Auditions for the Austin Chapter of the National Children's Chorus

The Austin chapter of the GRAMMY® award winning National Children’s Chorus is holding virtual auditions for students, ages 5 to 18, to enter the program beginning January 2024! Classes and rehearsals are on Monday nights in Downtown Austin. Instructors work weekly with students to develop their vocal skills from the most basic concepts through the college level.  Students participate in an exciting array of performances and specialized in-person classes and rehearsals in Downtown Austin on Monday evenings as well as online training.

In the Junior Division, students ages 5-9 with beginning or intermediate musical experience build their skills and gain confidence in encouraging and creative rehearsal environments and performances.In the Senior Division, students ages 10-17 with prior musical experience refine their skills and perform in their own concert series at various venues locally, around the United States, and internationally. Students present world premieres and collaborate with their NCC peers nationwide, as well as with an exceptional roster of professional artists. The Senior Division singers have in-person classes and rehearsals in Downtown Austin on Monday evenings as well as virtual classes.The Senior Division also travels abroad in an international tour each summer, and has the opportunity to take part in the annual National Youth Opera Academy in August.

Upon submitting an application, interested applicants can select and schedule a private appointment time with a NCC conductor for a private video audition via Zoom. Additionally, applicants will receive a recording of NCC’s audition information presentation, introducing students and parents to the educational programs of the National Children’s Chorus. Following the audition, NCC will schedule a final parent or guardian phone call with a member of the NCC team to go through details of the program and membership, and answer any remaining questions.

Candidates for the Junior Division should be between the ages of 5 though 9 and should have no choral/musical experience to some choral/musical experience. The Junior Division audition will consist of the following elements: scales, rhythmic exercises, and pitch matching. Candidates for the Senior Division should be between ages 10 through 17 and should have some significant choral, musical, solo or vocal performance experience. The Senior Division audition will consist of scales, rhythmic exercises, and a solo piece which will be sung a capella, though a starting pitch may be requested.

Through the NCC, students get to connect and collaborate with their peers nationwide. Each chorister learns the same repertoire at each level and is uniformly trained so that members may participate in any concert across the nation and essentially design their own concert season. The organization consists of 33 choirs based in the chapter cities of Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, Boston, and Chicago.