Skip to main content
Choral Conducting Department Indiana University Bloomington

Chorus Auditions

Choral Placement Auditions for the 2024–25 School Year

If you need to sing an audition for a required choral ensemble (MUS-X 70) for the Spring 2025 semester, please be in touch with the chair, Dr. DiOrio.

***
FALL 2024 Audition Information

Auditions will be held Wednesday through Saturday, August 21-24, 2024 in Ford Hall. These auditions are for placement in ensembles for the entire school year, Fall and Spring semesters.

Scheduling your audition is easy!

  • For students already registered for MUS-X 70 (Class Number #2787):
    • First: Log on to Canvas and complete the Choral Audition Placement Form you will find under the “Quizzes” link on the left side of your screen. Don’t forget to click “Submit Quiz” when you are done. This information is important to us and helps keep the audition process running smoothly.
    • Second: Click on the Calendar icon in the left-hand navigation bar and go to the August calendar. You will see audition slots beginning on August 21. Select one and you’re all set! Don’t worry if you find that all the slots are full. We open more slots as they are filled.
  • For students NOT yet registered for MUS-X 70:
    • First: Use this URL to gain access to Canvas: https://iu.instructure.com/enroll/RKXJLD
    • Then: follow the instructions above for those who are already registered.
    • Note: Gaining access to Canvas via this URL does NOT register you for MUS X70. You still need to register for MUS-X 70 (Class #2787) when you are signing up for your fall courses.
  • Choral Placement Auditions take place in Ford Hall in the Simon Building. Please go to the Ford Hall Greenroom where you will be greeted by an Associate Instructor and escorted into Ford Hall at your audition time. Please arrive 10 minutes early to fill out your audition paperwork. Entry to the Ford Hall Greenroom is via stairwell #3.
  • Please email the Choral Department Administrator David Villanueva with any questions: dvillanu@iu.edu

Fall 2024 Choral Ensemble rosters will be posted by 6pm on Wednesday, August 28th. Posted rosters are always subject to change.

We look forward to hearing you sing!

*

SIX QUICK & USEFUL FACTS

1. An audition is required of everyone enrolled in MUS-X70. Sign-up early for best consideration.

2. An appointment is necessary. Please use the instructions above to schedule your audition and fill out the audition quiz.

3. This single audition covers all MUS-X 70 Concert Choirs and all Opera Choruses, but not the Singing Hoosiers. (See #6 below.)

4. Your August audition is good for the entire school year. You do not need to re-audition in January for Spring placement. (Spring semester auditions are held only for new transfer students.) If you audition in the Fall, you do not need to sing an audition in the Spring.

5. You are required to keep your schedule open for the choral ensemble rehearsal times until you are placed. Please don’t schedule classes on MTR from 2:50-4:10 PM (Concert Choirs) or Daily from 4:25-6:20 PM (Opera Choruses). Students are placed into ensembles based upon the skills you demonstrate in the audition, not because of a class conflict.

6. To audition for The Singing Hoosiers, please read the information at the link provided and contact Anna Nappi with any questions: acnappi@iu.edu

  • Non-music majors auditioning for the Singing Hoosiers should enroll in MUS-X 80.
  • Music majors in the Singing Hoosiers should continue to enroll in MUS-X 70.

Read all the information on this page, it will tell you what to expect, how to prepare, and how to present at your best! 

*

ABOUT THE AUDITION

This 2-part audition gives us the chance to learn about your voice and your musical skills. Scroll down the page for information on the skills demonstration.  

PART I: THE SOLO

All students are required to sing a song. It does not need to be memorized.

An experienced collaborative pianist will be provided. You do not have to bring a copy of your music for the pianist. The players will have copies of all the audition repertoire.

  • Voice Majors: choose a solo from the list below. The list has changed this year! An asterisk (*) indicates pieces that have been added, and a strikethrough (strikethrough) indicates pieces that will no longer be used for the chorus placement auditions.

