Undergraduate and graduate students accepted for membership into the Department of Music’s sixteen performance ensembles and programs are eligible to register for the ensemble(s) each quarter. Registration marks participation, and does not involve either tuition dollars or academic credit. Students will receive a Pass/Fail grade at the end of each quarter; there is no option to take ensembles for a quality grade. Students are expected to fulfill basic responsibilities as defined by ensemble directors, with consistent attendance and adequate preparation for all activities, in order to earn a passing grade. Students are not required to register, and those who do not want their participation reflected on their official transcript may opt out of registration by the second Friday of the quarter, when the Add/Drop period closes.
How to Register
Returning Students
Students who participated in the performance program in 2019-20 may register for the same ensemble(s) in 2020-21 without re-audition. Students may register directly for those ensembles or programs through the my.UChicago portal. Students who want to participate without formally registering, or non-students who are interested in continuing in an ensemble, should contact the director by email to confirm their participation.
New Students and First-time Participants
Incoming undergraduate and graduate students and students participating in a particular ensemble for the first time must successfully audition and be placed in that ensemble or program before they can register. Information on 2020 auditions, which will be conducted remotely, is available here.
After receiving notification of placement at the beginning of Week 2 of the Autumn Quarter, students may add the appropriate course to their registration via the my.UChicago portal.
The Early Music Ensemble, Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, and South Asian Music Ensemble do not require an audition. Instead, students should attend the corresponding ensemble open house during Week 2 of the quarter. Following the open house, new students will be permitted to register via the my.UChicago portal.
Requesting Credit
Music Majors and Music Minors may apply for retroactive credit toward their major/minor requirements. Such application can be made only at the end of a full year of registered, passing participation in an ensemble or program, in accordance with the College Catalog. Students applying for retroactive credit should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
N.B.: Participation in the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble, the Chicago World Music Chorus, the Guild of Carillonneurs, RSO a cappella groups, the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, and other outside musical endeavors on campus do not involve formal registration, are not reflected on students’ official transcripts, and do not qualify for music major/minor performance credit.