Auditions

Participation in Department of Music ensembles and activities is, in most cases, by audition. There are several ensembles that do not require prior musical experience in the idiom: Indian Classical Music Ensemble, Javanese Gamelan, and Middle East Music Ensemble. In all cases, preference for membership is granted to qualified students at the University of Chicago; faculty, staff, and interested community members are welcome to audition and participate, as space permits. No degree credit is granted for participation in any of the Department of Music’s performance ensembles or programs.

Ensemble Membership

The main auditions for membership in Department of Music performance ensembles and programs for the 2012-13 Season will be held September 24 - October 2. In some cases it is possible to audition for or join an ensemble later in the season, but most positions in the ensembles are filled at the beginning of the academic year, and all students are strongly encouraged to audition at that time. Returning musicians are required to re-audition each season. Undergraduate students are encouraged to sample a variety of ensemble and program opportunities during the course of their four years on campus, in order to maximize their musical growth. To audition for participation in the wide-ranging performance program, sign-up in person on the 8th floor of the Logan Center for the Arts or via phone at 773.795.0500 beginning Monday, September 24.

All 2012 auditions - for instrumental ensembles, vocal groups, jazz ensemble, and the piano program - will be held in the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street.

For a detailed outline of audition procedures, please choose: Vocal ensemble auditions; Instrumental ensemble auditions; Jazz ensemble auditions; Piano program auditions.

Biennial Concerto Competition

Every two years the Department of Music holds a Concerto Competition which is open to all registered students and members of the performance ensembles. The competition is held during the winter quarter of even-numbered years; the 2012 Concerto Competition will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2012.

Musicians are asked to audition on the piece that they would like to perform in concert. The repertoire must be suitable for performance with the University Symphony Orchestra, University Chamber Orchestra, or Wind Ensemble.  Depending on the auditions themselves, the committee of judges may select one winner or multiple winners, and schedule their performances for a springtime Concerto Showcase Concert or a concert during the subsequent academic year.  Recent Concerto Competition Winners have performed such major repertoire as the violin concertos of Beethoven, Barber, and Mendelssohn; piano concertos by Liszt, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff; and vocal arias by Donizetti and Strauss.

For detailed information on the 2012 Concerto Competition, click here. For the application, click here.

Visiting Committee Music Lesson Awards

The Department of Music offers a limited number of Visiting Committee Music Lesson Awards to help defray the cost of private lessons in applied music. The awards are granted on the basis of competitive auditions held in the middle of the autumn quarter, and may be used to pay up to 60% of the cost of private lessons during the course of the academic year. Award recipients must be currently registered students, and must be active participants in the Department of Music’s performance program.

For detailed information on the 2013 Visiting Committee Music Lesson Awards, click here. For the application, click here.