The Cornell University Glee Club, Cornell's oldest student organization and one of the nation's finest collegiate ensembles, holds auditions jointly with the Cornell University Chorus, the Cornell Chorale, and the Cornell Chamber Singers at the beginning of each academic semester.
Having just celebrated 150 years as an ensemble at Cornell, we’re starting our 151st with more of a focus than ever on embracing the group's rich past and celebrating its amazing journey thus far. Now is a perfect time for interested singers to join and help make history for years to come!
The Audition Process
Auditions are structured in two rounds. In the first-round audition, each singer is evaluated individually according to vocal range, pitch-matching ability, and sight-reading skill, demonstrated through a series of guided exercises. There is no need to prepare anything.
Scheduling auditions in advance is highly recommended, but walk-in auditions are generally allowed if the audition schedule permits. Also, while sight-reading is important, it is not expected that all new members will be excellent sight-readers. Based on the results of the first-round auditions, a limited number of auditionees will be selected to participate in the second round of auditions. All auditionees will be notified of their results by phone or email, and the list of students called back for the second round audition will also be posted on this web site.
The second round of auditions consists of two parts: prospective members join in a Glee Club rehearsal to learn a selection from our current repertoire, then perform this selection in a quartet consisting of themselves and three current members of the Club. This exercise tests each auditionee's ability to sing in an ensemble, that is, to blend and listen to others. All second-round auditionees will be notified by telephone or email, and a list of successful auditionees will be posted on this web site.
The Time Commitment
The Glee Club performs four major concerts every year including our Homecoming and Senior Week concerts. The Glee Club also frequently collaborates with the Cornell University Chorus on major works along with choirs from other universities. In addition, the Glee Club embarks annually on extended concert tours, usually lasting between 10 and 15 days. Recent concert tours include Mexico & Guatemala (2016), the Southwest U.S. (2017), the Midwest U.S. (2018), and our bi-coastal U.S. sesquicentennial tour (2019). This year we toured with our sibling group, the Cornell Chorus, around the Pacific Northwest U.S. and Canada!
Rehearsals are usually held on Wednesday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm and Sunday afternoons from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, for a total of four rehearsal hours per week. As concerts approach, additional rehearsal time may be added as needed.
During the year, we will also hold occasional sectionals and consorts (around 1-3 times), where we go over repertoire for the upcoming concert in groups. These sessions last around an hour and a half each and help to solidify musical ability as well as team building and awareness.
NB: All new members must take a course in Choral Musicianship to refine their musical abilities, which takes place every Monday for an hour. These are led by the director, Robert Isaacs.
The Hangovers
Members of the Glee Club have the opportunity to audition for The Hangovers, our a cappella subset. The Hangovers sing many types of a cappella music, from popular music to close-harmony jazz, classical selections, and oldies. They perform and tour extensively both with the Glee Club and by themselves throughout the United States and internationally. Recent Hangovers tours have included Japan, Korea, Jamaica, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain. Auditions occur shortly after second-round auditions for the Glee Club. Sound clips and other information is available at their
Ask Questions, View a Rehearsal
The Glee Club is always looking for enthusiastic new members. If you have any questions or would like to sit in on a rehearsal, call 607-255-3396 or send an e-mail to our manager at gm@gleeclub.cornell.edu. He would love to hear from you! Similar choral opportunities are available for treble voices with the Cornell University Chorus, reachable by telephone at 607-241-0074, or by email at chorus@cornell.edu.