Cleveland Orchestra's Choruses Announce Auditions for 2017-18 Season

The Cleveland Orchestra's Choruses announce that auditions for the 2017-18 season will take place this spring. The season will be The Cleveland Orchestra's 100th year of concerts and marks the launch of its Second Century. The Cleveland Orchestra holds a long-standing commitment to choral music in which community members of all ages may have the opportunity to participate. All auditions are scheduled by appointment only and can be arranged by visiting The Cleveland Orchestra's website at www.clevelandorchestra.com/chorus-auditions/. For more information, contact the Chorus Office at 216-231-7372 or chorus@clevelandorchestra.com.

Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Blossom Festival Chorus

Auditions for the 2017-18 Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and 2017 Blossom Festival Chorus will be held April 22, May 3, May 5, and May 30. Prospective members must have previous choral experience and be able to sight-read music. Those auditioning are asked to prepare two pieces from the classical literature, each approximately two minutes in length, with at least one in a foreign language. An additional excerpt from Haydn's The Seasons is required for anyone auditioning for the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, and will be sent when the audition is scheduled. An accompanist is provided for all auditions.

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus [COC] (Robert Porco, director; Lisa Wong, assistant director) rehearses on Monday evenings from 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. in Beachwood - with some additional Sunday evenings - and every night at Severance Hall during concert weeks. The COC is tentatively scheduled to begin rehearsals on August 20, 2017 and end the season on May 19, 2018. Members of the COC perform with The Cleveland Orchestra in subscription and Christmas concerts at Severance Hall. The coming season for the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus will include encore performances of the innovative and revolutionary production of Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen, concert performances of Wagner's groundbreaking opera Tristan and Isolde, Ravel's Daphnis and Chloé, and Haydn's The Seasons (at both Severance Hall and Carnegie Hall). The Chorus season will conclude in May with three performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

The Blossom Festival Chorus will perform in a Best of Broadway program on July 16, 2017 at Blossom Music Center, and in Mozart's Requiem on August 18 as part of the Summers@Severance series at Severance Hall. Evening rehearsals are scheduled to begin on June 26. Blossom Festival Chorus members are also invited to sing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for Christmas concerts in December.

Cleveland Orchestra Children's and Preparatory Choruses

The Children's Choruses are open to students in grades 5-9 with unchanged voices. Auditions will be held on June 3 and June 10.

The Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus (Ann Usher, director) provides musical training in vocal production and choral performance skills. Members perform alongside The Cleveland Orchestra in major works calling for children's voices, as well as presenting their own independent performances throughout greater Cleveland. Performance highlights for the 2017-18 season will include Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen and Christmas concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus at Severance Hall.

The Children's Preparatory Chorus (Suzanne Walters, director) performs two concerts each season. Members are provided with initial choral experiences to which younger singers may not have been exposed. By developing musical skills and performing in public, the children acquire poise, increase self-esteem, and establish a solid foundation in techniques.

Children's Chorus members will begin rehearsing in early August, and the Preparatory Chorus will begin rehearsals in September. Rehearsals for both groups take place on Monday nights and will run through May.

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus (Lisa Wong, director) was founded to raise awareness of choral music-making in the schools of Northeastern Ohio and encourages students to continue their choral activities through college and into adulthood. The Youth Chorus regularly collaborates with outstanding musical ensembles, including The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus as well as the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. In recent years, members have taken part in workshops with renowned clinicians such as Judy Hanson of the Chicago Children's Choir, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, and composer Jake Runestad. The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus is open to all students in grades 9-12 and 8th-grade boys whose voices have changed. Auditions will be held on May 5, May 21, and May 30.

Shari Bierman Singer Fellowship

Shari Bierman Singer was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for 25 years. The Shari Bierman Singer Fellowship provides financial assistance for two Cleveland Orchestra Chorus members pursuing full-time undergraduate or graduate-level studies in vocal performance, music education, conducting, or similar music-related fields. Financial assistance awarded through the Fellowship program serves as a tribute to Shari's commitment to music education and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2017-18 season and will close on April 20. For more information or to make a contribution, please contact the Chorus Office at 216-231-7374 orchorus@clevelandorchestra.com.