Graduate Performance Ensembles
The Music Department has a thriving graduate program featuring our premier orchestra, the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, a historically informed Baroque Ensemble, graduate jazz Ensembles, and our Contemporary Chamber Players. Visit the links below for more info.
Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra
Undergraduate Performance Ensembles
The Music Department is proud to offer the following 1-credit musical ensembles for all students. Auditions for select ensembles are held the first week of classes. Click each category below for specific information:
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- Wind EnsembleÂMUS 263/599Wednesday evenings from 6:30p-9:20pMusic Building / Staller 0111ÂEstablished in the 1970s, the Stony Brook University Wind Ensemble performs contemporary and traditional wind repertoire of the highest quality, and comprises wind and percussion student musicians from across campus. Members represent undergraduate and graduate music and non-music majors who wish to make music performance an important part of their college experience. The ensemble is dedicated to broadening the musical interest of its members through the performance of artistically and historically significant core wind repertoire, with a special emphasis on new music. The Wind Ensemble made its debut at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Annual Conference in 2024, marking the first-ever performance of a Stony Brook Music Department ensemble at the state music conference. In Spring 2025, the Wind Ensemble will performed a consortium commission premiere of new works by Dennis Llinás and award-winning composer Joel Puckett.
Wind Ensemble is a non-auditioned concert ensemble for winds and percussion (with repertoire that often includes piano, string bass, and harp), that rehearses one night per week and presents one concert per semester.ÂÂStudents can also participate in Varsity Band MUS 268.
Taylor Peterson, Assistant DirectorVarsity Band (SBU Athletic Band) (MUS 268/599)
Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:30p-8:30p
Varsity Band (Pep Band) performs at all home Women’s and Men’s Basketball games (plus post-season tournaments in Washington DC and nationally in March), including other on- and off- campus events throughout the semester. Members represent undergraduate and graduate music and non-music majors. All interested musicians can join Varsity Band (SBU Athletic Band) by registering for MUS 268, regardless of major. The culminating performance is the Annual Varsity Band Spring Concert in April in Stony Brook Arena. No audition is required; however, experience playing a marching/pep band instrument, and reading music, is required. University Orchestra
(MUS 262- undergraduate & MUS 599-T22 - graduate)
Tuesday EveningsConducted by Susan Deaver
susan.deaver@stonybrook.edu
About
The University Orchestra is an undergraduate orchestra comprised of 70 to 75 students. They present two concerts each semester at the Staller Center. Past repertoire has included Beethoven Symphony No. 3 and No. 7, Brahms Symphony No. 2 and No. 4, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 and No. 5, Dvorak Symphony No. 8 and No. 9 "New World", Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 and other major orchestral repertoire including overtures and concertos. It is a very diverse orchestra made up of both music majors and minors, as well as qualified non-majors who have been involved in music in their high schools, music festivals and youth orchestras.ÂMeeting Time
Tuesday Evenings from 6:30 PM - 9:20 PM (New Rehearsal Time)
Room 0111, Music BuildingÂAudition Information for all New and Continuing Orchestral Students
Auditioning students should send a link to their audition video (upload to “unlisted” YouTube) and email the link to Susan Deaver, conductor of the University Orchestra at susan.deaver@stonybrook.edu.Google link to upload your “unlisted” YouTube audition video is:
https://forms.gle/8HKSyfrZqNs1Q9qP7
Audition Video Requirements
Limit video to five minutes or less and submit your video two weeks before the beginning of the semester. Include two short contrasting sections of a solo or concerto of your choice OR two contrasting orchestra excerpts from www.orchestraexcerpts.com.THE STONY BROOK JAZZ ORCHESTRA
(Undergrad: MUS 264 Big Band Jazz Ensemble; Grad: MUS 568 Jazz Big Band)
Rehearsals are Monday Evenings, 7PM-9:30PM
The SBU Jazz Orchestra performs a wide range of music from and in the Jazz Orchestra tradition. We will focus on developing a rich blend and sound as an ensemble, as well as engaging our individual creativity and expression inside of the group. In this course you will learn to play jazz by practicing daily on your instrument and playing in class. Harmony, melody, phrasing, rhythm and the study of the African-American roots of jazz will be included. We will be exploring the essential jazz tension between composition and improvisation.Â
The Jazz Orchestra explores literature from Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Mary Lou Williams, and Thad Jones as well as newly composed works. Each year select students from the Jazz Orchestra have the opportunity to be a part of an annual large scale project at The Staller Center. Guest artists also will work with the Jazz Orchestra. There are weekly rotating sectionals as well as a concluding concert at the end of each semester. Additional performances are TBD.
