The Chicago Symphony Chorus welcomes all voice parts to audition. The CSC is a fully professional chorus under an AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) contract and pays competitive wages. You need not be a union member to audition. Candidates who win a position with the CSC will be required to join AGMA.
Preliminary Auditions for the 2025-2026 season will be held January 13 – January 23, 2025.
Callback Auditions will be held January 24 – February 13, 2025.
Applications will be accepted through 11:59pm on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
All auditions will be held at Symphony Center, located at 220 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60604.
Audition requirements:
- Prepare the following choral excerpt(s)
- Brahms, Requiem, IV. Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Pick up to bar 5 to bar 24; quarter note 96 = (for all auditionees)
- Handel, Messiah, And he shall purify, bars vary per voice part and are clearly noted on the downloadable excerpt; quarter note = 100-110 (only for auditionees granted a second audition)
- Prepare two contrasting (style and tempo) solos: art song, oratorio excerpt, or opera aria.
- No more than 3 minutes each. If your solos are longer, you must provide appropriate cuts.
- Demonstrate the expressive range and flexibility of the voice, especially with regard to dynamics and vibrato.
- Two languages: English and a foreign language.
- Perform sight-reading exercises and vocalizations to determine best range.
- The audition panel will be looking for good intonation throughout this process.
We provide a Chicago Symphony Chorus staff pianist and original parts of the excerpts at all auditions. Please bring two copies of your solo pieces (in a 3-ring binder) for the pianist and the audition panel. Please be sure that photocopies are clear and cuts are clearly marked.
Click here to apply for an audition.
Please note that it is policy of the Chicago Symphony Chorus that an applicant who has auditioned three or more times in the past seven years and has not been offered a position may not be granted an audition until three years after their most recent audition.
Please contact us with any questions you may have.
