Kent State Choirs

The Kent State Chorale is the flagship choral ensemble at KSU made up of singers from all majors.

The Kent State Chorale works to perfect choral literature spanning Renaissance music to cutting-edge works by many of today’s dynamic composers.

Performances

The Chorale performs frequently on campus including fall and spring concerts, joint concerts of masterworks with the KSU Orchestra, as well as the annual Holiday Choral Collage.  

Tours

The Chorale has a history of touring, both for recruitment outreach and concertizing, in ever-expanding areas and venues. In addition to traveling throughout the state of Ohio, past tours have included New York City, Washington D.C., and Chicago. 

Rehearsal

Monday through Thursday, 3:20-4:20 p.m.

Questions?

Contact 
Dr. Matthew Swope, Director of Choral Activities
mswope6@kent.edu

The Kent Chorus consists of approximately 100 singers, making it one of the largest choirs on campus.

Performances

The Kent Chorus performs two concerts per year and regularly collaborates with the KSU Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, as well as other professional orchestras in northeast Ohio.

Rehearsals

• Kent Chorus rehearses Tuesday evenings from 7:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. 
• The first rehearsal is on the first Tuesday of the fall and spring semesters.

Membership

• No audition is necessary to join!
• Membership is open to the broader NE Ohio community and all Kent State University students, faculty, and staff who have previous choral experience.
• Anyone interested in joining is invited to attend the first rehearsal of each semester for a brief voice placement.

Academic Credit Participants

• Want to take this for academic credit? Register for course number MUS 45121 (Undergraduates) or MUS 55121 (Graduate Students). 
• Current Kent State students enrolled in classes must register for the class to participate. 

Non-credit Participants

Let us know you're interested!

• Join us during one of the first three rehearsals of the semester. We'll let you know when and where the first rehearsal will be!
• You will also be asked to sign the Kent State Volunteer Assignment Form and Release. 

Questions?

Contact
Dr. Matthew Swope, Director of Choral Activities
mswope6@kent.edu

Cantique achieves a high standard of excellence in the treble repertoire (for soprano and alto voices).

Cantique welcomes all students from across Kent State University who love to sing and enjoy the camaraderie that performing great music brings to its members. Music is selected from a variety of periods and musical styles. 

CONCERTS

The choir performs regularly on and off-campus and collaborates with other KSU ensembles.

Rehearsals

Wednesdays from 7:15 - 9:45 p.m.

MEMBERSHIP

• Open to undergraduate and graduate students from across Kent State University.
• New members are accepted every semester through a simple voice placement audition. 

Questions?

Contact
Shawna Hinkley
sweisger@kent.edu 

Coro Cantare explores many musical styles with special emphasis on the standards of tenor/bass choir literature. 

Coro Cantare welcomes all students from across Kent State University who love to sing and enjoy working together to perform the great body of tenor/bass choir repertoire. The ensemble encompasses a wide range of styles spanning Renaissance to contemporary works. 

CONCERTS

The choir performs regularly on and off-campus, tours and frequently collaborates with other KSU ensembles.

Membership

• Open to all graduate and undergraduate students of Kent State.
• New members are accepted every semester through a simple voice placement audition.

Rehearsal

The choir meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:10 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Questions?

Contact
Dr. Matthew Swope, Director of Choral Activities
mswope6@kent.edu

The Kent State Nova Jazz Singers fuses the choral tradition with the power and innovation of jazz.

The Nova Jazz Singers was founded in 2012 by Dr. Christopher J. Venesile, now-retired Associate Professor of Choral Music Education, to bring the disciplines of advanced choral singing and the language of jazz together. As both a popular, contemporary music and a recognized world classical music, jazz reflects America's social and musical history.  In the 21st century, jazz has become a historical music as well as a continually evolving art, absorbing current style to keep the music spontaneous and fresh.

The ensemble performs annually at premier jazz clubs in Northeast Ohio, New York City jazz clubs, the Elmhurst Jazz Festival in Chicago, IL, and in 2020 will be featured at the Ohio Music Education Association State Professional Conference."

Who are the Nova Jazz singers and what will you learn?

• The Nova Jazz Singers provides our Kent State University students opportunities to study jazz and choral music in a compelling art form.
• Our members are undergraduate and graduate students from majors across the university.
• Rehearsals are held three times a week in the late afternoon in the Center for the Performing Arts.
• Members learn techniques in solo and ensemble jazz arrangements of songs from the Great American Songbook and beyond. 
• Jazz history, theory, and improvisation are also learned as well as self-accompaniment on piano. 

