Queens locals with a knack for singing are invited to audition for the Queens College Choral Society.
The Queens College Choral Society is auditioning new members throughout August to perform works that will be presented during its 2025-2026 season.
Performances this season include Duke Ellington’s “Sacred Concerts,” in collaboration with the college’s Aaron Copland School of Music’s Jazz Program, and Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem.” Additionally, the Queens College Choral Society is performing the world premiere of a piece by Los Angeles-based composer David Stern, based on Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”
Concerts are performed twice annually, in December and May. Membership is open to all those with some experience in choral singing, including the community, staff and Queens College students.
Founded in 1941, the Queens College Choral Society (QCCS) was organized by Professor John Catellini of the college’s music department. The Choral Society’s inaugural performance was Handel’s “Messiah,” held in the Jamaica High School auditorium on December 19, 1941, falling just 12 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Castellini led the Choral Society until December 1969 and retired as chairman of the music department in 1973. Within the first decade of its inception, the Choral Society performed Haydn’s “Creation,” Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” Mozart’s “Requiem,” and several Bach cantatas. In May 1949, it performed the American premiere of Vivaldi’s “Gloria.”
Following Castellini, Dr. Carl Eberl of the college’s music Department continued to lead the music group, expanding selections by performing works by composers such as Poulenc, Kodaly, and Honegger. Throughout the decades, the Choral Society was led by various other music department faculty, including Dr. Lawrence Eisman, Harold Rosenbaum, and Dr. James John, who has led the Choral Society since 2002.
Applicants can schedule an audition via Zoom or in person on Tuesday, Aug. 19, and Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m.; Monday, Aug. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m.; and Tuesday, Aug. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. by visiting calendly.com/qcchoirs/qccsauditions.
