Required technique to enter average conservatory

[psaiko]

Lets forget about musicality for now since that is much harder to measure. Suppose the musicality is "average" among those being accepted, what level of technique is normally expected to get accepted on a typical conservatory?

For instance give examples of etudes or other pieces that represents the highest level of technical difficulty one should be able to master.

[opus10no2]

Some of the more demanding Chopin etudes played accurately at near standard tempo should do.

Chopin etudes are by and large the most common means by which people compare pianist's technique.

[lenkaolenka]

Lets forget about musicality for now since that is much harder to measure. Suppose the musicality is "average" among those being accepted, what level of technique is normally expected to get accepted on a typical conservatory?

For instance give examples of etudes or other pieces that represents the highest level of technical difficulty one should be able to master.

I would speak about Russian conservatories, because I graduated one.
In order to enter we had to pass many exams

Piano:
1.   2 Etudes of highest difficulties
2.   Sonata or concert
3.   Polyphony (Bach BTW)
4.   2 pieces with different characters

Solfeggio test
1.   Students have to write 2-3 voice music dictation after professor plays it 8 times (students can't see piano keys)
2.   Students have to sing music off the sheet by sight reading, recognize chords and interval by ear

Harmony test
1.   Students have to write chords to given melody
2.   Student have to pass theoretical test

Music history
1.   Students have to write an essay from 3 given topics about certain compositions or composers
2.   Students have to pass colloquium about different composers and such

[danny elfboy]

Lets forget about musicality for now since that is much harder to measure. Suppose the musicality is "average" among those being accepted, what level of technique is normally expected to get accepted on a typical conservatory?

For instance give examples of etudes or other pieces that represents the highest level of technical difficulty one should be able to master.

The point is that what allow you to enter a conservatory is musicality
I have seen lot of students bringing at the audition very technically hard pieces not passing the audition in favour of students with less hard and sometimes technically very easy pieces because they had more musicality, better ear and better intepretation

If you read the documents for the audition it is quite clear that all you need to have technically to enter a conservatory is a grade 8 ABRSM. But what really matters is if you have something special musically and performance-wise that not every one has

Technique is the easiest thing at the piano. All the technique you'll never need can be learned easily by everyone in a few years. It's all the rest that really matters

[pianowelsh]

yes  agreed musicality and a clear burning desire for music is what is looked for.... technique generally has to be sound for the reason that in 4 yrs you have to be able to give fully professional recital level performances..  There is definately no maximum level expected in colleges... Ive heard of people applying at 17 who have at least one book of the chopin etudes and a few trancendentals of liszt done and a couple of concerto experiences with orchestra to boot. If you want to  study at the best schools the sky is the limit. The MINIMUM expectation is that all your scales are rock solid and you have a thorough grasp of all the core playing forms.  Generally you need to show your stamina by demonstrating you can play a few longer works. ie sonatas.. and you should demosrate that you can handle applied technical demands in the form of an etude or complexed piece usually just beyond grade 8 level... As i said this is the  MINIMUM level at which you will be considered - if you have abundant musicality and can handle the above you may get into average conservatoires.. All the conservatoires in the uk say minimum is grade 8 distinction level....Its more telling though that in the junior departments they are pushing their students to achieve grade 8 by 14/15 with distinction giving hem a couple of years to then consolidate and be working at the diploma level.   IT is always the quality of the pieces you play and not what you play that is the question.. You could play the Svchumann arabesque perfectly and get in ... you could play Gaspard de la nuit badly and get rejected....Thats life.. Moral of the tale is dont run before you can walk.. concentrate on being a master walker and in time you will learn the  necessary skills to run.