Sing with the Cleveland Chamber Choir!
The Cleveland Chamber Choir welcomes auditions throughout the season. They will be individually arranged with our Acting Artistic Director Gregory Ristow, either in-person or over Zoom.
To arrange an audition time or for any questions, you may contact Executive Director Kira McGirr at clevelandchamberchoir@gmail.com
Auditions will consist of the following:
- A prepared solo – oratorio, art song, opera aria, or spiritual – that you feel shows the best qualities of your voice
- A prepared choral excerpt: We’ll send you a short excerpt from choral repertoire for your voice type two weeks ahead of the audition to learn
- Vocalises to get a sense of the range and color of your voice
- Sight reading and musicianship exercises
- Please bring a resume or summary of your musical background to your audition. If you do not have access to a printer, you may send it to clevelandchamberchoir@gmail.com
- Optional: non-classical prepared solo. Some of our music for the season includes non-classical styles, so if you also sing musical theater, jazz, gospel, pop, country, or another genre, we’d love to hear something in that style
Audition Process FAQs
- Will there be an accompanist? Greg Ristow, Acting Artistic Director, will accompany you for your prepared solo piece, and also record the audition so he can go back and listen.
- Does music need to be memorized? No, feel free to use your music.
- Do I have to be available for all concerts to audition? CCC contracts on a per-concert cycle basis, so it's fine if there's a cycle you would be unable to participate in. See the concert season schedule for 2023-2024 below.
- Do current singers need to audition? Yes, anyone who is interested in singing with CCC for the 2023-2024 needs to audition.
How we work as an ensemble: the Cleveland Chamber Choir is an ensemble of professional voices dedicated to preparing the finest choral repertoire and performing it the highest possible level. CCC meets for approximately 15 hours of intensive rehearsal prior to each concert. Singers are contracted on a per-concert basis, and are expected to perform a wide variety of vocal techniques. Singers receive music in advance and prepare ahead of time.
About Cleveland Chamber Choir
The Cleveland Chamber Choir provides audiences with exceptional performances of unique and diverse repertoire, blending music by living composers with six centuries of choral repertoire, and emphasizing the works of composers historically excluded from the concert hall. Since its founding in 2015, the Choir has won acclaim for inclusive programming, for partnering with community charities, and for the free concerts that ensure everyone can afford to hear world-class professional choral singing.
Throughout their eight seasons, the Choir has commissioned and/or given world or United States premieres of over 36 new works. Under the direction of Acting Artistic Director Gregory Ristow, the Cleveland Chamber Choir brings together performing artists, administrators, audience members, and donors with the philosophy that choral music is a vehicle for good in the world that should be accessible and welcoming to all. The Cleveland Chamber Choir: More than Music.
The Cleveland Chamber Choir does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran.
Cleveland Chamber Choir’s 2023-2024 Season:
Considering Matthew Shepard October 21 & 22, 2023
Holidays from the Iberian Peninsula December 16 & 17, 2023
Choral Splendor: Old & New March 2 & 3, 2024
Please direct any questions to Kira McGirr, Executive Director at clevelandchamberchoir@gmail.com