National Children’s Chorus Winter 2014 Auditions Set for January 4 in Los Angeles and January 9 in New York
Los Angeles, California and New York, New York (PRWEB) December 17, 2013 -- America's leading youth choral institution, the National Children’s Chorus (NCC), is hosting two auditions in January 2014 - Saturday, January 4 in Los Angeles and Thursday, January 9 in New York. Students selected for the program will perform in 2013/2014 concert season "Roots," at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica and The Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York. To schedule an audition, please visit http://www.nationalchildrenschorus.com.
The NCC trains students from more than 60 schools in Los Angeles and New York who meet weekly for rehearsal and musicianship study. The NCC provides musically talented children with first-rate vocal training and an unparalleled musicianship curriculum. Each child, regardless of prior education or financial background, is given the opportunity to develop his or her vocal skills from the most basic concepts through the college level. Expert instructors work to cultivate tone quality, breath support, and musical expression within the individual singers, while working together as an ensemble culminates in world-class performances.
Students can audition for two divisions -- the junior division for ages 5 through 12 with beginning or intermediate levels of experience, and the senior division for students ages 10 years and older with advanced levels of musical ability. The Los Angeles auditions also include a special focus on building the organization's Scholars Tenor / Bass program for junior and high school male students as well as elementary school-age boys whose voices are changing. NCC’s artistic director Luke McEndarfer will oversee the auditions along with associate artistic director Dr. Pamela Blackstone.
“The NCC continues to expand its membership by recruiting remarkable talent from the communities of Los Angeles and New York, in the hopes of offering its high-level training to gifted young musicians wanting to develop their vocal abilities,” said McEndarfer. “In continuing to build our diverse bicoastal student body, we aim to enrich the lives and artistic experiences of both new students and veterans alike."
The junior division consists of the Prelude Level, the Minuet Level and the Sonata Level. Applicants for this division can audition with little or no preparation. If chosen, these students will have the opportunity to build their skills and gain confidence in encouraging, creative rehearsal environments, as well as two performances per year at UCLA's Schoenberg Hall in West Los Angeles or The Church of St. Paul the Apostle near Columbus Circle in New York. Junior division students are evaluated on vocal scales, rhythmic exercises, pitch matching, and a question/answer session.
The senior division consists of the Debut Ensemble, the Premier Ensemble and the Scholars. In this division, students with significant prior choral or vocal performance skills can refine their craft to the highest professional standards and perform in their own acclaimed concert series at The Broad Stage and beyond.
Selection for the senior division is based on an evaluation similar to that of the junior division, with the addition of a required solo piece. Here, the applicant may choose a song that best shows his or her vocal and expressive capability. The piece may be a cappella or with piano accompaniment. If accompanied, the student must bring music in the correct performance key.
A pianist, conductor, and voice coach, McEndarfer has been artistic director since 2004 and is integral to all facets of the chorus’ development, from spearheading auditions and vocal training, to choosing material, to fostering relationships, and securing collaborations with artists and organizations. McEndarfer oversees NCC’s extensive curriculum which includes college-level conducting, composition, music theory, sight-singing in the Kodály Method, and individual voice training in the bel canto style under the guidance of Michael Dean, department chair at the UCLA School of Music. McEndarfer is recognized for establishing the organization’s reputation for excellence and adventurous programming, including numerous critically acclaimed interpretations of traditional works, as well as exciting world premieres. Forging unique performance relationships, he has also orchestrated concert appearances with a long list of artists and performing arts organizations that include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Opera Company, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Joffrey Ballet. The 2013/14 season marks McEndarfer’s 10-year-anniversary at the helm of the organization.
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