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Jobs

The Boston Symphony Orchestra invites singers to audition for the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

James Burton, BSO Choral Director and Tanglewood Festival Chorus Conductor, will be hearing in-person new member auditions on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
Tanglewood Festival Chorus Performing at Symphony Hall in Boston as seen from behind the group, looking out into the audience

Audition timeline:

  • Tuesday, September 6: Applications Open
  • Friday, October 7 at 11:59pm: Deadline to submit both
  • Wednesday, October 12: Notification of invitation to in-person audition
  • Wednesday, October 19: In-person audition at Symphony Hall

Audio/Video Recording details:

Please record yourself singing a classical piece of your choosing which best shows off your vocal talents, your vocal range and your musicality. The piece should fit one of the following categories: art song, opera aria, solo aria from an oratorio or classical piece, or an extract from a choral work in which your voice part is prominent or frequently used. (Given that the chorus mainly performs classical repertory, please note that songs from the American Songbook, folk songs, or Musical Theatre numbers are not permitted for this audition. If you are unsure about your choice, please email to ask for advice.)

  • The piece should be sung in any one of the following languages: English, French, German, Italian or Latin.
  • The recording (either audio or video) should last around 3 minutes.
  • It may be a cappella or accompanied.
  • Please sing straight through the piece. No postproduction editing (including modifying the reverberation) should be used on the recording. A recording on a smart phone is acceptable.
  • Please label your recording "Last Name_First Name_October2022" and use the subject line "October 2022 TFC Audition" when submitting to tfc@bso.org.
  • Please submit by no later than 11:59pm Friday, October 7, 2022 to tfc@bso.org.

Candidates selected for an in-person audition will be notified following submission to confirm an audition time at Symphony Hall. Candidates are asked to comply with the BSO’s safety protocols, which for chorus candidates includes a requirement to be up-to-date on COVID vaccinations (which means fully vaccinated plus eligible boosters). Please note that filling out the application form does not guarantee an in-person audition, as there is a limited number of audition slots.

The in-person audition will last approximately 10 minutes, and consist of:

  • A prepared excerpt - Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (b. 86-153) from Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, movement IV.
  • The excerpt should be prepared to be sung in German. An audio pronunciation guide will provided, along with a PDF of the vocal score.
  • Sight reading and aural tests.
  • Vocal exercises.

New Members

Singers accepted as new members will be invited to participate in the upcoming 2022-2023 Symphony season. Rehearsals begin in November with performances scheduled for:

  1. December 2022: Holiday Pops
  2. February 2 and 4: Wagner Tannhaüser
  3. March 3-5: Caine Passion of Octavius Catto
  4. March 23-25: Stravinsky Perséphone
  5. May 4-6: Shostakovich Symphony No. 13

Future Auditions

If you are interested in auditioning for the chorus but can’t make it this time around, please email us at tfc@bso.org and you will be notified when applications are open again.