Choral and vocal ensembles
The University Chamber Singers and the University Concert Choir maintain active performance schedules on and off campus, and perform diverse and powerful repertoire each semester. The Nevada Chamber Opera provides professional and artistic training to aspiring classical vocalists, staging a full opera each spring and opera scenes each fall.
The Chamber Singers are a select, mixed ensemble for upper-division music majors, non-majors and graduate students. The ensemble offers students opportunities to seriously study and perform a wide variety of choral repertoire including virtuoso choral music from the western tradition, vocal jazz and music from other cultures. The Chamber Singers have performed at two ACDA Regional Student Symposiums, the MENC National Convention, CBDNA Division Conventions with the University's Wind Ensemble, and have regularly collaborated with the Reno Philharmonic and Reno Chamber Orchestra.
For more information about choral ensembles and audition schedules, contact Brittney May, Interim Director of Choral Activities at brittneymay@unr.edu.
The Concert Choir is a mixed chorus of undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines across the University. The ensemble offers music majors and non-majors alike an excellent choral experience through the performance of a broad repertoire and has regularly collaborated with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra and Reno Chamber Orchestra.
For more information about choral ensembles and audition schedules, contact Brittney May, Interim Director of Choral Activities at brittneymay@unr.edu.
Nevada Chamber Opera at the University of Nevada, Reno presents an annual season of one fully staged opera production as well as evenings of opera scenes and one-act operas. Nevada Chamber Opera's mission is to cast students in roles and the program features every level of singer from master of music students to undergraduate non-music majors in principal and supporting roles. Works originally written in a foreign language are usually performed in English. In addition, repertory is chosen so that each student during a four-year period will be exposed to works from as many different eras and representing as many different styles as possible. Nevada Chamber Opera offers courses dedicated to the study of opera arias and scenes, operatic singing, stage movement, interpreting the text and a presentation of a program of scenes and one-act operas. Nevada Chamber Opera regularly presents guest artists in concerts and master classes.
Ensemble registration
For voice students, acceptance and participation in the Nevada Chamber Opera can be used to fulfill undergraduate major and minor degree requirements and graduate music degree requirements for major ensemble participation. The details for ensemble requirements are as follows:
- Voice students: Applied voice majors may take up to four credits in MUS 470 — Opera Theater — to satisfy their major ensemble requirement. The four credits in MUS 470 must be after their 300 upper-division voice audition.
- Graduate students: To fulfill degree requirements, graduate students in the department of music are required to participate in some form of conducted or coached ensemble for a minimum of two credits. The Nevada Chamber Opera can be used to fulfill this requirement.
For more information about participation in opera and audition schedules, contact Michael TK Lam at tungkeil@unr.edu.