Ensembles
Our performing music ensembles are vital extensions of the Wellesley Music Department's academic program.
Most hold auditions during Orientation Week and/or the first week of classes. Sign up sheets will be posted in the Music Department at the beginning of Orientation Week. Students should make a point to sign up at that time.
Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra
The Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra, Neal Hampton, Director, comprises students, faculty, staff, and associates of Wellesley College and Brandeis University. By sharing talents and resources, the orchestra provides unique creative opportunities for the communities at both institutions and specifically for students within the context of a liberal arts education.
Chamber Music Society
Founded in 1958, The Chamber Music Society of Wellesley College provides an opportunity for interested instrumentalists and vocalists to prepare and perform works for small ensembles. Each chamber group receives weekly coachings from a member of the Wellesley College Music Department, and performs on one of several concerts held at the ends of each semester.
Wellesley College Choir
The College Choir, conducted by Lisa Graham, is devoted to the performance of choral music from the Renaissance through the present day. Consisting of around 50 singers, the Wellesley College Choir has a hundred-year history of dedication to the performance of great choral literature.
Chamber Singers
Chamber Singers is an auditioned ensemble of approximately twelve to sixteen women. They actively perform on campus and also appear by invitation on Boston-area concert series and festivals. In 2008, they performed at the National Collegiate Choral Organization conference in Cincinnati as part of a lecture recital. They are also featured in the 2003 motion picture, Mona Lisa Smile .
Collegium Musicum
The Collegium Musicum is an ensemble of singers and instrumentalists open to Wellesley College students, faculty, staff, and the local community. The Collegium specializes in the performance of Western music from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century. The Collegium is often joined by faculty and outside guest artists who enrich the ensemble for special projects.
Wellesley BlueJazz
The Wellesley BlueJazz Ensemble Program includes Wellesley BlueJazz Big Band and BlueJazz Combos. Students are immersed in a rich jazz repertoire, from classic to contemporary. Faculty-directed rehearsals encourage the development of fluency in jazz improvisation. The ensembles perform throughout the year on campus and with other colleges in the Boston area.
Yanvalou
Yanvalou Drum & Dance Ensemble is a faculty-directed ensemble that performs the folkloric music and dance of Africa as it exists today throughout the African Diaspora, particularly in Haiti. Students perform on authentic instruments, experience a variety of cultures through their music, and present several concerts during the academic year./music/ensembles
