Philadelphia Singers

Auditions

Rehearsal
Schedule

Performance
Opportunities

2008 Spring Auditions

We seek singers who are continuing to grow and to train, who are punctual and disciplined, and who possess excellent musicianship, reading ability, and leadership qualities. Singers will be chosen based on vocal skill and quality. An accompanist will be provided, but you may bring your own if you wish. Please bring an original copy of the music for the accompanist.

Preferably, for all reauditions and new auditions, both volunteer and professional, all selections should be memorized. It is strongly advised that you sing music you know very well and have performed several times.

All auditions will take place at The Curtis Institute of Music in Room 2-J. Curtis is located at 1726 Locust Street, between 17th and 18th.

Please call the office at (215) 751-9494 to schedule your audition appointment. When you call, please be ready with the following information:

The date and time you'd like to audition -- see the Dates and Times listed below;
A cell phone number and an email address;
The category for which you are auditioning: Core Professional, Chorale Professional, Chamber Chorale Volunteer, or Volunteer (For more details about each category, click here);

DATES AND TIMES

Returning Professionals
Thursday June 19 and Friday June 20, 2008 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. You will have approximately 6 or 7 minutes for your reaudition.
Click here for Reaudition Requirements

New Professionals
Saturday June 21 from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. You will have approximately 15 minutes for your audition.
     The Ensemble Callback Audition will be on Saturday, June 28 between the hours of 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This is for new professional singers who wish to be considered for the Core ensemble. You must be able to attend in order to be considered for the Core ensemble.
     If you have been selected (notified via email) to come to the Ensemble Callback Audition, please download and prepare the following excerpts (note: the files are relatively big - between 1 and 2 MB each):
     Josquin, "Mille Regrets"
     Rorem, "While All Things Were in Quiet Silence"
     Schubert, "Mass in A-flat"

Click here for Audition Requirements
Click Here for an Audition Application

Returning Volunteers
Monday, July 7 and Tuesday, July 8, 2008 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. You will have approximately 6 or 7 minutes for your reaudition.
Click here for Reudition Requirements

New Volunteers
Friday July 11 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. You will have approximately 10 minutes for your audition.
Click here for Audition Requirements
Click Here for an Audition Application

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS for New Professionals

By contract with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), all professional members of The Philadelphia Singers and The Philadelphia Singers Chorale are paid for rehearsals and performances. A professional singer must have a trained voice of solo quality with language experience in English, Latin, German, Italian and French. A singer does not need to be a member of AGMA to audition, but acceptance of a contract will require the singer to become a member of AGMA.

All new Professional singers should prepare three selections (selections should be memorized).

Selections should demonstrate contrasting styles/tempi.

Selections should demonstrate the expressive range and flexibility of the applicant’s instrument, especially with regard to dynamics and vibrato. Music Director David Hayes is interested in the ability of each singer to keep vibrato under control at all volume levels, particularly in high voices.

We will ask you to sing two of your three selections, and we will ask you to sight-read something (with accompaniment).

As a Professional singer, you must choose whether you are auditioning as a Core/Expanded Core Professional, or as a Chorale Professional. Further requirements, depending on which you choose, are as follows:

For Core and Expanded Core Professionals

Two of your three selections should be Art Song/Lieder (preferably one in German, one in French).
Prepare your voice part to the “cum sancto spiritu” fugue from the Bach Mass in B Minor (m. 37-64, Bärenreiter measure numbering), sung with accompaniment. Please sing this as close to quarter note=110 as possible. All sopranos (both soprano 1s and 2s) should prepare the Soprano 1 line.
In addition to a resume, provide references or contact information of at least two (2) choral professionals who can attest to your ensemble skill.

