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Auditions

Sing With ISC

The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir is always looking for singers to join in the music-making. If you already have experience singing and wish to join this premier choral organization, we would like to hear from you! Each season is full of monumental performances and special events – something for everyone.

The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir is dedicated to excellence in the performance of choral music, to creating and performing new choral masterworks, and to education and outreach programming that serves the breadth and diversity of our community.

We are committed to understanding the ways in which our traditions privilege some communities over others. Our goal is to dismantle any inequities within our organization. As leaders in the choral arts, it is our responsibility to ensure the diversity of our choir and community is reflected in the music we sing and the choral works we commission. We believe that music is a universal language and that when we teach music and lead choral singing, we are building bridges that unite persons, communities, and cultures.

Financial Note

One of the things that sets the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir apart from our sister organizations throughout the country is that we are an all-volunteer choir. There are no dues or fees associated with being a member. However, there are still some financial requirements for attire and music that vary slightly from year to year.

We sincerely appreciate the financial impact that it takes to be a member of the Choir (i.e. transportation, parking, child care) and we never want the costs associated with being an Indianapolis Symphonic Choir member to prohibit anyone from participating. Every effort will be made by the Symphonic Choir to keep all costs as low as possible. There are many options available to help any singer that is interested. Please contact Mary Robinson, Manager of Production & Operations, if you have questions/concerns about payment (other options including payment plans and scholarships are available).

Quick FAQs

Our next round of auditions will be held on Sunday, August 17 for participation in the 2025-2026 season. We are primarily seeking Tenor voices, with a limited number of positions available for Soprano, Alto, and Bass voices.

Auditions for the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir are by appointment only. If you are interested in scheduling an audition, or would like additional information, please send the following to auditions@indychoir.org:

  • Name
  • Mailing address
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Preferred section
  • Description of your musical background/experience

Unfortunately, we are unable to schedule auditions outside of the designated dates. Inquiries must be received by Saturday evening, August 9, to participate in this audition cycle.

We will retain your information on file and contact you when we begin scheduling appointments, typically 3-4 weeks prior to the selected audition date(s).

Audition Process

The audition consists of a solo work of your choice (accompanist provided), a predetermined vocal excerpt (posted below), and a sight-reading piece that is provided at the audition.

A Letter From The Artistic Director

Thank you for your interest in auditioning for the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, one of the nation’s oldest and largest independent symphonic choruses. The Choir is proud of its many singers, whose talent and dedication make possible the dramatic excitement and vocal beauty that are the musical signatures of this fine ensemble. We look forward to the opportunity to meeting you at your audition!

On this page, you will find information about the audition process, which will be helpful to you in your preparations. Please don’t worry about being nervous! Everyone has had to audition to be a part of this ensemble, and we promise to do everything we can to make you comfortable so that you may sing with confidence. Current Choir members have a rich variety of backgrounds, and that’s a good thing since it makes our shared music-making even more rewarding and effective. Some have advanced degrees in music, some are music teachers, and some have simply discovered that they love to sing. What they all have in common, however, is a dedication to energetic work and musical self-improvement, as we share together our love of singing and the joy of beautiful choral music. If this also describes you, then you’ve come to the right place. I look forward to meeting (and hearing) you soon!

We sincerely appreciate the financial impact that it takes to be a member of the Choir (i.e. transportation, parking, child care) and we never want the costs associated with being an Indianapolis Symphonic Choir member to prohibit anyone from participating. Every effort will be made by the Symphonic Choir to keep all costs as low as possible. There are many options available to help any singer that is interested. Please contact Mary Robinson, Manager of Production & Operations, if you have questions/concerns about payment (other options including payment plans and scholarships are available).

Eric Stark, Artistic Director

 

Dr. Eric Stark

Artistic Director

In a dynamic career that combines performance, scholarship and collaborative leadership, conductor Eric Stark shares his love of music-making with musicians and audiences in Indiana, the United States, and beyond. Believing strongly in music’s power to bring people together, Stark has led collaborations with such partners as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, American Pianists Association, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Dance Kaleidoscope, Indiana Repertory Theater, Butler University, Indianapolis Children’s Choir , Jordan College Academy of Dance, Newfields, Clowes Memorial Hall, the Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus, and Orquesta Sinfonica Juvenil de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia). In 2012, Stark served as chorus master for the National Football League’s Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, featuring Madonna, Cee Lo Green, Nicki Minaj and LMFAO.

Stark’s work as artistic collaborator and community leader has been both broad and unique. In 2014 he received the State of Indiana’s highest honor—Sagamore of the Wabash. His musical leadership continues to receive international recognition as well, including acclaimed performances at Carnegie Hall, the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall, Shanghai’s Oriental Art Center Concert Hall, Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall, the Hong Kong City Center Concert Hall, São Paulo’s Teatro Municipal, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Strathmore Hall in Bethesda, MD. Named a Fulbright Scholar in 2020, Stark accepted invitations to conduct and teach at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and the Pontifical Catholic University in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and served as guest conductor of the acclaimed Coral Paulistano in São Paulo. He has also made conducting and masterclass appearances in Greece, Italy, Argentina, Japan and Uruguay, and has led choirs on domestic tours in New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando and Tampa.

His choruses are heard on multiple compact discs, including A Festival of Carols with Sylvia McNair (Naxos 2019), Mohammed Fairouz’s Zabur (Naxos 2016), Mendelssohn’s Elijah (2011); From East to West (2005), The Harmonies of Hoosier History, (2001) with the Indianapolis Arts Chorale, and A Festival of Carols (1997) with the Muncie, IN Masterworks Chorale.

In addition to his duties as Artistic Director of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Stark is also Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Butler University’s Jordan College of Fine Arts. There he conducts the Butler Chorale and Chamber Singers and teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting and choral literature. His former conducting students have received appointments at leading choral positions around the United States, including Purdue University, Stetson University, Princeton University, San Francisco Girls Chorus, Los Angeles Opera, Fort Wayne Children’s Chorus and the University of Wisconsin. He has also served on the faculties of Christian Theological Seminary, Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne and Earlham College. A graduate of Wabash College, he holds a doctorate in choral conducting from Indiana University. Stark is also a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, a non-profit network of pilots providing free air transportation for those with medical needs.