ENSEMBLES, 2007 - 2008

AUDITION INFORMATION, FALL 2007

Auditions for these ensembles are held during New Student Orientation and the first full week of classes of the fall semester. Auditions also are held during the first week of the spring semester for Chamber Music Ensembles. At times, spring semester auditions may also be held for some or all of the
other ensembles.

Glee Clubs: Preliminary auditions will be held in Bird Studio. Sign-up sheets for audition times are on the Choral Program bulletin board (Booth Hall, outside and just to the right of the lobby).

Preliminary auditions for the Glee Clubs and the Occidental Chorale will be held on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 30-31. Sign-up sheets will be available on the Choral Program bulletin board just outside the Music Department lobby in Booth Hall. Click here for a complete description of the audition process.

Orchestra and Chamber Music: Tuesday, Aug. 28, 3 - 6 p.m. and 7 - 9:30 p.m., Booth 208. A sign-up sheet will be available in the Booth Hall lobby; you can also email Prof. Allen Gross at agross@oxy.edu, or leave a message for him at x2574. All instrumentalists should bring a short prepared solo which represents the level of their playing. There will also be some sightreading.

Concert Band: Sunday, Sept. 9, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m., Booth 208. A sign-up sheet will be available in the Booth Hall lobby. Visit the Caltech-Oxy bands' website for more information about the group and the audition process, and please contact Prof. Bing for more information: wbing@caltech.edu

Jazz Ensemble: Tuesday, Sept. 4, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m., Booth 208. Please contact Tim Emmons for more information: temmons@oxy.edu. The first meeting of the Jazz Ensemble will be on Monday, Sept. 10, at 5:00 p.m., Booth 208.


Choral Ensembles

Instrumental Ensembles 

Jazz Ensembles


Occidental Chorale
Jeffrey Bernstein, conductor

The Occidental Chorale is a large oratorio chorus open to students, faculty, alumni, staff, and members of the surrounding communities. The Chorale will perform a major work at the end of each semester. Enrollment is for the full year and by audition during the first week of the fall semester. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in MUSC 153, or permission of instructor.
Occidental Choral Program Contact Jeffrey Bernstein

Women's Glee Club
Jeffrey Bernstein, conductor

One of Occidental’s two premiere choral ensembles, the Women's Glee Club emphasizes a unified choral tone in the medium of music for treble voices. Two weekly rehearsals and a full season of concertizing both on- and off-campus. Enrollment is for the full year and by audition during the first week of the fall semester. Previous singing experience may be helpful.
Occidental Choral Program Contact Jeffrey Bernstein

Men's Glee Club 
Jeffrey Bernstein, conductor

One of Occidental’s two premiere choral ensembles, the Men's Glee Club emphasizes a unified choral tone in the medium of music for men’s voices. Two weekly rehearsals and a full season of concertizing both on- and off-campus. Enrollment is for the full year and by audition during the first week of the fall semester. Previous singing experience may be helpful.
Occidental Choral Program Contact Jeffrey Bernstein

Occidental College-California Institute of Technology Symphony 
Allen Robert Gross (Occidental College Music Faculty), Director

The Occidental-Caltech Symphony consists of instrumentalists from Occidental, the California Institute of Technology, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and members of the community. The orchestra presents
concerts on both the Occidental and Caltech campuses. The Symphony performs a varied repertoire of classic, romantic, and contemporary music. An annual Student Concerto Competition, held the first week in December, allows winners the opportunity to perform as soloists with the Symphony. Membership is by audition at the beginning of the academic year. The orchestra rehearses once weekly, at both Caltech and Occidental, with extra rehearsals before each concert. 
Occidental - Caltech Symphony Contact Allen Gross

California Institute of Technology-Occidental College Concert Band
William Bing (Caltech Music Faculty), conductor

The Concert Band is a symphonic wind ensemble comprised of instrumentalists drawn from Caltech, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Occidental College, and the Pasadena community. Guest artists with the Concert Band in recent years have included Eddie Daniels, Steve Houghton, Allen Vizzutti, and David Shiffrin. The Concert Band performs three to four concerts a year, both at Caltech and at Oxy. The repertoire includes traditional and contemporary compositions. The Concert Band rehearses at Caltech, and student drivers help with transportation from Occidental. For further information and to arrange for an audition, you should contact Prof. Bing at (626) 395-3714, or by e-mail at Caltech-Occidental Concert Band Homepage Contact William Bing

Occidental College Chamber Music Ensembles (Fall 2005 only)
Allen Gross, director

The Occidental Chamber Music Ensembles are made up of instrumentalists who are interested in performing chamber music for various media and drawn from various historical periods and styles. Among the usual ensembles are an early music recorder group, a brass ensemble, and various combinations of strings, woodwinds, and piano. Students will perform at least twice during the year on regularly scheduled chamber music recitals. The ensembles receive coaching from Prof. Gross and the applied music faculty.
Contact
Allen Gross

Occidental College Jazz Ensemble 
Tim Emmons, director

The Occidental College Jazz Band is a musical organization, meeting weekly, under the supervision of the Occidental Music Department staff, to play as an ensemble, learn basic jazz theory and improve our improvisational skills.  Jazz enables people of various ethnicities, cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds to come together and communicate through the common language of music. The band provides a positive forum for students of all grades to interact. Along with enhancing our own jazz experience through weekly rehearsals, we wish to heighten campus-wide jazz awareness and appreciation through periodic performances during the year. The Ensemble is directed by Tim Emmons, an acoustic and electric bass player who has a wide experience in both the jazz and classical music worlds.
Jazz Band Homepage Contact Tim Emmons

Last updated 01/07/2008