Joining Nova Jazz Singers

• Membership is open to all undergraduate and graduate Kent State students.

Questions?

Contact
Sam Al-Hadid
salhadid@kent.edu

The Kent State Gospel Choir is a diverse and welcoming ensemble for people of all backgrounds and beliefs. 

Members of the group represent different ages, ethnicities, races, majors, sexual orientations and religious beliefs, making the Kent State University Gospel Choir one of the most diverse organizations and/or ensembles on campus. The choir was founded in 1996 by KSU emerita faculty member Dr. Linda B. Angotti.

Watch Gospel Choir

Performances

The Kent State University Gospel Choir enjoys an excellent local, regional, national and international reputation. The choir has performed in Europe and the Bahamas, was invited to perform for two Kent State University presidential inaugurations (2007, 2015) and performs regularly for diverse campus-wide events. The choir performs at various conferences, festivals and churches across the country.

Joining the Choir

• No formal audition is required! Join through a simple voice placement by coming to the first rehearsal of the semester.
• Open to Kent State University students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as members of the greater NE Ohio community.

Academic Credit Participants

• Want to take this for academic credit? Register for MUS 45151 (Undergraduates) or MUS 55151 (Graduate Students).
• Current Kent State students enrolled in classes must register for the class to participate. 

Non-academic Credit Participants

• Let us know you're interested!
• We'll let you know when and where the first rehearsal will be. 
• You will also be asked to sign the Kent State Volunteer Assignment Form and Release. 

Rehearsals

• The first rehearsal is the first Monday of the fall and spring semesters.
• Every Monday, 5:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. during the academic year. 

Questions?

Contact
Rodney Hubbard, Director
330-672-2172 | rhubbar6@kent.edu

One Placement Audition for:

• Kent Chorale 
• Cantique 
• Coro Cantare 

What's the audition like?

• Vocalizing to assess tone quality and range
• Aural skills exercises such as pitch matching and melodic memory
• Rhythm reading
• Sight-reading
• No need to bring a prepared song!

Audition Dates

Friday, December 6 and Monday, December 9

Auditions will be held in room E-111, Center for Performing Arts.

If you have a conflict with all available audition times, then please contact Dr. Matthew Swope (mswope6@kent.edu). 

Audition Sign-up

Sign Up for an Audition Time

Complete the Audition/Voicing Registration Form

Audition Prep & Advice

PREPARATION

Although you don’t need to prepare any music for the audition, here a few things that you can do to feel more confident stepping into your audition:

• Keeping singing over the summer!
• Do the vocal exercises you’ve done with previous choirs.
• Practice pitch matching. Play several notes and sing them back.
• Practice melodic and rhythmic sight-reading.

AUDITION DAY

• Warm up before your audition!
• Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before your audition slot.
• Make sure that you have completed the audition/voicing form.
• If you need to change your audition date/time, please do so in advance by removing your reserved time on the online form and then setting a new time.
• Choir placements will be sent after all auditions (and any necessary callbacks) have concluded. The results will be sent to the email address you provide on the audition registration form.

CALLBACK AUDITIONS FOR CHORALE

• Based upon your audition, you might receive a callback audition for Kent  State University Chorale. Callback invitations will be delivered via email on Tuesday, August 20^th.
• The callback would take place on Wednesday, August 21^st from 3:20 to 4:20 p.m. (the regular meeting time of the ensemble).

CLASS REGISTRATION

• Please leave room in your schedule for the choirs for which you are eligible.
• Register for your assigned choir after the placement results are announced. Information will be provided via email.

QUESTIONS?
If you have questions, please reach out to Dr. Matthew Swope (mswope6@kent.edu)

Audition Dates

Audition dates will be posted as they become available. 

Audition Sign-up

Audition sign-ups will be posted as they become available. 

What's the Audition Like?

1. Warm-ups to assess your vocal range.
2. Pitch matching exercises.
3. Sight-singing exercises.
4. A prepared solo of your choice (either a capella or accompanied), preferably a jazz standard. 
5. A musical excerpt that should be picked up 24 hours prior to the scheduled audition time.
   • You should learn the voice part they believe best suits your voice
   • Sheet music may be used during the audition. 
   • You will receive instructions after you sign up for your audition.

Audition Dates

• Friday, August 16 from 4-7p.m., and Saturday, August 17 from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
• Nova Jazz Singers Auditions will be held in room D106, Center for Performing Arts.
• If you have a conflict with all available audition times for Nova Jazz Singers, then please contact Sam Al-Hadid (salhadid@kent.edu). 

Audition Sign-up

Sign Up for an Audition Time