Ensemble is the flagship performing group of the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir, representing the Choir in awe-inspiring international competitions and spectacular festivals. The group consists of treble-voiced singers of all genders who demonstrate superior musical proficiency, are under the age of 16, and are admitted by audition. Ensemble has won many awards and was featured in the documentary "To Breathe as One" about the Laulupidu Song Festival in Estonia.

Conductor: Eric Tuan

Level: Treble Voiced Singers of All Genders - Grades 7 - 10 (Under the age of 16) by audition

Meets:

Tuesdays AND Thursdays, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church of Oakland
2619 Broadway, Oakland

Quick Facts:

  • Ensemble is recognized the world over as a leader in youth choral music. The Ensemble experience creates deep bonds of friendship and teamwork among its singers. Through regular participation in international exchange activities, Ensemble singers develop an awareness of the larger world and a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures.

  • Ensemble begins each year in July/August with choir camp. During the school year, the group rehearses two afternoons a week in Oakland and performs as many as twenty or more times per season, including performances with local symphonies and collaborations with other arts organizations. Ensemble has premiered dozens of new works, many commissioned for the Choir.

  • The group ends its season with a 10-14 day international summer tour each year. Touring is a key part of the musical, cultural, and social development of Ensemble singers. Tour destinations are selected primarily on the basis of their potential for providing enriching musical experiences and secondarily for their cultural and geographical interest. While on tour, singers may participate in music festivals, community concerts, and cultural and recreational activities.

Students in Ensemble will learn to: 

  • Read new material unaided by keyboard

  • Read new materials through solfege training

  • Study advanced harmony training

  • Perform in 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 parts

  • Advance their musical training through study of Baroque, Romantic, 20th and 21st Century Chromaticism, Atonality and Innovative Repertoire