Non-Piano Musician, Wanting to Study Conducting or Composition in Europe

[continentalhopeful]

Hello all!

This is my first post here; I signed up because this appears to offer quite the wealth of knowledge.

My current situation is that of an (accomplished) string player who is finishing their sophomore year as a composition major at a well-ranked US university who hopes to study either composition or conducting at either a Francophone or German-speaking university/conservatory in Europe. I am proficient in both languages and have a very strong theory background with hopes of being published in a theory journal within the next year or so.

My greatest concern is with my current lack of piano proficiency. My full exposure has been through the theory sequence here at school, but many international (indeed, domestic, too!) conducting (and sometimes composition) programs require a moderate level of piano ability. I hope to begin studying the instrument this summer while abroad, but I do not know what is a feasible goal to shoot for in the year/year and a half before the applications process would begin if I did not take a gap year.

For instance, the MDW in Vienna requires the ability to sight-read "easy" piano works and to perform a prepared "medium-difficulty" Beethoven sonata. Are these attainable goals in such a (relatively) short span of time for someone with great preexisting music exposure and experience?

Your feedback and/or advice will be greatly appreciated -a gap year may certainly be a possibility here, but it is strongly not preferred.

S