Music Ensembles
Â鶹Դ´ Chamber Singers
Members of the Â鶹Դ´ Chamber Singers, conducted by Teresa Coffman, are selected by audition from the Â鶹Դ´ Chorus. The ensemble consists of 12 to 18 singers and performs a wide variety of literature, including Medieval chants, Renaissance though 21st-century sacred and secular music, nontraditional and non-Western music, and vocal jazz arrangements. The group averages approximately 30 performances during the academic year.
Â鶹Դ´ Chorus
The Â鶹Դ´ Chorus is a select, concert mixed choir of approximately 55 to 70 voices and is conducted by Professor Teresa Coffman. Membership is open to any Â鶹Դ´ student by audition. The chorus performs a wide variety of literature, from a cappella pieces to large-scale choral/orchestral works, from traditional works to multicultural and avant-garde pieces. They present a minimum of three concerts per academic year. For more information, or to schedule an audition, contact Professor Teresa Coffman at 456-9506 or tcoffman@ric.edu.
Â鶹Դ´ Concert Jazz Band
The Â鶹Դ´ Concert Jazz Band, directed by Professor Joseph Foley, is an ensemble of 20 musicians who perform a wide variety of jazz styles, including swing, blues, funk, be-bop, fusion and contemporary jazz. The band performs at least twice per semester on campus and annually at the Williams College Collegiate Jazz Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and the Rhode Island Jazz Appreciation Month celebration held at the college. The jazz band rehearses on Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. For more information or to schedule an audition, contact Joseph Foley at 401-456-9504 or jfoley@ric.edu.
Â鶹Դ´ Symphony Orchestra
The Â鶹Դ´ Orchestra Symphony Orchestra performs standard repertoire and features frequent soloists. The Symphony Orchestra maintains a full performance schedule of four concerts per year. The ensemble rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7-10 p.m. It is open by audition to all Â鶹Դ´ students, regardless of academic major.
Â鶹Դ´ Wind Ensemble
Conducted by Professor Joseph Foley, the Â鶹Դ´ Wind Ensemble was recently hailed one of the most respected college wind bands in New England. This balanced 50-piece ensemble performs high-quality contemporary and traditional wind band repertoire, emphasizing works scored originally for winds. Four concerts are performed annually, with rehearsals on Mondays from 7-9:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 2-4 p.m. The ensemble is open to all Â鶹Դ´ students by audition. For more information or to schedule an audition, contact Joseph Foley at 401-456-9504 or jfoley@ric.edu.
Â鶹Դ´ Women's Chorus
The Â鶹Դ´ Women's Chorus, conducted by Teresa Coffman, and the Men's Chorus, conducted by Tianxu Zhou, are the newest additions to the Â鶹Դ´ choral program and were formed to offer a wider variety of choral possibilities for Â鶹Դ´ students. Both groups perform a variety of choral literature ranging from Medieval sacred music to contemporary vocal jazz.
Other Ensembles
In addition to the major ensembles listed above, Â鶹Դ´ supports a wide variety of smaller performing organizations. These include the Opera Workshop, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Combos, Chamber Orchestra, Brass Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble, Flute Choir, Clarinet Quartet, Saxophone Quartet, Guitar Ensemble and Piano Ensemble.​