Music department schedules auditions for instrumental ensembles

4:04 p.m., Aug. 21, 2013--The Department of Music will hold student auditions for instrumental ensembles -- including the University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensembles I and II -- beginning Monday, Aug. 26.

The auditions are open to both music majors and nonmajors.  

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Sign-up sheets are now posted in the Amy E. du Pont Music Building.

For audition requirements and links to audition music, visit the Ensemble Audition page.  

Ensemble audition schedule, Monday, Aug. 27:

Wind and Brass Ensemble Auditions, 3-6 p.m.

String Auditions, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Percussion, 3-6 p.m.

Jazz Vocals, 5-6 p.m.

Jazz Ensemble Auditions, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Piano Private Study, 1-2:30 p.m.

Vocal Private Study, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Classical Guitar: Contact Christiaan Taggart, instructor in music, at taggart@udel.edu

Ensemble descriptions

Symphony Orchestra is a large orchestra of approximately 80 students. It performs four to five  programs each year of major orchestral repertoire, including collaborations with choirs, faculty, guest soloists and guest conductors. The Symphony Orchestra also hosts the winner of the annual student concerto contest. 

Chamber Orchestra is a select group of student musicians with a fixed number of string players of 15, and winds and percussion as programming demands. The Chamber Orchestra plays one program per semester to provide the highest level performance experience of mature, sophisticated chamber orchestra literature. The Chamber Orchestra also serves as the orchestra for UD Opera Theatre.

Symphonic Band is a group of 60-70 wind and percussion instrumentalists. Membership is open to all students from all majors at the University. The Symphonic Band performs standard concert band literature as well as transcriptions and music originally written for wind band. Concerts are presented on campus. 

Wind Ensemble is comprised of 48 woodwind, brass, keyboard and percussion players. Membership is open to all University students and is not limited to music majors. The Wind Ensemble performs two concerts on campus and additional concerts off campus each semester. The repertoire is chosen from the most challenging original literature for band, wind ensemble and wind chamber ensemble. 

Capturing the energy and excitement of big band jazz, Jazz Ensemble I and Jazz Ensemble II are standard instrumentation big bands with saxophone, trombone, trumpet and rhythm sections, as well as solo vocalists. The ensembles perform regularly on campus, exploring a wide variety of music, past and present. Each year a well-known guest artist performs with the bands. Past guests include Arturo Sandoval, Harry Connick Jr., Denis DiBlasio, Phil Woods, John Fedchock, Jeff Coffin, Dizzy Gillespie, Roger Ingram, Ingrid Jensen, Kenny Werner, Steve Wilson and the Brazilian group Minas. Jazz Ensemble I performs frequently off campus in area schools, jazz festivals and concert venues. 

The Jazz Chamber Ensembles are smaller combos with flexible instrumentation. The focus is on improvisation and group interaction while playing a wide range of styles. 

For more information, contact the music office at 302-831-2578.