Music Ensemble Opportunities on Campus
Enjoy singing or playing an instrument? The NDSU Challey School of Music offers a variety of music ensembles you can join to continue performing music in college, no matter your major.
Groups that require an audition are marked with an asterisk (*) below. Most auditions take place the first week of classes. Please contact the appropriate instructor for audition information.
Choral/Vocal
Concert Choir
Dr. Dwight Jilek
dwight.jilek@ndsu.edu
MWF 12:00-12:50, TTh 12:30-1:45
MUSC 306
The NDSU Concert Choir has a distinguished tradition of performing eminent choral literature at the highest level of artistry. The choir has performed at state, regional and national music conferences, including seven North Central American Choral Directors Association conferences and the national ACDA conference in San Antonio, Texas.
The choir performs regularly with the Fargo- Moorhead Symphony and tours overseas every three years. Most recently, the Concert Choir visited Eastern and Central Europe in 2009, toured Croatia and Italy in 2012, and Iceland and Scotland in 2015. It received the first place gold medal at the International Choral Competition in Zadar, Croatia, during the 2012 tour.
Madrigal Singers
Dr. Dwight Jilek
dwight.jilek@ndsu.edu
MWF 1:00-1:50
MUSC 317
The NDSU Madrigal Singers is a highly selective ensemble that performs vocal chamber music from the Renaissance through the 21st century. In addition to concert performances throughout the year, the annual Madrigal Dinners feature fully costumed productions of Renaissance revelry. Conducted by Dr. Dwight Jilek, the Madrigal Singers perform for numerous NDSU celebrations, tour each spring with the NDSU Concert Choir and also tour separately throughout the region. The Madrigal Singers were selected to appear at the North Central American Choral Directors Convention in 2008.
To be part of the Madrigal Singers, membership in the Concert Choir is required. Contact Dr. Jilek for more information.
University Chamber Singers
Dr. Charlette Moe
charlette.moe@ndsu.edu
MWF 11:00-11:50
MUSC 215
The University Chamber Singers is an auditioned, mixed choir of 35 freshmen through senior members who represent many different majors and disciplines across the NDSU campus. The ensemble recently performed at the ND ACDA convention and have performed at the Northern Plains Kodály Chapter Honor Choir festival in April of 2014. The ensemble performs two concerts each semester, and participates in the NDSU Madrigal Dinners each December. The University Chamber Singers (UCS) is conducted by Dr. Charlette Moe, Assistant Director of Choral activities.
This auditioned choir rehearses from 11:00-11:50 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. To sign up for an audition for fall 2025, click the link below.
Schedule an AuditionCantemus
Dr. Charlette Moe
charlette.moe@ndsu.edu
TTh 3:30-4:45
MUSC 116
Under the direction of Dr. Charlette Moe, this soprano/alto choir of 55-65 members continually programs music which highlights female composers and music written specifically for the women’s voices. This non-auditioned choir includes students from many different majors, rehearses Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:45-6:00 pm.
For the 2013 Choral Music of the Americas Symposium, they premiered a new choral work by Imant Raminsh. Cantemus hosts an Annual Women’s Choral Festival and their first convention appearance was at the 2014 North Dakota American Choral Directors Conference. Registration is easy—just visit Campus Connection and register for MUSC 116.
The Statesmen of NDSU
Shawn Neisen
shawn.g.neisen@ndsu.edu
TTh 3:30-4:45
MUSC 117
The Statesmen of NDSU is a non-auditioned tenor/bass choir that has singers from many campus majors. The group rehearses each Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-4:45 pm.
For the 2013 Choral Music of the Americas Symposium, The Statesmen premiered a new choral work by Jorge Cozatl. They also represented NDSU at the 2009 and 2015 North Dakota Music Educators Association convention in Bismarck, ND. To participate, visit Campus Connection to register for MUSC 117.
NDSU Opera and Opera Workshop
Dr. Kelly W. Burns
kelly.w.burns@ndsu.edu.
