Philadelphia Singers

Auditions

Rehearsal
Schedule

Performance
Opportunities

2010 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.

SPRING DATES - All from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Mon May 17, 2010 - Returning Professionals

Tue May 18, 2010 - Returning and New Professionals

Wed May 19, 2010 - Returning Volunteers

Thu May 20, 2010 - Returning and New Volunteers

Fri May 21, 2010 - New Professionals and Volunteers

MAKE-UP REAUDITIONS (PROS ONLY) - from 5:00 PM to 6:45 PM

Tue June 1, 2010 - Returning Professionals

Wed June 2, 2010 - Returning Professionals
These reauditions are for returning professionals only, for those AGMA singers that must have a reaudition before the June 30 deadline for next season. We will also hear new professional tenor and bass auditions. (We will not be hearing volunteer reauditions or new professional soprano or alto auditions at this time.)

All auditions will take place at The Curtis Institute of Music, located at 1726 Locust Street, close to 18th and Rittenhouse Square. We will be in Room 2-J unless otherwise posted at the guard's desk when you first enter the building.

Please call the office at (215) 751-9494 to schedule your audition appointment. Please call on a Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday, when additional staff will be available to schedule your audition time. When you call, please be ready with the following information:

The date and time you'd like to audition;
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);

AUDITION INFORMATION

Returning Professionals
You will have approximately 6 or 7 minutes for your reaudition.
Click here for Reaudition Requirements.

New Professionals
You will have approximately 15 minutes for your audition. If you wish to be considered for the Core ensemble, you may also be asked to attend the Ensemble Callback Audition as well. See "Audition Information" below for more information.
Click here for Audition Requirements
Click Here for an Audition Application

Returning Volunteers
You will have approximately 6 or 7 minutes for your reaudition.
Click here for Reudition Requirements

New Volunteers
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 two 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 both of your 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

One of your two selections should be Art Song/Lieder (preferably in German or 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. This will take place on Thursday, May 27, 2010 from 6:00p to 9:00p at Curtis Institute room 2-J. (You won't be required to be there the whole time.) You will be asked to prepare and sing assigned selections (listed below) 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.
     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"

For Chorale Professionals

One of your two selections must be Art Song/Lieder (preferably 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.