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Houston Symphony Chorus
Charles S. Hausmann, Director
Auditions: Susan Scarrow, Chorus Manager, chorus@sbcglobal.net.
The Houston Symphony Chorus is the official choral unit of the Houston Symphony. Each season the volunteer chorus prepares and presents great choral-orchestral masterworks under the baton of guest conductors of international acclaim. Recent seasons have included performances with Houston Symphony conductors Hans Graf and Michael Krajewski, as well as with guest conductors such as Claus Peter Flor, William Lacey, Nicholas McGegan, Christopher Seaman, Hugh Wolf. In addition, the chorus has made several European concert tours performing with orchestras in Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Hungary Austria and England. It also performs regularly in Mexico City with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Mineriá.
Dates and Openings
Auditions for the Houston Symphony Chorus are held each year in January, May
and August. The chorus is comprised of 200 singers from the greater Houston
area. Members re-audition annually to maintain membership. There are 40-50 singers
in each section - soprano, alto, tenor, bass - and openings are usually available
in each section. We invite and encourage you to
arrange an audition.
How to Schedule an Audition
Auditions are by appointment only. Location details and directions will be
available when auditions are schedule.
To schedule an audition appointment please
email Susan Scarrow, Chorus Manager, chorus@sbcglobal.net.
Audition Procedure
- You will be lead through vocal exercises to hear your range and quality. We will listen to your low, middle and high range.
- You will be lead through tonal memory exercises to check your ability to hear and reproduce short melodic fragments.
- You will be asked to sight read a choral excerpt with piano accompaniment.
- You will be asked to perform a prepared solo (preferably an art song, sacred song, oratorio or opera aria) in English or a foreign language. [An accompanist will be provided (please, no taped accompaniment).]
If you would like to hear what a chorus member thinks of auditioning, and his audition experience in detail, check out Roger Cutler's Audition Essay.