Our directors will deliver a live-stream presentation via Zoom on Sunday, May 18th to all registered applicants (a recording from the session will be available to watch if you are unable to tune in live, or if this date has already passed), introducing students and parents to the educational programs of the National Children’s Chorus. Following the video presentation, applicants will then select an appointment time that can be scheduled during the following weeks to meet with one of our conductors for a private video audition via Zoom. Following the audition, we will schedule a final parent phone call with a member of our team to go through details of the program and membership, answering any remaining questions you might have for entry into the program beginning September 2025!
In the Senior Division of the Chicago Chapter, students ages 10-17 refine their skills to a superlative standard and perform in their own concert series at various venues locally, around the United States, and internationally. Students participate in an exciting array of performances, presenting world premieres and collaborate with an exceptional roster of professional artists, with weekly in-person rehearsals on Wednesdays in Evanston. Students in the Senior Division also have the exclusive opportunity to travel abroad in an international tour each summer, and take part in the annual National Youth Opera Academy in August.
NCC Senior Division:
- Ages 10-18
- Intermediate through Advanced Choirs
- Individualized Music-Reading & Theory Instructions
- World-Class Performances Locally & Nationally, including Carnegie Hall & Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Elective International Tours & Summer Opera Academy
The audition will consist of the following elements:
- 1-on-1 Vocal Assessment with an NCC Conductor on Zoom
- Vocal exercises (repeat short scales given by the conductor to evaluate vocal development and range)
- Pitch matching (repeat pitches given by the conductor to evaluate intonation)
- Solo Piece—a song of the applicant's choosing that best shows the student's vocal and expressive capability. The piece must be sung a cappella, however a starting pitch may be requested. Suggested pieces include "Caro Mio Ben" or "The Star-Spangled Banner".
- Separate parent phone call with a member of the NCC team to answer questions and review membership details