Auditions

Auditions

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

To schedule an audition, please submit an audition request. Spring semester auditions will take place on January 4, 8, & 11, 2024.

Are you interested in our Virtual Voices Program (ViVo)? Click here for more information.

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 auditions@pwchorus.org.

Spring 2024 Schedule:

  • Monday, January at 7pm: Spring Semester First Rehearsal
  • Saturday, April 6 at 3pm: PWC at the Park
  • Monday, April 29 at 7pm: Dress rehearsal at Mission Santa Clara
  • Tuesday, April 30 at 7pm: Dress rehearsal at Mission Dolores, San Francisco
  • Saturday, May 4 at 8pm: Spring Concert at Mission Santa Clara
  • Sunday, May 5 at 4pm: Spring Concert at Mission Dolores Basilica, San Francisco
  • Spring Potluck Date TBD


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 auditions@pwchorus.org.

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Directions to PWC Rehearsal Room

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