  • Not a Voice Major? Choose one of the 3 pieces here. You may sing either the melody or your voice part. HINT: sing each note on the syllable “La” at a comfortable mezzo forte volume, sustaining the sound for the full value of each note. You are welcome to sing any of the pieces from the Audition Solo List if you have studied voice and/or know one of the songs.

AUDITION SOLO LIST

Sopranos 

Allerseelen (Strauss) Key of E flat major (Removed for August 2024)

“Spring” from Six Elizabethan Songs (Argento) – Key of F major
Quia respexit (JS Bach/Magnificat) Original key
The Year’s at the Spring (Amy Beach) – Key of D-flat
*Per pietà, bell’idol mio (Bellini – Key of C minor
*Botschaft (Brahms) – Key of B-flat minor
Deep River (arr. H.T. Burleigh) – Key of F major
Beau Soir (Debussy) – Key of E major
Pierrot (Debussy) – Key of E minor
Les filles de Cadix (Delibes) – Key of F# minor
Loveliest of Trees (Duke) – Ke of A-flat major
Chanson triste (Duparc) – Key of E-flat major
Mandoline (Fauré) – Key of G major
* Si me vers avaient des ailes (Hahn) – Key of E major
Come unto Him (Handel/Messiah) Original key
An Chloë (Mozart) – Key of E-flat major
Del Cabello más sutil (Obradors) – Key of F# major
*Air Champêtre (Poulenc) – Key of G major
Night (Price) – Key of C major
*How Fair this Spot – Zdes’khorosho (Rachmaninoff) – Key of A major
The Silver Swan (Rorem) Original key
Le violette (Scarlatti) – Key of B-flat major
Briet über mein Haupt (Strauss) – Key of G-flat major
Ich schwebe (Strauss) – Key of A major
*Schlagende Herzen (Strauss) – Key of G major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of C major
Tu lo sai (Torelli) – Key of E major
Domine Deus (Vivaldi/Gloria) – Key of C major
Caro mio ben (Giordani) – Key of E-flat major
Do not go, my love (Hageman) – Key of F# minor
Ridente la calma (Mozart) – Key of F major
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of A flat major

*

Mezzo/Altos  

Allerseelen (Strauss) – Key of B major (Removed for August 2024)

*Botschaft (Brahms) – Key of G minor
Dein blaues Auge (Brahms) – Key of D major
Die Mainacht (Brahms) – Key of E-flat major
Sonntag (Brahms) – Key of E-flat major
Wie Melodien zieht es mir (Brahms) – Key of A major
Deep River (arr. H.T. Burleigh) – Key of D-flat major or C major
Sebben crudele (Caldara) – Key of C minor
Shall We Gather at the River (arr. Copland) – Key of E-flat major
Beau soir (Debussy) – Key of D major
Le manoir de Rosemonde (Duparc)  – Key of B minor
He shall feed His Flock (Handel/Messiah) Original key
O thou that tellest (Handel/Messiah) – Key of D major
*Two Little Flowers (Ives) – Key of D major
Il mio bel foco (Marcello) – Key of E minor
Night (Price) – Key of C major
*Anzoleta avanti la regata (#1 from La regatta veneziana) (Rossini) – Key of A-flat major
Er, der Herrlichste von Allen (Schumann) – Key of E-flat major or D-flat major
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of G-flat major or F major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of A major or A-flat major
*None but the Lonely Heart – Net, tolko tot kto znal (Tchaikovsky) – Key of Db major of C major
Qui sedes (Vivaldi/Gloria) – Key of B minor
Caro mio ben (Giordani) – Key of C major

*

Tenors  

Allerseelen (Strauss) – Key of Eb major (Removed for August 2024)

