2020-2021

We will focus on the status and analysis of music documentaries concerning, for example, musicians/groups, styles, instruments, historical periods, recording labels. One of our primary aims will be to determine how such films stand both in relation to other films (including so-called biopics) and in relation to other representations of musicians in images and words. Relatedly, we will be concerned with the technical and narrative strategies of directors, editors and script writers: e.g., the relative merits of location recording vis-à-vis studio environments; the use of confessional and “talking head” interviews; approaches for including performance footage; editing strategies; choice of film stock; and the like. In the end, our brief will be to understand how such filmic portraits reinforce and complicate notions of authorship/creativity, labor, economy, identity and value.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, new procedures are in place. Returning undergraduate and graduate students may register for participation in the same ensemble(s) in which they participated last season. Students new to the University community should first sign up for an audition through the Music Department website: music.uchicago.edu. Auditions will take place during Week 1 of Autumn Quarter, via remote format. Students will be placed in an appropriate ensemble after their audition, and can then sign up for the course. Expectations for each performance course will be outlined at the first meeting of each ensemble, which will take place during Week 2. Once registered, students may drop or withdraw from the course after consultation with the director, as they would for any other course, on their my.uchicago page. Performance courses receive 0 units of credit. For more information about auditions and ensembles, see the Music Department website: music.uchicago.edu

For the 2020-2021 academic year, new procedures are in place. Returning undergraduate and graduate students may register for participation in the same ensemble(s) in which they participated last season. Students new to the University community should first sign up for an audition through the Music Department website: music.uchicago.edu.Auditions will take place during Week 2 of Autumn Quarter in the Logan Center for the Arts. Expectations for each performance course will be outlined at the first meeting of each ensemble, which will take place during Week 2. Once registered, students may drop or withdraw from the course after consultation with the director, as they would for any other course, on their my.uchicago page. Performance courses receive 0 units of credit. For more information about auditions and ensembles, see the Music Department website: music.uchicago.edu

The Chamber Music Program creates opportunities for intermediate and advanced wind players, string players, and pianists to learn and perform small ensemble chamber music. Participants in the program study duo, trio, quartet, and quintet repertoire spanning the entire chamber music repertoire, and hone their collaborative skills under the guidance of the chamber music coaches. Weekly Rep Classes offer extra-curricular musical activities as well as studio and masterclass opportunities for ensembles to practice performing and learn from guest artists. Chamber Music Program ensembles receive three coachings per quarter focusing on instrumental technique, interpretation, and collaboration, with the expectation that ensembles maintain regular weekly rehearsal schedules and perform their repertoire at least once during the academic year. Performance opportunities are available at a wide variety of venues on the U of C campus and in the Hyde Park community. Additionally, CMP participants are eligible to take private lessons with the instrumental teacher of their choice, and may audition for the annual Lesson Awards and the bi-annual Concerto Competition.

The South Asian Music 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 music.

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.

In addition to the Jazz X-tet, several small jazz combo groups are set up each year to provide training and experience to interested musicians and to perform informally on campus.

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 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 throughout the year, culminating in the Early Music Ensemble's year-end spring concert.

The University Wind Ensemble is an auditioned group of fifty to sixty instrumentalists with a diverse range of musical interests and experience. The UWE presents one concert per quarter, after an intensive preparation period of six to seven weeks. With a focus on modern literature conceived specifically for the wind ensemble medium, the UWE provides its members with an opportunity to perform music by such renowned wind composers as Malcolm Arnold, Percy Grainger, Gustav Holst, and Frank Ticheli, as well as transcriptions of orchestral masterpieces by J. S. Bach, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, and others. Membership includes talented undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and community members who are dedicated to bringing a wide array of music to the University community.