MWF 3:00-4:50
MUSC 319
NDSU Opera presents fully staged and costumed operas and operettas with orchestra in Festival Concert Hall, as well as staged and costumed scenes from operas with piano accompaniment in Beckwith Recital Hall. The NDSU Opera program opened the 2019–2020 NDSU Baroque Festival with Handel’s masterpiece Giulio Cesare in November, 2019. Other recent productions include Patience (Gilbert & Sullivan), L’enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel), The Impressario (Mozart), HMS Pinafore (Gilbert & Sullivan), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Britten), The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart), and Gianni Schicchi (Puccini). NDSU Opera has also presented baroque operas such as Dido and Aeneas (Purcell) and Venus and Adonis (John Blow) at the NDSU Baroque Festival.
For more information, visit the NDSU Opera page below.
Instrumental
Wind Symphony
Dr. Daniel Lee
daniel.lee.3@ndsu.edu.
MWF 12:15-1:50
MUSC 303
The NDSU Wind Symphony is our premiere concert band open to students by audition. Students perform two concerts of demanding repertoire every semester. They perform regionally and nationally through tours and conventions as well.
Auditions for the Wind Symphony take place at the beginning of each semester. To learn more about the audition process, click the button below.
University Band
Dr. Will Sutton
william.sutton.1@ndsu.edu
MWF 3:00-3:50
MUSC 112
Our non-auditioned concert band includes students majoring in every subject area on campus. The University Band performs twice each semester and is a great way to keep playing your instrument beyond high school. Contact Dr. Sutton for more information.
Gold Star Marching Band
Connor Challey
connor.challey@ndsu.edu
MWF 4:00-5:45
MUSC 111
Part of the great tradition of bands at NDSU since 1904, the Gold Star Marching Band is open to all students across campus, including those without marching experience in high school. Many instruments are provided at no cost. Besides the usual performances at NDSU Football games (including championships), the band has also marched the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.
Want to get involved? Contact Connor Challey or visit the Gold Star Marching Band website for more information.
Jazz Ensembles
Dr. Matthew Patnode
matthew.patnode@ndsu.edu
Dr. Jeremy Brekke
jeremy.brekke@ndsu.edu
Course Numbers and Times Vary
Jazz is alive and well at NDSU. With two big bands open to students through auditions in the fall and spring, the jazz bands perform twice each semester, including the Jazz Ensemble’s annual performance at the NDSU Jazz Festival with international guest artists. Jazz combos are organized according to the number of participants and their jazz experience.
To learn more about jazz auditions, click the button below or contact Dr. Patnode.
Jazz Audition InformationChamber Ensembles
The NDSU Challey School of Music takes pride in empowering students to develop their musical abilities in ensembles of all sizes, including chamber ensembles. Students can be part of groups such as saxophone quartets, woodwind and brass quintets, percussion ensemble, and many others.
To learn more about chamber ensemble opportunities related to your instrument, contact the appropriate instructor.
Percussion Ensemble
Dr. Mark DeMull
mark.demull@ndsu.edu
MUSC 312
Brass Chamber Ensemble
Dr. Jeremy Brekke
jeremy.brekke@ndsu.edu
MUSC 314
Woodwind Chamber Ensembles
Dr. Cassie Keogh
cassie.keogh@ndsu.edu
MUSC 315
String Chamber Ensemble
MUSC 316
The String Chamber Ensemble is not being offered Fall 2025.
Orchestral
University Symphony Orchestra (USO)
Dr. Daniel Lee
daniel.lee.3@ndsu.edu
T 6:30-8:00 (all members);
Th 6:30-8:00 (winds and percussion)
MUSC 304
The University Symphony Orchestra rehearses and performs standard classical, traditional, contemporary orchestral and chamber music repertoire. This ensemble provides members the opportunity to rehearse and perform orchestral literature at a high and challenging level.
*Winds and percussion may be asked to meet on Tuesday night or Thursday night (not both, except potentially concert weeks), depending on the week.
Participation in University Symphony Orchestra is through audition for all instruments. Players seeking to play in the USO are required to audition at a generally higher level. It should be understood that not all who audition will make it into the USO. To learn more, click the link below or contact Dr. Lee.
USO Audition Information Schedule an Audition