Ma rendi pur contento (Bellini) – Key of A-flat major
*Per pietà, bell’idol mio (Bellini) – Key of C minor
*Per la gloria d’adorarvi (Bononcini) – Key of G major
Deep River (arr. H.G. Burleigh) – Key of F major
O del mio amato ben (Donaudy) – Key of A-flat major
Loveliest of trees (Duke) – Key of A-flat major
Chanson triste (Duparc) – Key of E-flat major
Lydia (Fauré) – Key of G major
Comfort ye (NO Every Valley – Handel/Messiah) – Original key
*Waft her angels through the skies (Handel/Jephtha) – Key of G major (‘A’ section only)
Come ready and see me (Hundley) – Key of G-flat major
If with all your hearts (Mendelssohn/Elijah) – Key of E-flat major
An Chloë (Mozart) – Key of E-flat major
Nina (Pergolesi) – Key of G minor
I’ll sail upon the Dog-star (Purcell) – Key of B-flat major
*How Fair this Spot – Zdes’khorosho (Rachmaninoff) – Key of F major
Già il sole dal gange (Scarlatti) – Key of A-flat major
Der Neugierige (Schubert) – Key of B major
*Die Forelle (Schubert) – Key of D-flat major
Halt! (Schubert) – Key of C major
*Mein! (Schubert) – Key of D major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of C major
Tu lo sai (Torelli) – Key of E major
Caro mio ben (Giordani) = Key of E-flat major
Do not go, my love (Hageman) – Key of F-sharp minor
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of A-flat major

*

Baritones/Basses 

Allerseelen (Strauss) – Key of B major (Removed for August 2024)

Sonntag (Brahms) – Key of E-flat major
Deep River (arr. H.T. Burleigh) – Key of D-flat major
Sebben crudele (Caldara) – Key of C minor
Vittoria, mio core (Carissimi) – Key of C major
Beau soir (Debussy) – Key of D major
Le manoir de Rosemonde (Duparc) – Key of B minor
*Arm, arm Ye Brave (Handel/Judas Maccabaeus) – Key of C major
Si, tra i ceppi (Handel) ‘A’ section only – Key of C major
The people that walked in darkness (Handel/Messiah) – Key of B minor
Recitative: Thus saith the Lord (Handel/Messiah) – Key of D minor
*The Light that is Felt (Ives) – Key of B major
Chanson à boire (Ravel) – Original key
Chanson Romanesque (Ravel) – Key of B-flat minor
Già il sole dal gange (Scarlatti) – Key of E-flat major
Der Neugierige (Schubert) – Key of A-flat major or G major
Halt! (Schubert) – Ky of B-flat major
*Mein! (Schubert) – Key of D major or C major
Widmung (Schumann) – Key of G-flat major or F major
Zueignung (Strauss) – Key of A major, A-flat major or F major
*None but the Lonely Heart – Net, tolko tot kto znal (Tchaikovsky) – Key of Db major or C major
Bright is the ring of words (Vaughan Williams) – Key of C major
The Roadside Fire (Vaughan Williams) – Key of D-flat major
The Vagabond (Vaughan Williams) – Key of C minor
Whither must I wander (Vaughan Williams) – Key of E-flat major
Caro mio ben (Giordani) – Key of C major

***  

PART II: THE MUSICAL SKILLS DEMONSTRATION 

Everyone will perform three skills exercises as part of their audition: 

1.  Sight-Singing/Melodic Preparation 

  • Graduate Students, Returning Undergraduates, and First-Year Composers & Pianists will be given a melody to sing at sight. It will begin as a simple, diatonic melody and become progressively more complex. You may choose your own stopping point. 
  • First Year Undergraduate Voice-Majors Only. Please prepare your voice part from the music found in either link below. Baritones should prepare the melody (top line) but sing in your octave. Sing each note on the syllable “La” at a comfortable mezzo forte volume, sustaining the sound for the full value of each note. The music in both links is the same; simply choose the format you prefer. The music files are located in the “Files” folder on the Canvas page for MUS-X 70.

