The department sponsors a variety of student vocal and instrumental ensembles. An audition is required for admission to all ensembles. Membership is open to all students. Auditions are held at the beginning of the Autumn term; schedules are posted outside the Music Office. If you wish to join an ensemble during the year, contact the ensemble director for information. Departmental ensembles include:
Sign-ups for lesson and ensemble auditions take place in Fall quarter, generally beginning the Thursday and Friday of Orientation week. AUDITION INFORMATION, including minimum proficiency levels can be found HERE.
Each ensemble has its own audition requirements, rehearsal and performance schedules, and minimum level of proficiency. Each is open to all qualified Stanford students; some are also open to members of the community. To learn more about our ensembles, mouse over the navigation bar on the left. To determine eligibility for academic credit, please see the Stanford Bulletin.
Auditions for choral ensembles generally happen in Fall quarter. Membership in the Chamber Chorale and University Singers is set at the beginning of the academic year. Other ensembles accept members, as balance allows, by audition at the beginning of each academic term. Call 650.723.1570 or email Prof. Stephen Sano for additional information.
The Stanford Chamber Chorale is a select choir of 24 voices dedicated to the performance of virtuosic literature for the small choral ensemble. Its members maintain a rigorous schedule of performing, touring and recording. In addition to regular quarterly concerts, next year?s events will include a collaborative concert with the Kronos Quartet, participation in the Stanford Invitational Choral Festival, a recording project for ARSIS Audio (one of the leading record labels for choral music), and a 20-day tour to China, including performing at the opening events of the Olympic International Youth Cultural Festival.
* Director: Stephen M. Sano
* Chamber Chorale meets Mondays: noon-1:00 p.m., Thursdays: 7:00-9:30 p.m.
* Open by audition to matriculated Stanford students only
Under the direction of William Mahrt, recognized as a leading expert on the music of the Medieval and Renaissance eras, the Stanford Early Music Singers specialize in the performance of choral literature from chant through the Baroque. Repertoire for this year includes Spanish Renaissance Vespers (music of Guerrero, Morales, and Victoria), works from the Munich Court Chapel (music of Isaac, Senfl, and Lasso), and Ockeghem and Friends (Ockeghem's Missa Mi-Mi, and works by Ciconia, Dufay, LaRue, and Josquin). Opportunities to work with leading interpreters in Early Music, such as The Tallis Scholars and Cappella Pratensis occur frequently for this ensemble. Early Music Singers meets Tuesdays: 7:30-9:30 p.m.
The Memorial Church Choir provides choral music for Sunday morning University Public Worship at Stanford Memorial Church. This weekly service provides the opportunity to explore and perform a wide range of sacred choral music. Special events this year include participation in the Stanford Invitational Choral Festival and the annual Christmas Service of Lessons & Carols.
With 180 members, Stanford's Symphonic Chorus is the largest choral ensemble on campus and specializes in the performance of choral masterworks with orchestra. Repertoire for the year includes: Poulenc's Gloria (fall), Orff's Carmina Burana (winter), and Beethoven's 9th Symphony and a newly commissioned work for taiko, chorus and orchestra. Members of the Symphonic Chorus are also invited to join singers from the other music department choral ensembles in a 10-day concert tour of China that will include performing at the opening events of the Olympic International Youth Cultural Festival.
A select concert choir of 50 members, the University Singers performs a broad range of Western classical music, both a cappella and accompanied. Highlights this year will include Morten Lauridsen's Lux aeterna, Haydn's Little Organ Mass, a concert of a cappella repertoire from the German tradition including works by Brahms and Rheinberger, and Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610. University Singers meets Tuesdays: 7:00-9:00 p.m. and Thursdays Noon-1:00 p.m.
The Stanford Symphony Orchestra is a full-sized symphony orchestra open to all members of the Stanford community by audition. Other community members in Palo Alto and surrounding cities are alos invited to audition. Highlights from the 2006–07 season include Ravel's Piano Concerto and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.
The SSO will also perform on the quad for Homecoming Weekend and will perform the traditional Haloween Concert.
The Stanford Wind Ensemble is made up of 45-50 wind and percussion players and gives three concerts in Dinkelspiel Auditorium each year. The Ensemble performs all music for winds, from large chamber works to the full scope of a large concert group. The literature is taken from the earliest periods of music to the most modern and contemporary. A featured student soloist on each concert is chosen by audition. While some transcriptions of classics are used, most of the literature comes from composers who have written original music for the medium, such as Bernstein, Hindemith, Stravinsky, and others. Audition required.
The Stanford Jazz Orchestra and jazz combos are part of the Stanford Jazz Program, which is intended for the general student population. Players enjoy a relaxed and fun environment, working hard to play new music well and old music better. Repertory includes Big Band hits from the 30s through the 90s. Audition required.
The Music Department holds auditions each fall for students interested in performing chamber music. Groups are formed with students of similar interest and abilities, and may be coached by a faculty member. Repertory depends on the playing level of the group. The chamber music program enables students' participation at intermediate and higher levels for small (3- to 8-member) chamber groups, meeting once a week with their coach. Audition required. Chamber music groups should have a minimum of three students; all students in chamber ensembles should register for credit in Music 171, but a simple majority of each ensemble must be registered in Music 171.
The internationally acclaimed and award-winning St. Lawrence String Quartet is the ensemble-in-residence at Stanford University. The Quartet, consisting of violinists Geoff Nuttall and Scott St. John, violist Lesley Robertson, and cellist Christopher Costanza, performs regularly on campus and directs the department’s chamber music and string program. The Quartet is actively involved in the commissioning and performance of new works. Don’t miss a chance to hear them!
The Stanford Woodwind Quintet is a professional ensemble composed of Stanford teaching faculty. Recognized for solo work and chamber music collaboration, the Quintet excels in music from the classics through the 20th century. Its members include Alexandra Hawley, flute; James Matheson, oboe; Mark Brandenberg, clarinet; Larry Ragent, horn; and Rufus Olivier, bassoon.
Stanford Taiko stands out in the Japanese-American drumming community as one of the leading collegiate Taiko ensembles in the country. The 16 member ensemble presents a dynamic blend of the ancient Taiko, or Japanese drum, with contemporary musical influences. In addition to on-campus and community performances, Stanford Taiko tours both nationally and internationally (2000: Japan, 2003: Hawai'i, 2004: Thailand, 2005: Los Angeles, 2006: Thailand and Japan, 2007: Seattle), and founded the Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational, the annual gathering of the collegiate taiko community, in 1995. Stanford Taiko studies regularly with leading taiko performers including Kenny Endo, San Jose Taiko, and the On Ensemble, and has studied in Japan with taiko masters Eitetsu Hayashi and Kiyonari Tosha. The one-month audition process for membership begins in October.
Open to serious flute students interested in performing both traditional and contemporary music for flute choir and multiple flutes. Rehearsals are Mondays, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Director: Karen Van Dyke
Mariachi Cardenal meets on Mondays, 6–8 p.m.; Fridays 4–6:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1:30–3 p.m. For more information: visit their website at: www.stanford.edu/group/mariachi
A Cappella Groups are not affiliated with the Music Department and hold their own auditions. For more information, visit the websites below or look in the Stanford Directory under Arts & Entertainment.
Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB) is based in the Athletics Program. Traditional marching skills are not encouraged. Auditions are held at the beginning of the school year. For more information visit their website.
Department of Music,
Stanford University
541 Lasuen Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-3076
Tel: 650.723.3811
Fax: 650.725.2686
Stephen M. Sano , Chair
Copyright © 2004 Stanford University Department of Music
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