JAZZ COMBOS
(Undergrad: MUS 267 & MUS 289 Small Jazz Ensemble; Grad: MUS 597 Jazz Chamber Ensemble)
Rehearsals are generally Tuesday & Wednesday evenings, other times as needed
As much as possible, this course will be run just like a rehearsal for a band performance. We will be covering a wide range of music with an emphasis on the interplay between the group and the individual. Knowledge of the music’s history and an understanding of the African-American culture that gave birth to Jazz is essential to understanding the music. Rehearsals will include listening, discussion, as well a variety of exercises to learn improvisation and ensemble playing techniques.
BEGINNING JAZZ IMPROVISATION
(MUS 189 Intro To Jazz Improvisation)
Class Time TBD
In this course you will learn to play jazz by practicing daily on your instrument and playing in class. Harmony, melody, phrasing, rhythm and the study of the African-American roots of jazz will be included.
JAZZ AUDITIONS
Everyone must audition to participate in jazz ensembles and big band. Auditions will be held on Tuesday, August 26th and Wednesday August 27th, 2025. Students should be prepared to play the melody and improvise over 1 Jazz standard of their choice and 1 Blues, as well as basic scales and chords, and demonstrate sight reading.VISIT HERE TO SIGN UP FOR AN AUDITION
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Stony Brook Chorale - MUS 261
Monday eveningsCamerata Singers - MUS 271
Wednesday EveningsConducted by Shoshana Hershkowitz
shoshana.hershkowitz@stonybrook.eduStony Brook Chorale and Camerata Singers will hold in-person auditions the first Monday and Wednesday of the semester. You can audition on either day for either ensemble. Only one audition is necessary. Sign up for your audition time here with your Stony Brook email address.
Auditions will take place in Staller 2342 (second floor of the music building).
Placement in the Chorale is guaranteed, this audition is simply to place singers in the correct voice part. Returning members do not need to re-audition. All new members should prepare any song that they are comfortable singing unaccompanied.
Singers must audition for placement in Camerata Singers, where space is limited. Singers should prepare a song to sing unaccompanied. Singers will also be asked to sight read in the audition.
West African Drumming and Dance - MUS 235 and MUS 335
Conducted by JB Gnonlonfoun
hulengansodji.gnonlonfoun@stonybrook.eduWest African Drumming and Dance -Â
Intro African Drumming MUS 235 (for undergrad) &Intro African Drumming MUS 510 (for grad)
*Mus 235 & Mus 510 meet together then Mus 510 students have an extra short-project presentation to do apart from participating in the end-semester concert.
Advanced African Drumming MUS 335 (for undergrad) & Advanced African Drumming MUS 588 (for grad)
*Mus 335 and Mus 588 meet together then Mus 588 students have an extra short-project presentation to do apart from participating in the end-semester concert.
Thursday Evenings
Conducted by JB Gnonlonfoun
hulengansodji.gnonlonfoun@stonybrook.eduVOLTA, Stony Brook's West African Music ensemble, is made up of students from MUS 235 & 510 (Thursdays 4:45pm-6:30pm) and Music 335 & 588 (Thursday 6:30pm-8:15pm). The ensemble performs music from southern Togo, Ghana and Benin. Students learn the history related to each piece they will perform for the concert and learn to play authentic instruments (drums, bells and rattles), sing, and dance. The semester-end concert features African guest artists. No audition required
Undergraduate Chamber Music - MUS 391
Meeting times based on members' schedulesDirected by Joanna Kaczorowska
Joanna.Kaczorowska@stonybrook.eduHere's your opportunity to play the beautiful repertoire of chamber music while working with our outstanding doctoral students. Learn about chamber music repertoire, develop rehearsal skills and the performance techniques that lead to the successful preparation and performance of chamber music. Through weekly rehearsals and coachings, all participants will learn to prepare a piece of music or a group of pieces for the final performance in the Staller Center. To be considered for placement, please prepare two different pieces in two different styles from two different composers and contact Germaine Berry at germaine.berry@stonybrook.edu about the date, time and room number for the auditions which will take place during the first week of classes.
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