2. Rhythm Reading 

  • Each student will be given a rhythm exercise to be spoken (not sung) on the syllable “tah”. Takadimi or other rhythm-reading systems are also acceptable. As with the melodic example, the rhythm exercise becomes increasingly more complicated. You may choose your own stopping point. HINT: choose a slow to moderate tempo and conduct or tap the beat!

3. Pitch Memory 

  • You will be asked to sing/echo back a series of notes played on the piano. Each group of four or five notes will be played in a range appropriate to your voice. 

*****

CHORUS AUDITION PLACEMENT FAQs

Who needs a chorus placement audition? 

  • All students enrolled in MUS X70 need to audition for the concert choirs, the opera choruses, or the Singing Hoosiers. Registration is required to participate in any Jacobs choral ensemble, and students earn 2 credits toward their degree program.
     
  • MUS-X70 is required of the following students: 
    • All voice majors except:
      • doctoral students
      • MM students who have completed four semesters of fall & spring MUS-X70
        • (Note:Summer enrollment does not count towards the four-semester requirement.)
    • All 1st- and 2nd-year piano majors 
    • Junior and senior piano majors who are not registered for MUS-X2 
    • All master’s degree choral conductors
  • MUS-X70 also fills the major ensemble requirement for students majoring in organ, composition, guitar, music history, music theory, orchestra conducting, and second-year master’s degree in piano.
  • Please see the Jacobs School of Music Bulletin for the specific requirements of your degree, it supersedes any information provided here. 

Do I have to register? 

  • Yes, if X70 is a required course for your degree, you must register by the end of the first week of classes. This is a Jacobs School requirement. 

I’m an instrumentalist with an injury, may I join X70? 

  • Yes, but please get approval from Vincent Carbone and your studio teacher to use MUS-X70 as a substitute. You will also need to successfully audition for X70. Please sign up for an audition as described above. 

When are auditions held? 

  • For fall semester 2024, auditions will take place Wednesday to Saturday, August 21 to 24 beginning at 10am each day in Ford Hall. 

Will a pianist be provided? 

  • Yes, an experienced collaborative pianist will be present for all auditions. 

What if I’ve never sung before? 

  • No worries!  Choose a melody from one of the three hymn tunes in this PDF  Download PDF.  We may ask you to sing some 5-note scales to determine your voice type and range. 

How long is the audition? 

  • The entire process will last about seven minutes. 

Do I need to audition separately for the opera choruses and the concert choirs? 

  • No, one audition will suffice to be considered for all our choruses for the Fall and Spring semesters. 

What happens next? 

  • All rosters will be updated and posted by Wednesday, August 28th. 

Help, I can’t find my name on the chorus ensemble rosters! 

What is the Conductors Chorus? 

  • The Conductors Chorus (CC) is a paid chorus that sings for choral conducting graduate student recitals. This ensemble does NOT fulfill MUS-X70 requirements. Learn more here.

What if I’m not a music major? 

  • Any student currently enrolled at IU Bloomington is welcome to audition for the Jacobs School of Music X70 choruses.  You are also eligible to participate in the All-Campus Chorus (ACC), MUS-X 1, which does not require an audition.  FYI: All-Campus Choir does not fulfill the large ensemble MUS-X70 requirement for music majors. 

When do the choral ensembles meet? 

  • Keep the following times free in your schedule until you receive your assignment for the semester: MTR 2:50–4:10 PM (Concert Choirs) and 4:25–6:20 PM daily (Opera Choruses) 

What if I have a conflict with another class? 

  • Ensemble assignments are based on your skills as demonstrated in your MUS-X70 audition and the needs of the Jacobs School’s programming; assignments cannot be made based on student schedules. If you have a class conflict with your ensemble placement, you will have to find an alternate section of the conflicting course. You will also be expected to change any conflicting off-campus commitments.  Avoid this complication and keep the chorus ensemble times open!
  • You must be able to attend all rehearsals and performances in order to receive credit for MUS-X70; it is not possible to regularly miss a rehearsal, or even a portion of a rehearsal, every week.