The UIndy Concert Choir is an auditioned, mixed chorus of students from all fields of study. The ensemble performs several times throughout the year on campus and tours domestically and internationally. Previous tour destinations have included China, New Mexico and Chicago.
The choir performs a wide variety of literature from the Masses of Mozart and Haydn (with orchestra), to traditional college choir literature and staged opera performances.
The Concert Choir has appeared with Maestro Raymond Leppard, UIndy artist-in-residence, and with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, and for the Central Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association.
Crimson Express is the resident vocal jazz/pop ensemble at UIndy. Membership in this ensemble is by audition and participation in one of the major choral ensembles (Concert Choir or Women's Chorus) is a prerequisite. Comprised of 12-16 voices, this select group performs music in the popular genre under the direction of Erin Benedict.
The ensemble performs two concerts a year, at the end of the fall and spring semesters. As scheduling permits, the group also performs at select off-campus venues. Crimson Express generally performs with a nine-piece band providing instrumental accompaniment.
For more information, please contact Erin Benedict (benedicte@uindy.edu).
Schola is the vocal chamber ensemble of the University of Indianapolis. Membership in this selective, 16-person ensemble is based on audition. The ensemble specializes in early music but also performs a wide range of works in foreign languages and from all style periods. Schola performs on campus throughout the year and also conducts an annual spring tour.
Treble Choir is an ensemble of students from all academic disciplines throughout the UIndy campus. This ensemble is open to all persons regardless of musical training who sing in the treble range.. The audition for this ensemble serves to allow the music director to assess your ability and determine how best to use you in the choir.
Treble Choir activities include on-campus performances throughout the year including our popular annual Christmas Celebration concerts. Treble Choir also has a long established tradition of collaboration with community and civic organizations. In addition, the Women's Chorus, joined by other UIndy choral ensembles, students, faculty, staff and alumni come together to form the UIndy Festival Chorale for periodic overseas summer concert tours.
The University of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is the prominent large ensemble for string and select wind and percussion players on campus. Conducted Laurie Williams, the UISO is comprised of students, faculty, and guest musicians and dedicated to the presentation of both the chamber and symphonic literature. Recent seasons have included repertoire from Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, to De Falla, Bizet, Rodrigo, Piazzolla, Strauss, Bartok and World Music.
Participation in the chamber orchestra program is by audition. Auditions are held on the first day of classes, and are open to all student and guest musicians interested in participation. Rehearsals are held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 4:00 to 5:50 p.m. in room 109 of the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. Because it is an academic course, participants have the opportunity to enroll each semester to receive either undergraduate or graduate college credit.
For University of Indianapolis undergraduate students, this credit will be applied to the fulfillment of their fine arts requirement.
All individuals interested in participation may contact Laurie Williams at williamsl001@uindy.edu.
The UIndy Jazz Ensemble is the flagship of the Jazz Studies program at the University of Indianapolis. This ensemble performs multiple concerts per semester and the students in this group, who audition for membership just prior to the fall semester, have the opportunity to perform music from the great big bands including Duke Ellington and Count Basie, as well as from modern-day composers such as Maria Schneider and Jim McNeely.
Auditions for the Jazz Ensemble are held three days prior to the beginning of the fall semester, and are open to all interested students.
For more information, please contact Dr. Mark O'Connor at oconnorm@uindy.edu.
The Pep Band performs at UIndy home football and basketball games. The band enhances the atmosphere, enthusiasm and school spirit at games by providing entertaining music, and it also provides UIndy students with an enjoyable outlet for musical performance. The Pep Band is a non-auditioned group open to all students at UIndy with previous playing experience on wind, brass and percussion instruments. For more information, please contact Jon Noworyta at noworytaj@uindy.edu.
UIndy's Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE), featuring student wind and percussion instrumentalists, presents multiple concerts each semester. Every concert is designed to reflect great variety and a high level of musicianship. This ensemble regularly collaborates with area musicians including members of the UIndy faculty and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, performing highly regarded standard works for winds, emerging repertoire, and transcriptions of orchestral literature. Our past programs have included pieces by a variety of composers such as: Warren Benson, David Biedenbender, Steven Bryant, Viet Cuong, Brent Michael Davids, Percy Grainger, Jennifer Higdon, Karel Husa, John Mackey, David Maslanka, Ron Nelson, Shawn Okpebholo, Dmitri Shostakovich, Frank Ticheli, and Joan Tower. Recently, the UIndy Symphonic Wind Ensemble has participated in the commission consortiums for Steven Bryant’s Automatic Earth, Giovanni Santos’ Miniatures, and Jennifer Higdon’s Aspire. The band annually serves as the performance lab of the University of Indianapolis Conducting Workshop. Members of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble include both music majors and non-majors. SWE is open to everyone on campus, though an audition is required.
The ensemble has also gone on two international tours, with destinations including the following cities in Italy and Austria: Bologna, Florence, Rome, Venice, Verona, Salzburg and Vienna.
Auditions for the Wind Ensemble are held on the Friday of Welcome Week, prior to the beginning of the fall semester, and are open to all interested students. For University of Indianapolis undergraduate students, this credit will be applied to the fulfillment of their fine arts requirement.
For more information, please contact Jon Noworyta at noworytaj@uindy.edu.
For more information about the African Drum Ensemble, please contact Art Reiner at areiner@uindy.edu.
For more information about the Collaborative Piano Ensemble, please contact Dr. Ryan Behan at behanr@uindy.edu.
For more information about Flute Choir, please contact Tamara Thweatt at thweattt@uindy.edu.
UIndy has two Handbell Ensembles under the direction of Peter Nichols. The Beginning Ensemble is made up of a wide range of students fulfilling ensemble obligations for the Music Department as well as a large population of non-music majors fulfilling their applied arts credit. This ensemble is focused on teaching the basics of handbell playing as well as music reading. Music reading is not a requirement for the course.
The Advanced Ensemble is made up of experienced ringers (or strong music readers who are new to handbells) and plays repertoire expected of an advanced group. This class focuses on more difficult literature and ringing techniques including solos, duets, trios, quartets, bell trees and extensive four-in-hand.
For more information, contact Peter Nichols at nicholsp@uindy.edu.
The UIndy Jazz Combo performs multiple concerts each semester. This small ensemble of 4-8 musicians provides its members with the opportunity to intensively study and explore jazz improvisation, small group arranging, and jazz composition through performance. Students in this group, who audition for membership just prior to the fall semester, perform music composed by jazz masters such as Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, and Thelonious Monk. This group also performs the member's original compositions and arrangements, as well as songs written for Broadway musicals and films during the early part of the 20th century.
Auditions for the Jazz Combo and Jazz Ensemble are held three days prior to the beginning of the fall semester, and are open to all interested students.
For more information, please contact Dr. Mark O'Connor at oconnorm@uindy.edu.
The study and performance of traditional Salsa and Latin Jazz music which initially arose to popularity in New York City during the 20th century to the present. The music to be considered will also have roots in Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian traditions.
For more information, please contact Dr. Terence Mayhue (mayhuet@uindy.edu) for more information.
The UIndy Percussion Ensemble is open to all UIndy students wishing to perform music for percussion instruments. Students perform a variety of works from ragtime marimba ensembles to percussion music by the most famous percussion composers of all time to modern percussion ensembles.
For audition information, please email director Terence Mayhue at mayhuet@uindy.edu .