Drs. Pope and Paparo welcome you to the Spring 2024 semester! We welcome new auditions for Chorale and Conductors’ Chorus. Chamber Choir is not accepting new members at this time.

This is an unusual semester because Dr. Pope is on parental leave and Dr. Paparo is on sabbatical. We have two wonderful conductors filling in! Dr. Wayne Abercrombie will conduct the Chamber Choir and oversee Conductors’ Chorus, and Reagan Paras will conduct Chorale.

Check out the 2023–2024 choral calendar. Please sign up for a placement audition using the links below. See the additional audition information below. We look forward to hearing you!

Thursday, February 1, 1–3 pm (Conductors’ Chorus Only)

Monday, February 5, 2–5 pm (Chorale Only)

If neither of the audition times above work for you, or if you miss these times, please email Dr. Abercrombie or Mr. Paras directly to set up an audition!

For those interested in auditioning for University Chorale:

• We will lead you in vocalizing to demonstrate your range.
• You will echo 3-4 short pitch and/or rhythmic patterns to demonstrate your aural musicianship skills.
• There is no required solo.

For those interested in auditioning for Conductors’ Chorus:

• We will lead you in vocalizing to demonstrate your range.
• You will demonstrate your musicianship skills including tonal memory and sight reading.
• There is no required solo.

For those interested in auditioning for Chamber Choir (not available in Spring 2024):

• You will sing one (1) prepared classical art song, hymn, or aria in any language—need not be memorized. You will perform a section of this piece a cappella, so keep this in mind when selecting something to sing.
• You will demonstrate your musicianship skills including vocalization, tonal memory, and sight reading.
• If you are called back for Chamber Choir, you will prepare the following piece, which you will sing in solo quartets on Friday, September 8, 2:30–4:10 pm; this is mandatory for those who are called back.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What will the vocalizing be like?

We will lead you in singing a few standard choral warm ups to demonstrate your range. You don’t need to prepare in advance, but we recommend that you come warmed up and ready to sing. If you don’t have a warm-up routine, you can do some humming and sing any vocal exercise(s) that you may know. You can even sing one of your favorite songs to warm up your voice.

What will the memory exercises be like?

One of us will sing a pitch and/or rhythmic pattern and you will repeat what you hear. There will be three to four patterns to assess both your tonal and rhythmic memory.

What will the sight reading be like?

Sight reading is only necessary if you audition for Conductors’ Chorus and Chamber Choir. It will include 2 short tonal excerpts (8 measures each) that you will sing a cappella on solfege or a neutral syllable. 

What piece should I choose for my Chamber Choir audition?

You can choose anything that you love to sing. It may be helpful to choose a piece that showcases the range and style of your “choral” voice. But please don’t overthink this; most important is to sing something you love. 

Ack! No accompanist?

Yup, no accompanist. Even if your piece includes accompaniment (which is totally fine), we would like to hear you sing a cappella for your audition. We want to hear that you can hold pitch without assistance.

Auditioning makes me anxious. What should I do?

Everyone gets nervous during auditions, including the people you are auditioning for! If you are unusually nervous about solo auditions, please email either of us and let us know if you need any special accommodations.

I’m trans*/gender queer. Is there a place for me in choir?

Absolutely! We are trans* and gender-inclusive. We will work with you to find the right fit.