Department of Music
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97301
(503) 370-6255 |
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The 40-45 member Wind Ensemble is an auditioned ensemble of the most
experienced wind and percussion players on campus. This flexible-instrumentation
ensemble performs the most challenging wind ensemble and chamber wind
literature. The Wind Ensemble, which rehearses twice weekly, performs
frequently on campus and on tours throughout the Northwest and Western
states. Wind Ensemble players must be concurrently enrolled in University
Band.
With Wind Ensemble personnel at its core, the University Band adds
all Willamette students desiring to continue their band experience
at the college level. Players rehearse together once each week, with
an additional sectional rehearsal per week required. University Band
performs on campus several times each semester in conjunction with
Wind Ensemble.
The Willamette University Jazz Ensemble is a full-sized big band,
open to all university students on an audition basis, performing the
finest literature from the big band tradition. The Jazz Ensemble performs
regularly at "Jazz in Smith" nights, in local festivals
and during semi-annual tours. Since 1981 this group has hosted the
annual Willamette University Jazz Festival, featuring guest artists
such as Clark Terry, Ray Brown, Benny Golson, and Dizzy Gillespie.
Each Spring, the group joins with the Willamette Singers to perform
at the popular "Puttin on the Ritz" jazz dinner dance.
The Salem Chamber Orchestra is a semi-professional orchestra of 30
to 40 members which unites Willamette student instrumentalists with
the music faculty and musicians from the community, both professional
and volunteer. The result is an outstanding orchestra which performs
a wide variety of orchestral literature from the 17th through the
20th centuries, including symphonies, concertos, choral orchestral
works and a host of other excellent compositions. Each year the orchestra
performs four subscription series concerts and one family oriented
concert. All students, regardless of major, are invited to audition.
The University Chamber Orchestra explores literature for chamber orchestra
with special emphasis on music for strings and is open to all students
through interview. The ensemble performs at concerts throughout the
year including combining with community players to form the pit orchestra
for Musical Theatre Workshop productions.
Chamber music, with its one-on-a part format, is one of the best ways
to develop a strong sense of teamwork in a musical ensemble while
learning individual responsibility for one's own role in that ensemble.
Experienced violinists, violists and cellists are invited to audition
for one of Willamette's undergraduate string quartets, such as the
Waller Quartet, which performs regularly on and off campus. Other
groups may include piano, harp, guitar, string bass, brass or woodwinds,
depending on student interest.
Flutists, oboists, clarinetists, bassoonists, and horn players are
encouraged to audition for a position in the undergraduate Woodwind
Quintet, and brass players, including horn players, should consider
auditioning for one of the brass ensembles, such as the Brass Quintet.
Performing literature drawn from the best of classical repertoire
from all historical periods, the Chamber Choir, comprised of 36-44
musicians, performs on campus and during an annual tour. Members must
have significant singing experience and must audition for entrance.
Although Chamber Choir usually consists of upperclasspersons, others
are encouraged to audition. See
photo and descriptions of the 2004 South Africa Tour.
Joining 12 voices with piano, bass and drums, Willamette Singers concentrates
on vocal jazz, and shares performance dates with the Willamette Jazz
Ensemble for the popular "Jazz in Smith" series as well as "Puttin'
on the Ritz" jazz dinner dance. Members must have significant vocal
and/or instrumental experience and must audition for membership. This
group participates in an annual tour. Recent performance locations
included Hawaii, Washington, Idaho, California, Indianapolis, New
Orleans, Boston and Japan. The group was invited to perform at the
American Choral Directors Association national convention in Chicago,
Illinois in February 1999.
Willamette Master Chorus combines vocalists from the Salem community
with Willamette students to form a 60-member choir. The group specializes
in performing large-scale choral works with orchestra and gives three
to four concerts annually. WMC recently completed a three-week tour
through Europe. Members must have significant vocal experience and
audition for membership.
Performing fine literature written exclusively for female voices,
this ensemble of about 50 women performs in five concerts annually.
This ensemble performs five times annually, drawing on literature
from the best of barbershop, do-wop, popular and classical music.
Membership in this group averages 30 singers.
University Women's Choir and Male Ensemble Willamette are open to
all Willamette students who wish to experience the joy of making music
but may not have had extensive choral experience. These ensembles
provide wonderful opportunities to develop music skills while participating
in quality ensembles. A short audition is required for voice placement
and group assignment. Membership in the Chamber Choir is often preceded
by participating in one of these ensembles.
This workshop offers students a varied experience with staged music.
The ensemble presents programs which range from staged opera excerpts
to full productions with orchestra, costumes and scenery. The course
explores literature in opera, light opera and musicals on a three-year
rotation to ensure something for every type of voice and interest.
Students are involved in all aspects of production and learn not only
how to perform in a stage production, but also the necessary skills
to bring a production to the stage. Recent productions have included
West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, The Gondoliers by Gilbert and
Sullivan, The Pajama Game by Adler and Ross, Amahl and the Night Visitors
by Gian-Carlo Menotti, and Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea.
The workshop is open to Willamette students by audition.
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