Auditions

The Peninsula Women’s Chorus is looking for new members!

Spring 2025 auditions will be held on January 6 and January 9, 2025, however audition requests are accepted year-round and can be scheduled at any time. Don’t wait—submit your audition request today!

Click on the links below for other ways to join the PWC:

Appointments must be made and confirmed no less than 48 hours in advance of the audition date.

For more info about our audition/rehearsal process or if you wish to attend one of our rehearsals, please send us a message at [email protected].

Spring 2025 Schedule:

• Rehearsals for Spring 2025: January 13 to April 21, Foothill College Middlefield Campus in room M2 or on Zoom
• Dress Rehearsal: Mon, April 28 @ 7pm, Congregational Church of Palo Alto
• Dress Rehearsal: Tues, April 29 @ 7pm, Transfiguration Episcopal Church, San Mateo
• Concert: Fri, May 2 @ 7:30pm, First Congregational Church of Palo Alto
• Concert: Sun, May 4 @ 7pm, Transfiguration Episcopal Church, San Mateo
• Recording Session: Tue, May 6 @ 7pm, Meets the Eye Studios, San Carlos
• Recording Session: Thu, May 8 @ 7pm, Meets the Eye Studios, San Carlos

COVID-19 Policies:

– Masks are optional in rehearsals and concerts.
– Singers are required to sign a waiver.
– If you have symptoms of illness, don’t come to rehearsal or a concert. Let the Artistic Director and your section leader know ASAP that you’re not feeling well. We Zoom and record every rehearsal! If you’re up to it, watch the live rehearsal on Zoom, or watch the recording later.

About the PWC

The nationally recognized Peninsula Women’s Chorus is a community chorus of approximately 50 singers. In addition to winter and spring concerts in the Bay Area, the PWC competes in international choral competitions while on tour, enters national invitation-only conferences, and performs with outstanding local choral and instrumental musical groups. The PWC performs a diverse repertoire from memory and in the original languages, from eleventh-century Gregorian chants to modern pieces commissioned for the PWC.

The Peninsula Women’s Chorus was the winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance in 2015, and second place winner in 2011, and has twice been named the winner of Chorus America’s prestigious ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming.

What kind of musical experience is required of incoming singers? New singers are expected to have some choral experience and be able to read music of some complexity, be able to learn text in other languages, memorize for performance, and sing a voice part that currently has openings.

See our Videos page or visit us on YouTube, Facebook, and IG!

When do we rehearse?

Monday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:45 pm at Foothill College Middlefield Campus in room M2 or on Zoom (following public health advisory).

Fall concerts in December and Spring concerts in May.

How much does membership cost?

The cost to participate for a semester is $350 ($700 for the season), which covers the cost of all music and contributes to the PWC’s operating expenses. New singers may apply for a scholarship their first year, and loans are also available. The cost of tours and retreats in which the PWC participates is not included in the dues. Singers may apply for scholarships and/or loans for these events.

Singers are asked to give a donation during the annual appeal fundraising drive.

Where and when do we perform?

The concert season consists of two sets of concerts, one in December and one in May, as well as our New Music for Treble Voices festival held in March or April every other year. We perform in local venues as far north as San Francisco and as far south as San Juan Bautista. In addition to our regular concert season, the PWC also performs at events ranging from church services to women’s basketball games at Stanford University. The PWC also holds weekend retreats and occasionally goes on tour.

What is the concert attire?

The PWC requires that each singer purchase their own costume from the chorus. New singers may borrow a costume for the first year. The total cost is approximately $150.

What other activities are expected of PWC members?

In addition to singing at all scheduled performances, chorus members also contribute to the smooth functioning of the organization by volunteering their skills in finance, stage setup, organization of auxiliary support, publicity, and the like.

When does the PWC hold auditions?

Auditions may occur throughout the year at the director’s discretion, but they are primarily held in late August and again in early January.

What is the audition process?

The audition will consist of a voice quality/range check, a prepared piece (an art song, aria, or choral excerpt), singing scales a cappella, a short sightreading passage, and a brief interview. Each audition takes around thirty minutes. To schedule an audition, please contact us using this form or by contacting the audition coordinator at [email protected].

————

Directions to PWC Rehearsal Room

Cubberly Center Room M2
4000 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(map)