Camarillo, Calif., August 11, 2015 – Singers of all vocal ranges from both the University and the community are invited to audition for the CSU Channel Islands (CI) Choir.
Auditions are by appointment beginning August 17 through 21. You can set up an audition by emailing CI Choir Conductor Dr. KuanFen Liu at downbeatplus@gmail.com.
The 2015/2016 season will feature concerts in the winter and spring with selections ranging from classic carols to heart-pounding spirituals to vocally intricate contemporary compositions.
The multicultural holiday concert program will include familiar carols such as “The Little Drummer Boy” as well as contemporary Los Angeles composer Morten Lauridsen’s “Mid-Winter Songs” and British composer John Rutter’s “Magnificat,” a musical rendering of a biblical canticle.
The program will also include a Renaissance-style double chorus and organ accompaniment to the contemporary choral arrangements.
The CI Choir will welcome spring with a May concert that will include American composer Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” accompanied by the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra.
“After (Joseph) Haydn’s ‘Creation’ oratorio we performed this past spring, I wanted to program something for next spring that is more contemporary and is composed by an American composer,” Liu said. “Besides, I get to check one more thing off my bucket list!”
Dr. Liu is encouraging male singers to audition as this season’s selections require strong baritones, basses and tenors.
“There are many fabulous male singers out there whom we would like to invite to be part of the CI Choir,” Dr. Liu said. “It is our goal to build a university/community choir that has a nice balance between the male and female voices.”
The choir, which usually consists of about 65 singers ages 18 to 80, frequently performs to sold-out crowds.
“This is the most unique and exciting choir you’re ever going to sing with,” said Nina Ruhland, who has been singing with the choir as a community member for five years. “You’ve got people studying under KuanFen who are going a professional route. You have people who have sung professionally with other choirs. You have students who are learning and community members who love to sing. You have this incredibly unique and dynamic mix of people you never have in another situation.”
The choir is offered as part of the University’s Performing Arts Program and meets every Monday evening from 7 to 9:50 p.m. in Malibu Hall, Room 140. The first rehearsal of the fall semester will take place Monday, August 24. For more information, visit the CICA web site at www.cicachoir.org.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.