Preparatory Choir
Our youngest ensemble rehearses 1 hour weekly, focuses on unison and 2-part repertoire, and is introduced to music reading and following a choral vocal score. The group performs twice annually as part of SYC’s winter and spring concerts.
Director: Ms. Carla Wardell
Ages: Choristers must be 7 years old and in 2nd grade when the season starts
Contact Email: sbagheri@strathmore.org
Rehearsals: tbd
Rehearsal Location: Music Center at Strathmore, Room 402
Apprentice Chorus
SYC’s Apprentice Chorus also rehearses 1 hour weekly, taking on more challenging 2- and 3-part repertoire, with an expectation that choristers can match pitch, can follow a choral vocal score, and have a basic understanding of music notation in the Treble Clef, sixteenth notes and rests to whole notes and rests. The ensemble also performs twice annually as part of SYC’s winter and spring concerts.
Director: Ms. Carla Wardell
Ages: 9-13
Contact Email: sbagheri@strathmore.org
Rehearsals: tbd
Rehearsal Location: Music Center at Strathmore, Room 402
Apprentice Chorus
SYC’s Apprentice Chorus also rehearses 1 hour weekly, taking on more challenging 2- and 3-part repertoire, with an expectation that choristers can match pitch, can follow a choral vocal score, and have a basic understanding of music notation in the Treble Clef, sixteenth notes and rests to whole notes and rests. The ensemble also performs twice annually as part of SYC’s winter and spring concerts.
Director: Ms. Carla Wardell
Ages: 9-13
Contact Email: sbagheri@strathmore.org
Rehearsals: tbd
Rehearsal Location: Music Center at Strathmore, Room 402
Treble Chorus
Choristers in Treble Chorus can opt to rehearse once weekly or join our Chamber ensemble for twice weekly rehearsals (at an additional cost, please see Chamber Ensemble below). In addition to the 2 annual SYC concerts (winter and spring), Treble Chorus participates in the annual Maryland Young Voices Festival and combines with Concert Chorus members for opportunities to collaborate with other professional artists and Strathmore Hall partners throughout the year.
The ensemble learns primarily 2- and 3-part repertoire, with an expectation that choristers match pitch, understand following a choral vocal score, can demonstrate ability to sing 1 of multiple vocal lines independently, and have understanding of music notation in Treble Clef, sixteenth notes and rests to whole notes and rests, including dotted and syncopated rhythms.
Director: Dr. Michael Wu
Ages: 11–14
Contact Email: sbagheri@strathmore.org
Rehearsals: tbd
Rehearsal Location: Music Center at Strathmore, Room 405
Concert Chorus
Concert Chorus is SYC’s top performing ensemble. Like Treble Chorus, Concert Chorus members can opt to rehearse once weekly or join our Chamber ensemble and rehearse twice weekly (at an additional cost, please see Chamber Ensemble below). In addition to the 2 annual SYC concerts (winter and spring), they add community events like caroling at the Strathmore Mansion and concerts at Asbury Retirement Village, and they collaborate with other professional artists and Strathmore Hall partners throughout the year.
The ensemble learns 3- and 4-part repertoire, and members are expected to start with a level of musical understanding that is required of Maryland Music Educators Association Junior All State musicianship—the ability to sight-sing a 4-measure, diatonic, major-scale melody with some skips; to sight-read rhythmic patterns including notes and rests from sixteenths to wholes including dotted and syncopated rhythms, and to read with independence from multi-stave choral vocal scores. Choristers graduate from SYC upon high school graduation, or at age 18.
Director: Dr. Michael Wu
Contact Email: rborczuch@strathmore.org
Rehearsals: tbd
Rehearsal Location: The Music Center at Strathmore, Room 309
Concert Chorus
Concert Chorus is SYC’s top performing ensemble. Like Treble Chorus, Concert Chorus members can opt to rehearse once weekly or join our Chamber ensemble and rehearse twice weekly (at an additional cost, please see Chamber Ensemble below). In addition to the 2 annual SYC concerts (winter and spring), they add community events like caroling at the Strathmore Mansion and concerts at Asbury Retirement Village, and they collaborate with other professional artists and Strathmore Hall partners throughout the year.
The ensemble learns 3- and 4-part repertoire, and members are expected to start with a level of musical understanding that is required of Maryland Music Educators Association Junior All State musicianship—the ability to sight-sing a 4-measure, diatonic, major-scale melody with some skips; to sight-read rhythmic patterns including notes and rests from sixteenths to wholes including dotted and syncopated rhythms, and to read with independence from multi-stave choral vocal scores. Choristers graduate from SYC upon high school graduation, or at age 18.
Director: Dr. Michael Wu
Contact Email: rborczuch@strathmore.org
Rehearsals: tbd
Rehearsal Location: The Music Center at Strathmore, Room 309
Tenor Bass Chorus
The Tenor Bass Chorus is our vocal ensemble featuring singers 13–18 years of age who sing TB, TTB, and TBB (tenor/baritone/bass) repertoire selections. They also work with select members of the Concert Chorus to form an SATB ensemble. Choristers graduate from SYC upon high school graduation, or at age 18.
Director: Dr. Michael Wu
Contact Email: rborczuch@strathmore.org
Contact Phone: 301-581-5237
Rehearsals: tbd
Rehearsal Location: The Music Center at Strathmore, Room 309
Chamber Chorus
Current members of either Treble or Concert Chorus who are aged 6th grade or above may join our Chamber ensemble. This program requires a second weekly rehearsal in order to learn additional repertoire for off-site performance events throughout the season. This combined ensemble involves advanced repertoire. For more information, please contact Rachel Borczuch at rborczuch@strathmore.org.
Director: Dr. Michael Wu