and closing maqam.
4. A short taqsim excerpt whose main maqam will be determined by the examiners.
5. Playing a longa, such as Longa Riyad, Longa Shahnaz, etc.
6. Playing a semai, such as Semai Farah-Faza, Semai Shad-Arban, etc.
7. A modern piece such as Totah, D’ Kariati, Bald al-Mahbub, or any other piece of similar difficulty.

Oriental Drumming

1. Theory of Oriental music: familiarity with Maqamat.
2. Knowledge of the most common rhythms (mizan) in Oriental-Arabic music.
3. Performing a solo of approximately 3 minutes, including at least three transitions to different rhythms.
4. Basic improvisation ability on a rhythm assigned by the examination committee during the exam.

Arabic Singing

1. Tetrachords and the basic maqam scales — identification, vocal performance, and modulations.
2. Common rhythmic patterns (mizan) — identification, reading, and/or rhythmic tapping.
3. Solfège exercises — sight-reading with a metronome and without instrumental accompaniment; rhythm exercises — sight-reading with a metronome; as well as one-part melodic dictation in the treble clef of up to 12 measures.
4. Performance of 3–4 vocal pieces, each up to 4 minutes in length, selected from a variety of traditional genres such as: mawwal, muwashshah, qasida, dawr, monologue, and taqtuqa.
   In addition, selections should be drawn from the classical and modern repertoire of major composers and singers, such as: Sayed Darwish, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Umm Kulthum, Zakaria Ahmed, Mohammed El-Qasabji, Riyad Al-Sunbati, Mohammed El-Mougi, Baligh Hamdi, Farid al-Atrash, Asmahan, Layla Mourad, Abdel Halim Hafez, Fairuz, Wadih El Safi, Sabah Fakhri, and others.
5. The songs may be performed with or without instrumental accompaniment.

General Remarks

1. Candidates must be prepared to perform the entire examination program; however, the examiners are not obligated to listen to the full program and may stop the performance at their discretion.
2. Candidates are responsible for bringing their instruments and any other items required for the examination.
3. Candidates must ensure that their instrument is properly tuned before entering the examination hall, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and inconvenience during the examination.
4. All candidates must provide the musical scores for the pieces they will perform — except for taqsim pieces — in at least two copies.

c.Music skills – music theory and aural training

Written examination:

1.Mastery of the treble clef.

2.Familiarity with simple measures (2:4; 3:4; 4:4).

3.Mastery of major and minor scales up to three accidentals.

4.Theoretical mastery of intervals.

5.Ability to carry out transformation of a piece with a given melody, in writing and verbally.