Special Repertory Ensembles

Gamelan

Each of the Special Repertory Ensembles is conducted by an expert in the field. All of the ensemble directors are active and acclaimed performers in the Chicago area, and many have performing careers that stretch throughout the United States and around the world. Each of the Special Repertoire Ensembles holds its own set of auditions and/or invitational open houses at the beginning of the academic year. In some cases, membership is open to musicians with no prior experience in the genre. See individual ensemble listings for more information.

Early Music Ensemble  •  David Douglass and Ellen Hargis of the Newberry Consort, Directors

Student Coordinator: Cesar Favila

The Early Music Ensemble is an historically-oriented performance and study group led by members of the Newberry Consort. Participation in the group is open to anyone in the University community with music-reading experience;  private lessons and coaching in voice and early instruments are likewise available through the Newberry Consort. Repertoire is drawn from 15th- to 17th-century sources, with special emphasis given to historically-informed performance practices such as reading from original notation, improvisation, and ornamentation. The Early Music Ensemble also provides a forum for undergraduate majors and graduate students in Music who wish to explore repertories particular to their scholarly research. Collaborations with professional performers take place through the year, culminating in the Early Music Ensemble’s year-end spring concert.

In lieu of auditions, the Early Music Ensemble hosts an open house at the beginning of autumn quarter; all interested musicians and novices are invited to attend.

2012-2013 Concert Date:


  • Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 pm: Music of the Low Countries

Rehearsals: 

  • Tuesdays 5:00-6:30 pm, Logan Center, Room 703


Javanese Gamelan  •  Joko Sutrisno, Guest Artistic Director

Faculty Coordinator: Robert L. Kendrick

The Central Javanese Gamelan rehearses and performs with Chicago’s Friends of the Gamelan, which is one of the oldest gamelan groups in the United States. Participation in the ensemble provides Chicago students with the rare opportunity to experience traditional Indonesian music and instruments, and to rehearse and perform on the beautiful bronze Sri Sedana gamelan. Authentic performance practice together with Indonesian dance and puppetry are emphasized each season, and a variety of guest artists are invited for the annual spring concert. Membership is open to all interested musicians, with no prior experience required.

The Central Javanese Gamelan hosts an open house meeting at the beginning of autumn quarter in lieu of auditions. The ensemble also sponsors a six-week beginner class every autumn quarter, recommended for anyone who wants an introduction to Javanese gamelan. After completion of the beginner course, participants are eligible to join the large performance ensemble.

2012-2013 Concert Date:

  • Saturday, May 4 at 6:00 pm - Hyde Park Union Church

Rehearsals: 

  • Tuesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm, Hyde Park Union Church


Jazz X-tet and Jazz Combo  •  Mwata Bowden, Director

Lauded for its boldness in showcasing cutting-edge compositions, the Jazz X-tet is a versatile collection of 12 to 15 musicians, frequently joined in performance by noted Chicago-area professionals. The X-tet’s three-concert season offers a variety of pieces, from jazz standards to hip-hop, often in arrangements that are custom-designed for the ensemble by its own members. In rehearsal and performance the X-tet focuses on developing the improvisational skills of its musicians, as well as on deepening their understanding of the wide-ranging jazz idiom. The group has issued two CDs, and frequently performs for University events on campus and elsewhere in the city. In addition to the Jazz X-tet itself, several small jazz combo groups are set up each year to provide training and experience to interested musicians, and to perform informally on campus.

The Jazz X-tet holds auditions at the beginning of the autumn quarter.

2012-2013 Concert Dates:

  • Thursday, December 6 at 8:00 pm
  • Thursday, March 14 at 8:00 pm
  • Thursday, June 6 at 8:00 pm

Rehearsals: 

  • Wednesdays, Combo: 5:00-6:30 pm; X-tet: 7:00-9:30 pm, Logan Performance Penthouse


Middle East Music Ensemble  •  Wanees Zarour, Director

The Middle East Music Ensemble explores a variety of classical, neo-classical, and popular musical forms from throughout the Middle East, encompassing compositional and improvisational techniques unique to non-Western musical culture. Members perform on traditional instruments, often in company with noted guest artists, and present multiple concerts both on and off campus. No previous experience in the genre is required, but the ability to read music is necessary.  Membership includes students, faculty, and staff of the University, as well as community members interested in the art and music of the Middle East.

The Middle East Music Ensemble hosts an open house meeting at the beginning of autumn quarter in lieu of auditions. 

2012-2013 Concert Dates:

  • Sunday, December 2 at 6:30 pm: Music of Turkey
  • Sunday, March 3 at 6:30 pm: Sounds of Persia
  • Saturday, May 25 at 7:00 pm: Contemporary Arab Composers

Rehearsals:

  • Thursdays, 7:00-9:00 pm, Logan Performance Penthouse


New Music Ensemble  •  Barbara Schubert, Artistic Director

The New Music Ensemble (NME) is a group of highly accomplished musicians who are devoted to presenting world premieres of cutting-edge works by Department of music graduate students in composition, as well as recent chamber music by faculty members at UChicago and other area institutions and select classics of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. The acclaimed Spektral Quartet, newly appointed Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Chicago, forms the core of the NME. The quartet is joined by members of the performance faculty and area professionals for the New Music Ensemble’s three to four concerts per season, under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Schubert. In the past year and a half, the NME has presented over a dozen world premieres and an equal number of U.S. or Chicago premieres, plus works by Drew Baker, Marcos Balter, Matthias Pintscher, Kaija Sariaho, Augusta Read Thomas, and more. The NME’s May 2012 presentation of Andrea Clearfield’s Lung-Ta with artwork by Maureen Drdak and the Group Motion Dance Company of Philadelphia marked the inaugural phase of a series of multi-media, multi-disciplinary performances planned for upcoming seasons.

2012-2013 Concert Dates:

  • Saturday, November 10 at 8:00 pm
  • Saturday, February 16 at 8:00 pm
  • Sunday, May 5 at 4:00 pm

Rehearsals: 

  • By arrangement


South Asian Vocal Ensemble  •  Minu Pasupathi, Director

Faculty Coordinator: Kaley Reid Mason

The South Asian Vocal Ensemble explores a variety of classical, vernacular, and popular song repertories from the Indian Subcontinent, with membership open to beginners as well as to more experienced performers with a background in South Asian music. The ensemble will focus on teaching vocal techniques, stylistic features, compositional forms, improvisational practices, and performance conventions specific to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and South Asian diasporas. In addition to participating in weekly ensemble rehearsals, members will have the option of attending voice coaching sessions and/or engaging the instructor for private lessons. Membership is open to students, faculty, and staff of the University, as well as community members interested in South Asian vocal music.

The South Asian Vocal Ensemble hosts an open house meeting at the beginning of autumn quarter in lieu of auditions.

REHEARSALS:

  • Beginning Session: Mondays, 4:30-5:15 pm, Logan Center, Room 703
  • Intermediate Session: Mondays, 5:15-6:00 pm, Logan Center, Room 703
  • Advanced Session: Mondays, 6:00-6:45 pm, Logan Center, Room 703