Fall 2023 Semester

We will be recruiting new members for the 2023-2024 academic year! Students are welcome to audition for the University Choir, entry to which allows you to also join either the Glee Club or Dolce. While attending an audition is required for joining any of the LUCA ensembles, you are also welcome to join the Choral Union regardless of the results of your audition! If you are a non-student community member interested in joining the Choral Union, please contact Charis Lasky (charislucu@comcast.net) for more information. 

Auditions this year will take place on the third floor of Zoellner Arts Center on Friday Aug. 19th 12pm-5pm, Sunday Aug. 21st 3pm-7pm, and Thursday Aug. 25th 4pm-7pm. Please contact our Recruitment Manager, Caleb Reed (ctr224@lehigh.edu), to receive a spreadsheet with the available audition time slots so you can sign up. You may also come to 3rd floor of Zoellner during the times listed above to put your name in one of the available time slots. Current choir members will be there to assist you. For those of you who live close to campus, you are welcome to audition prior to Orientation weekend. Auditions may be held earlier in the week by appointment. Keep in mind that this is only encouraged if you are within driving distance of Lehigh’s campus. Students who audition earlier in the week do not have any particular advantage over those who audition over the weekend, and vice versa. If you are interested in auditioning early, feel free to contact Jacob for more information. 

During the Audition

Auditions are held on the third floor of the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 East Packer Avenue, on Lehigh’s campus.

  • Arrive 15 minutes early
  • Each audition lasts about ten minutes
  • Parents are welcome

Your audition for Lehigh Choral Arts should not be stressful or intimidating! After all, it may be first day of college, so you need to be having fun! There will be many current choral arts students helping out on that day, so there will be lots of friendly faces and encouragement as you are waiting for your audition time.

You will be only be singing for the directors, Dr. Sametz and Dr. Cai (no panel of judges)! They will take you through vocalization, ear training, and range exercises on piano. Doc does a wonderful job keeping things light, so you can feel at ease. If you have a piece that you enjoy singing and that you think showcases your abilities, you are welcome to bring it. This is not required, however, and does not give you any particular advantage.

All students will be placed into one of Lehigh’s choirs, either Choral Union or University Choir. Students who are placed into the University Choir are also eligible to join either Glee Club or Dolce. These results will be available Tuesday afternoon. Results will be sent to you through email or through text depending on which option you choose so be sure to keep an eye out for them! Typically, about half of those who audition are placed in Choral Union and the other half into University Choir. Each ensemble is a 1-credit music course and can be taken for credit. Registration for these courses can easily be done in the first week of class once students have been placed.

After the Audition

Students who are admitted into University Choir will attend a Choral Retreat over the weekend following the first week of classes (Friday Sept 1- Sunday Sept 3). The entire University Choir departs on the Friday after the first week of classes to the Choral Retreat, which is one of the longest standing traditions in LUCA history.

The Retreat is held on camp grounds only a short drive from Bethlehem with rides provided by choir upperclassmen. This weekend gives the freshly assembled choir an opportunity to get to know one another in a relaxed atmosphere through rehearsals and leisure activities. It is important that all students admitted into the University Choir come to the retreat.

Rest assured, the University is an advocate of its choir program and our annual retreat. First-year students who attend the retreat have benefited from the opportunity the retreat gives them to get to know upperclassmen as they enter Lehigh life. If you have questions or concerns about leaving campus for the weekend, please do not hesitate to contact the student Recruitment Manager, Caleb Reed at ctr224@lehigh.edu