Music Ensembles at Cornell College
We offer a number of highly regarded ensembles, open to all students by audition. In addition to building group performance skills, our ensembles also offer exceptional undergraduate solo opportunities.
Each ensemble performs once or twice per semester. The ensembles also perform off campus at public schools, jazz clubs, churches, and at area special events.
Other performance opportunities exist at Cornell, as well. Our majors and many of our non-majors perform recitals as juniors or seniors. A weekly performance seminar provides additional opportunities for interested students, and vocal students compete in annual events such as National Association of Teachers of Singing and Metropolitan Opera auditions.
Concert Choir
Comprised of about 70 students, Concert Choir is Cornell's large choral ensemble. Led by Dr. Christopher Nakielski, the choir is open to all students and includes many non-majors. The goal is to provide an opportunity for all students interested in performing vocal music to work together toward a common artistic goal.
A wide-ranging repertoire includes major works like Mozart's Requiem in D minor and Vivaldi's Gloria; classics from the baroque, classical, and romantic periods; American spirituals; contemporary works by American composers; and multi-cultural works.
Concert Choir performs major concerts in December and April. Rehearsals are held Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:15 - 4:05, except during block break weeks, when they are Monday only. Sectional rehearsals are held on Tuesdays once or twice per block.
Chamber Singers
Chamber Singers is an advanced, smaller ensemble selected from the top ranks of Concert Choir. Membership is open to all qualified singers, including first-year students and non-majors. Led by Dr. Christopher Nakielski, Chamber Singers offers a challenging, exciting choral experience in a group with a distinguished tradition of musical excellence.
The repertoire includes madrigals, vocal jazz, spirituals, motets, and advanced literature from all style periods.
Major campus concerts are held every six weeks and rehearsals are on Monday through Thursday from 4:30-5:20 p.m.
Chamber Orchestra
The Cornell College Chamber Orchestra offers the opportunity for students of all majors, as well as Cornell faculty and staff, to perform a combination of traditional orchestral literature and outstanding new works by living composers. While focusing primarily on the string repertoire, the Chamber Orchestra is occasionally joined by select members of the Concert Band to perform full orchestra repertoire. As a student in the Chamber Orchestra, you may be involved in other music groups on campus such as the concert bands, choirs, and jazz band, as well as athletics and many other clubs and activities.
Orchestra auditions
The Chamber Orchestra is open to all with previous orchestra experience. Auditions for chair placement are held in the first week of Block 1 and the first week of Block 5. The Chamber Orchestra performs two concerts each semester. Contact Dr. Andrew Gentzsch for more information about participating in the Cornell College Chamber Orchestra.
Concert Band
The Cornell Concert Band is an ensemble comprising musicians of all backgrounds and majors from the students, faculty, and staff of Cornell College and exceptional high school students from the surrounding area. The band also plays a diverse combination of excellent music by living composers as well as traditional wind band classics in one to two concerts a semester. Membership in the band is open to all students with previous band experience. Contact Professor Drew Bonner for more information about participating in the Cornell College Concert Band.
Band auditions
Auditions for Cornell's Concert Band are held for placement each fall during the first week of Block 1 classes, and as needed to fill openings during the first week of Block 5 classes. Our band represents students of all majors and class standings from across campus, and many students are also involved in other music groups on campus such as the choirs, Chamber Orchestra, and Jazz Band, as well as athletics and many other clubs and activities.
Jazz Ensemble
The Cornell College Jazz Ensemble is an active part of Cornell College life and provides students an opportunity to expand their interest and talent in the performance of jazz music. This is an auditioned Big Band of approximately 20 musicians with the traditional mix of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, guitar, piano, bass and drums, supplemented occasionally by other instrumentalists and vocalists. The band rehearses four days a week at 3:15 p.m. and presents concerts throughout the semester both on and off campus. The group has toured both domestically and internationally.
The band explores a wide variety of jazz styles ranging from swing, Latin, fusion, bop, rock and American Songbook standards of the Big Band Era. In addition to the traditional charts, students are encouraged to explore and develop their improvisational skills.
Contact Dr. Ben Laur for more information about participating in the Cornell College Jazz Ensemble.
Pop/Contemporary Ensemble
Cornell’s newest music performance class, the Pop/Contemporary ensemble, brings students together to make the music they love. Guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboardists, and singers collaborate to perform sets of the rock, pop, country, and R&B songs so integrated in the popular culture they have become part of our collective psyche.
The Pop/Contemporary Ensemble has opened for The Big Event, served as a pep band for the volleyball team, put on lunchtime sets in the Bon, and plays regular concerts in Smith Dining with sound, lights, and standing room only. Artists represented include The Beatles, Chappell Roan, Charlie XCX, The Foo Fighters, Green Day, Kansas, Nirvana, and Sabrina Carpenter.
This ensemble functions as an adjunct 1/4 credit course and rehearses twice per week. Auditions are held in the first week of Blocks 1 and 5. Any interested students should contact Dr. Ben Laur.