After your audition as a Core or Expanded Core Professional, if you are being considered for a spot in the ensemble, you will be asked to come to an Ensemble Callback Audition, which will be held on Saturday, June 28 between the hours of 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. You will be asked to prepare and sing assigned selections with a quartet, both accompanied and a cappella. You must be able to attend the Ensemble Callback Audition if you wish to be considered for the Core ensemble. If you are not asked to come to the Ensemble Callback Audition, or if you cannot attend, you will automatically be considered as a Chorale Professional for a spot in The Philadelphia Singers Chorale.

For Chorale Professionals

One of your three selections must be Art Song/Lieder (either in German or in French).
Prepare two excerpts from Handel's Messiah:
"For Unto us a Child is Born"
- Soprano: Measures 7-18
- Alto: Measures 56-61
- Tenor: Measures 38-41
- Bass: Measures 19-25
"All We Like Sheep"
- Soprano: Measures 11-29
- Alto: Measures 13-23
- Tenor: Measures 23-43
- Bass: Measures 43-53
Please sing these as close to quarter note=110 as possible.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS for New Volunteers

All new Volunteer singers should prepare two selections (preferably sung from memory):

Selections should demonstrate contrasting styles/tempi.

Any genre of classical music is acceptable: aria, Art Song, Lieder. Broadway show tunes or other popular music selections are not acceptable.

If studying, provide a statement from your teacher attesting to recent progress and frequency of lessons.

Provide a reference letter from or contact information for a choral professional attesting to your ensemble skill.

In addition to hearing both of your selections, we will do a short evaluation of musical skills (rhythm, tonal memory, etc.) and ask you to sight-read something (with accompaniment).

If you wish to audition for the Chamber Chorale (a select group of volunteers who join professional singers in smaller Philadelphia Singers Chorale ensembles), other requirements are as follows:

For Chamber Chorale Volunteers

One of your two selections must be Art Song/Lieder (in German or in French).

Prepare two excerpts from Handel's Messiah:
"For Unto us a Child is Born"

Soprano: Measures 7-18
Alto: Measures 56-61
Tenor: Measures 38-41
Bass: Measures 19-25

"All We Like Sheep"

Soprano: Measures 11-29
Alto: Measures 13-23
Tenor: Measures 23-43
Bass: Measures 43-53

Please sing these as close to quarter note=110 as possible.

REAUDITION REQUIREMENTS
For Returning Professional and Volunteer Singers

Prepare two selections (selections should be memorized).

Selections should demonstrate contrasting styles/tempi.

Selections should demonstrate the expressive range and flexibility of the voice, especially with regard to dynamics and vibrato. Music Director David Hayes is interested in the ability of each singer to keep vibrato under control at all volume levels, particularly in high voices.

Other requirements are as follows:

For Reauditioning Professionals

One of your two selections must be Art Song/Lieder (in German or in French).

For Reauditioning Volunteers

It is strongly advised that volunteer singers prepare their re-audition selections with a vocal professional (teacher or coach).
If studying, provide a statement from your teacher attesting to recent progress and frequency of lessons.

CATEGORIES

The categories for which you may choose to audition are as follows:

Core - This is the fully professional chamber chorus, usually consisting of 24 to 32 singers, which performs The Philadelphia Singers subscription concerts. These singers are offered a season contract at the beginning of the season, including all Philadelphia Singers Chorale concerts, and are automatically offered all new contracts throughout the season. Those singers who audition for a spot in the Core ensemble but are not accepted may be chosen for the Expanded Core (singers that may be asked to substitute for Core singers in subscription concerts) or for The Philadelphia Singers Chorale (see below).

Chorale - The Philadelphia Singers Chorale is the official chorus of The Philadelphia Orchestra, usually consisting of 120 singers, a mix of professional singers and volunteers. Professional singers in this category do not sing in Philadelphia Singers subscription concerts.

Chamber Chorale Volunteer - A select group of volunteer singers who join professional singers in smaller Philadelphia Singers Chorale ensembles, such as Handel, Messiah, or Debussy, Nocturnes.

Volunteer - Volunteers join professional singers in concert with The Philadelphia Singers Chorale, the official chorus of The Philadelphia Orchestra.