Would you like to sing contemporary choral arrangements of Yiddish songs?
If you can learn a vocal line by reading music or working with a recording, hold your part to sing in harmony with others, and attend Monday night rehearsals in Manhattan, we invite you to audition for NYC’s preeminent Yiddish chorus.
We sing only in Yiddish, but you don’t need to know the language to be part of the Chorus. With the help of recordings, translations, and lively, purposeful rehearsals, we all sound like native speakers by concert time – at least while we’re singing!
The Chorus rehearses on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Midtown Manhattan. The season runs from September through early June, with days off on Jewish holidays and most national holidays. There are several additional non-Monday rehearsals for each voice section. Dates for these sectional rehearsals are determined by consensus and usually take place between January and March.
At your audition, we listen for musicianship, ability to learn pronunciation, and ability to convey the meaning of a text. We also determine your vocal part (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass) and range within that part.
You’ll be asked to sing a brief song or part of a song you choose, repeat pitches and rhythms, and repeat a sentence or two of Yiddish text.
Auditions are by appointment only in Midtown Manhattan. We schedule appointments for two late-summer evenings. 2024 dates TBA. When possible, please attend one of our concerts before you audition – visit our CONCERTS page. And watch some of our YouTube videos, like Dayenu and The Partisans’ Hymn.
For more information, contact us at info@YiddishChorus.org.