Vocal Ensembles
The Muhlenberg College Choir is open and welcoming to all students on campus, without audition or other prerequisites. The ensemble sings for a variety of functions, such as the Candlelight Carols and Alumni Weekend, and is a safe and inclusive community for all. The College Choir performs music from a diverse range of genres, from classic works with full orchestra to a wide variety of world and folk music from diverse cultures and backgrounds. We are a community of musicians with diverse beliefs, backgrounds, ability levels and experience, interests and majors - Come and join!
The Muhlenberg Women’s Ensemble is an auditioned ensemble for sopranos and altos who seek greater challenge and commitment from their choral experience. The group performs music of all styles, eras, and genres (from Bluegrass to Bulgarian Folk Music to Bach) while simultaneously attempting to become more aware of and address issues of inequality for Women in the Arts.
The Chamber Singers are a select, auditioned, smaller group of advanced choristers specializing in more challenging repertoire and dedicated to special concerts, recordings, and unique projects. The Chamber Singers present concerts each semester and perform for numerous special events on and off campus such as Graduation, Opening Convocation, Candlelight Carols, and run-out performances at local schools and other musical venues.
Opera Workshop (Spring semesters only) The Opera Group gives advanced vocal students the opportunity to perform operatic scenes or entire works in semi-staged or fully staged productions.
Collegium musicum is a select group of vocalists and instrumentalists who perform late Renaissance and early Baroque music one voice per part, accompanied by an ensemble of period instruments.
Muhlenberg offers two Jazz Improvisation Groups, each of which explore traditional, progressive, and experimental forms of jazz improvisation for both instrumentalists and vocalists. Both groups perform a concert each semester.
Instrumental Ensembles
The Muhlenberg Chamber Orchestra is open to all string players and performs one concert each semester including repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, 20th and 21st century. Depending upon repertoire, the ensemble also includes winds, brass, and percussion.
The Musica da Camera chamber ensemble meets once a week, and is open to all instrumentalists and vocalists. No audition is required. It presents a wide variety of repertoire in a program once a semester.
The Percussion Ensemble/Drum Circle offers students the opportunity to explore composed and improvised music for percussion instruments. The ensemble performs at student recitals and in conjunction with other ensemble concerts in the fall and spring.
Muhlenberg's Wind Ensemble presents an eclectic concert of traditional and contemporary music for winds, brass, and percussion each semester.
Various Small Ensembles, including Flute Ensemble and other configurations, may practice and perform each semester based on student needs and interests.
Jazz Ensembles
The Jazz Big Band performs Fall and Spring concerts in styles ranging from the Big Band era to arrangements of recent jazz compositions.
Two sections of the Jazz Improvisation Ensemble explore traditional, progressive and experimental forms of jazz. Each group performs a Fall and Spring Concert.
Historical Ensembles
Specializing in music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the Muhlenberg Collegium musicum performs concerts in Egner Chapel in the Spring and the Fall.
Select vocalists and instrumentalists explore early music performance practices and play on period instruments including viola da gambas, bass and tenor recorders, harpsichord, and lute.
