The Cleveland Orchestra’s Choruses Announce Audition Dates
Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, 2018. Photo by Roger Mastroianni
The Cleveland Orchestra’s Choruses today announced that auditions for the 2019-20 season will take place this spring. The Cleveland Orchestra holds a long-standing commitment to choral music in which community members of all ages have the opportunity to participate. All auditions are scheduled by appointment and can be arranged by visiting the Orchestra’s website at www.clevelandorchestra.com/chorus-auditions/. For more information, contact the Chorus Office at 216-231-7374 or chorus@clevelandorchestra.com.
Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Blossom Festival Chorus
Auditions for the 2019-20 Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and 2019 Blossom Festival Chorus will be held May 4, May 5, and May 9. Prospective members must have previous choral experience and be able to sight-read music. Those auditioning for either chorus are asked to prepare one solo piece, approximately two minutes in length, and an excerpt from Mozart’s Mass in C minor, which will be provided when the audition is scheduled. Those auditioning for the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus are also required to prepare a second solo piece, approximately two minutes in length, which must be in a foreign language. An accompanist is provided for all auditions.
The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus [COC] (Lisa Wong, director; Daniel Singer, assistant director) rehearses on Monday evenings from 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. in Beachwood — with some additional Sunday evenings — and every night at Severance Hall during concert weeks. The COC is tentatively scheduled to begin rehearsals on September 8, 2019 and end the season around May 17, 2020. Members of the COC perform with The Cleveland Orchestra in subscription and Christmas concerts at Severance Hall. The coming season repertoire for the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus will include John Adams’s On the Transmigration of Souls on November 14, 16, and 17, 2019 and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 on March 5, 7, and 8, 2020. The Chorus season will conclude in May with a series of community concerts.
Blossom Festival Chorus, 2018. Photo by Roger Mastroianni
The Blossom Festival Chorus will perform the score to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, live as the film is played on big screens, on June 29 and 30 during Blossom Music Festival. The chorus will also provide back-up vocals for Aretha: Queen of Soul on July 28. At Severance Hall, the chorus will perform Mozart’s Mass in C minor on August 2 and the film Batman (1989) Live in Concert on August 23 and 25. Evening rehearsals are scheduled to begin on June 18. Blossom Festival Chorus members are also invited to sing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for Christmas concerts in December.
Cleveland Orchestra Children’s and Preparatory Choruses
The Children’s Choruses are open to students in grades 5-9 with unchanged voices. Auditions will be held on May 20, June 5, and July 20.
The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus (Ann Usher, director) provides musical training in vocal production and choral performance skills to students in grades 6-9. Members perform alongside The Cleveland Orchestra in major works calling for children’s voices, as well as presenting their own independent performances throughout Greater Cleveland. Performance highlights for the 2019-20 season will include Christmas concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus at Severance Hall in December 2019, as well as a range of independent concerts throughout Greater Cleveland.
The Children’s Preparatory Chorus (Suzanne Walters, director) provides students with initial choral experiences which younger singers may not have experienced. Members are in grades 5-8 and perform two concerts each season. By developing musical skills and performing in public, the children acquire poise, increase self-esteem, and establish a solid foundation in vocal technique.
Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus, 2017. Photo by Rebecca Calkin.
Children’s and Preparatory Chorus members will begin rehearsals in mid-September. Rehearsals for both groups take place on Monday nights and will run through May, typically at University School in Shaker Heights. Students interested in learning more about the Children’s Choruses are invited to take part in one of two “COCC Camp Day” sessions on May 11 or June 15, which introduce children to the basics of choral singing. Parents can learn more by visiting cocc.cochorus.com or calling Julie Weiner, Manager of Youth Choruses, at 216-231-7374.
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus (Daniel Singer, director; Adam Landry, assistant director) was founded to raise awareness of choral music-making in the schools of Northeastern Ohio and encourages students to continue their choral activities through college and into adulthood. The Youth Chorus regularly collaborates with outstanding musical ensembles, including The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus as well as the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. In recent years, members have taken part in workshops with renowned clinicians such as Judy Hanson of the Chicago Children’s Choir, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, Grammy Music Educator Award winner Dr. Jeffery Redding, and composer Jake Runestad. The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus is open to all students in grades 9-12 and eighth-grade boys whose voices have changed. Auditions will be held on June 2 and July 13.
Shari Bierman Singer Fellowship (Cleveland Orchestra Chorus)
Shari Bierman Singer was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for 25 years. The Shari Bierman Singer Fellowship provides financial assistance for two Cleveland Orchestra Chorus members pursuing full-time undergraduate or graduate-level studies in vocal performance, music education, conducting, or similar music-related fields. Financial assistance awarded through the Fellowship program serves as a tribute to Shari’s commitment to music education and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2019-20 season and will close on May 2. Details may be found online at cochorus.com/2019_fellowship.pdf. For further information or to make a contribution, please contact Jill Harbaugh, Manager of Choruses, at 216-231-7372 or chorus@clevelandorchestra.com.
