The Long Beach Chorale, the city’s premier volunteer choir, is holding auditions for new members to join its 2022-2023 season on Monday, Aug. 15 and Monday, Aug. 22.
The ensemble’s upcoming season will include performances of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” in December, Faure’s “Requiem” in April and a performance at the Aquarium of the Pacific in June.
“I love the challenge of singing these masterworks. I’ve grown so much as a singer, I do every season. My skills just get better and better, that’s one of the things I love,” said Chorale Vice President Doreen Wiley, who has been with the choir for nearly a decade.
The chorale was first founded in 1988 by Mark Barville. The group has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Long Beach Museum of Art, Rancho Los Alamitos, the Carpenter Performing Arts Center and with the Long Beach Opera.
Despite losing members during the pandemic, the chorale came back “in full force” last season, Wiley said, singing a range of masterworks through face masks.
The chorale is looking for singers with experience in sight-reading and is always on the hunt for tenors, as alto singers often dominate the group, Wiley said.
Those who audition will do so in private, in front of Chorale Director Matthew Martinez. Prospective singers should expect each audition to last about 15 minutes without accompaniment. Wiley said singers should be prepared to demonstrate sight-reading and may be asked to sing some scales to demonstrate their ability.
“Whatever you enjoy singing, whatever brings you joy, and whatever shows off your best voice is what we want you to sing,” Wiley said.
This will be Martinez’s first season as the official artistic director of the Long Beach Chorale. He acted as interim director while former director Eliza Rubenstein was on sabbatical and has conducted the group for years.
He comes to the group with extensive experience: a master’s degree in voice and conducting from UC Irvine, 10 years of directing at the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, and experience as the choir director at Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot in Irvine.
Wiley said the chorale’s board has added new members with fresh ideas, and she’s excited to find new members to become part of “a vital member of the Long Beach community and a place to go for great music.”
“I love listening, I love making music with others. It’s such a powerful part of being a member of this group, having all of those voices become one. It’s energizing, it’s exciting and just really powerful,” Wiley said “And the people are fantastic. We have a good time together. There’s a lot of talent. It’s great fun and it’s very rewarding.”
The group practices on Monday evenings from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Grace First Presbyterian Church at 3599 N Studebaker Rd. Before a performance, singers rehearse the Monday, Wednesday and Friday beforehand.
Those who wish to audition must RSVP to schedule an audition by calling (562) 427-1931 or by emailing info@longbeachchorale.org.
