Chamber Singers
Group History:
Founded in 2005 and conducted by Michael Slon, the University of Virginia Chamber Singers is a select ensemble drawn from the University Singers. The group performs a wide variety of music for chamber choir, ranging from early music to contemporary compositions. In addition to their performance for the Virginia Governor and other distinguished guests at UVA’s 2017 Bicentennial Cornerstone Celebration, recent performances have included Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia, Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, Copland’s In the Beginning, Allegri’s Miserere, Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs, Lauridsen’s Mid-Winter Songs, Glass’s Three Songs, Burtner’s Palladian Echoes, and Bach’s Mass in B minor with the University Singers. Thematic concerts have included programs of choral music on film, winter music from northern climates, and Latin American choral music. In addition, the group has performed popular standards by Harold Arlen, Ben Folds, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, and the Beatles, a spoof concert of P.D.Q. Bach, and new music by Meredith Monk (with the Meredith Monk Vocal Ensemble) and Eric Whitacre.
In 2010, the Chamber Singers made their first appearances at the Staunton Music Festival, including a performance with Grammy-award-winning baritone Kevin McMillan, and have collaborated on multiple occasions with Three Notch’d Road, Charlottesville’s professional Baroque ensemble. In 2012, they participated in a workshop with Peter Phillips, director of the world-famous Tallis Scholars. They were then honored to perform for composer Philip Glass during his UVA Arts Board Residency in 2014. And in the spring of 2015, the group performed on tour in Europe with the University Singers, including a concert for Evensong with the Jesus College Choir at Cambridge University. Recent seasons have included a performance of Peteris Vasks’ Plainscapes with the musicians of the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, a special Poulenc project with the artists of Victory Hall Opera, and performances with the University Singers on their May 2019 Northeast U.S.-Canada concert tour. For frequent updates, you can follow the Chamber Singers Facebook page and subscribe to their Youtube channel.
Auditions:
Auditions for both the University Singers and the Chamber Singers take place at the beginning of each academic semester. For more information, please visit our audition site and fill out the interest form.
