Hobart and William Smith Colleges

The Department of Music is home to a wide range of performing ensembles. Students participating in the Chorale, Community Chorus, or the Classical Guitar, Community Wind Ensemble, Jazz, Jazz Guitar, Percussion, or String receive one-half course credit per semester.

CANTORI

Robert Cowles, Director

The Hobart and William Smith Cantori is a select chamber vocal ensemble comprising members from the larger Colleges Chorale; admission to the ensemble requires participation in the Chorale. The 16-voice Cantori performs a wide range of a cappella choral literature, including each year a new work by a different distinguished American composer for the Cantori Commissioning Project. The group rehearses Wednesdays, 5:00-6:30 p.m., and has sung for numerous Colleges functions including Parents Weekend, Trustee Weekend, the Blackwell ceremony, and various out-of-town alum events, such as in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles.

CHORALE

Robert Cowles, Director

The Hobart and William Smith Chorale is a mixed ensemble comprising the finest student vocal talent on campus. The 35-voice group performs a wide range of a cappella choral literature—repertoire from the Middle Ages to the present day. The Colleges Chorale rehearses Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:00-6:30 p.m. In addition to a formal concert at the end of each term, the Colleges Chorale performs at a variety of campus events throughout the year. Each spring the group takes a four-day tour. Regular tour destinations take the group to Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. In addition, members of the Chorale have the occasional opportunity to embark on an international tour; recent tours have taken the group to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland, including a performance at the Estonian National Song Festival.

COMMUNITY CHORUS

Colin Mann, Director (students interested in auditioning should contact Prof. Robert Cowles)

The Hobart and William Smith Community Chorus comprises students, faculty and staff at the Colleges as well as members from the surrounding community. The 50-voice ensemble performs major works from the standard repertoire as well as lesser-known works deserving wider familiarity. Recent programs have included extended works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Gabriel Fauré, Ottorino Respighi, Sir Edward Elgar, Aaron Copland, Benjamin Britten and Randall Thompson. The Community Chorus rehearses Monday evenings, 7:00-9:00 p.m., performing two concerts a year, often with orchestral accompaniment.

COMMUNITY WIND ENSEMBLE

William Talley, Director

The Hobart and William Smith Community Wind Ensemble comprises students, faculty and staff at the Colleges, and members from the surrounding community. This relatively new ensemble looks forward to exploring the rich and diverse repertoire composed for wind ensemble. The group rehearses Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Mark Olivieri, Director

The Hobart and William Smith Jazz Ensemble is a student group providing a performance opportunity for talented student jazzers. Arrangements are found to accommodate a variety of instrumental combinations. The group rehearses Mondays and Thursdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

JAZZ GUITAR ENSEMBLE

This ensemble will be inactive for the 2022-23 academic year

The Hobart and William Smith Jazz Guitar Ensemble is a student group providing a performance opportunity for talented student jazz guitarists. The group rehearses arrangements for two, three, four or more guitars.

STRING ENSEMBLE

Julianna Gray, Director

The Hobart and William Smith String Ensemble is a student chamber group providing a performance opportunity for talented string players. The group rehearses Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 p.m.