Ensembles

Chorale

The 80-100 voice Whitman College Chorale is open to all Whitman students through audition. The choir performs many exciting pieces in campus concerts each semester. In addition, there is a select chorus, the Whitman College Chamber Singers, which performs several times a year.

Laney Armstrong conducts the Whitman College Chorale and Chamber Singers.

Jazz Ensemble I

Jazz I is a 18-20 piece band (traditional big band instrumentation) comprised of Whitman's more advanced jazz players and is open to all students through audition. This group performs at least two major concerts a year and plays other functions on campus and in the area. We play a balance of modern and traditional big band arrangements, with student compositions frequently premiered. The group travels periodically to either the West Coast on performance tours or to regional jazz festivals like the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, ID.

Nationally-acclaimed jazz artists stop at Whitman to perform and give masterclasses in between Seattle or Portland tour dates. Some recent guests include George Colligan, the Happy Orchestra, Gary Hobbs, Jeremy Siskind, Thomas Barber, Bill Watrous, John Stowell, Max Holmberg, and the PROJECT Trio.

Contact Doug Scarborough for more information, or find audition materials here.

Jazz Ensemble II

Jazz II is Whitman's medium-sized jazz combo made up of rhythm section and horns. Whether you have been playing for years or are new to jazz, Jazz II is the perfect vehicle to improve your core jazz abilities of improvisation, comping, and learning tunes and styles. This group performs at least two major concerts a year and plays at other functions on campus and in the area. Open to all students through audition.

Contact Doug Scarborough or Susumu Watanabe for more information.

Opera Workshop

The Whitman College Opera Workshop presents a program of scenes from operas, operettas, and musicals each fall in Chism Recital Hall. On occasion, a full one act work is chosen for the fall production. Every other spring semester, a full opera or musical is chosen to be performed in collaboration with the Whitman College Orchestra and the Theatre Department. The singers benefit from intensive staging and coaching with Whitman music faculty members. Any student may audition for Opera Workshop. Students who are offered a role or cast in a scene are encourage to register for voice lessons.

Diane Gray-Chamberlain directs the Opera Workshop.

Orchestra

The Whitman Orchestra is open to all string, wind, and percussion students through audition. It performs works spanning from the baroque period through present day and ranging in instrumentation from pieces for string orchestra to those for a full symphony orchestra. The ensemble performs concerts each semester and often features student soloists. In addition to campus concerts, the orchestra periodically performs tours throughout the region.

Jonathan Spatola-Knoll conducts the Whitman Orchestra.

Piano and Collaborative Piano Studies

One of the most active areas of study in the music department is in piano. Piano study is available at all stages of development, introductory through performance levels. Regardless of major, Whitman College students are encouraged to study piano. In addition to weekly private lessons, each instructor has a weekly performance class. This gives students the opportunity to perform in front of their colleagues. Recital opportunities are available for students who are interested.

The Collaborative Piano Program also is active at Whitman. Reserved for students studying at Whitman on piano scholarship (available through auditions), this ensemble provides the unique opportunity and experience to collaborate with other colleagues, both instrumentalists and vocalists. Any student wishing to collaborate with additional students may receive work-study money to do so.

Contact Rodolfo Faistauer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the Piano Area to set up an audition for participation in collaborative piano.

Wind Ensemble

The Whitman College Wind Ensemble is a concert organization of 35-50 members performing the entire range of wind ensemble repertoire. The Wind Ensemble performs several times during the school year and the group occasionally tours. This group is open to all students by audition during the first week of classes

Susumu Watanabe conducts the Whitman Wind Ensemble.

Concerto Competition

The Whitman College Department of Music is proud to offer the semi annual Concerto Aria Competition. To perform, a number of students compete on a variety of instruments at a competition in the fall and the winner(s) will perform in the Whitman Orchestra Spring Concert.

Please contact Jonathan Spatola-Knoll for additional questions regarding the competition.

Ensemble Audition Information

If you are interested in any of the Music Department ensembles, please look to the list below to find more information about auditions.

For performance dates of these ensembles, see the schedule of upcoming events