​Membership in the Richmond Symphony Chorus is by audition only. Auditions typically take place in August and mid-season auditions occasionally take place in December-January. 

​The Chorus rehearses every Tuesday evening (generally 7:00-9:30) at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 1400 Horsepen Road, or Dominion Energy Center, 612 East Grace Street, in Richmond. The chorus usually performs several programs each year, with additional rehearsals taking place during performance weeks. Involvement in the Chorus goes far beyond these weekly rehearsals, however. We are avid fans and patrons of the Richmond Symphony. We participate in smaller (and larger) ensembles on a regular basis. We've also been spotted performing the National Anthem at Flying Squirrels, UR, and VCU games. 

Want to hear from our members?  Click here!
To see the 2025-2026 chorus season, click here.
New member auditions for the 2025-26 season will take place on
​August 9 and 16 at Epiphany Lutheran Church
​(1400 Horsepen Rd, Richmond, VA 23226).

Audition Process

Before Your Audition

1. FILL OUT THE AUDITION FORM:  Click the button to the right, then complete and submit the audition questionnaire.
2. USE THE INFORMATION AND LINKS BELOW TO PREPARE FOR THE AUDITION:  We believe that a chorus is a collection of strengths. Thus, we have developed a comprehensive audition process that involves group and solo singing and assessment of languages, rhythm, ear training, and group participation.

On Audition Day

On the audition day, we will ask you to perform prepared repertoire, to vocalize, and to demonstrate skill in rhythm, ear training, and language acquisition. The first 10 minutes of your audition will be in a group/choral setting.  Then, you will individually visit rooms for vocalizing, rhythm, ear training, and language. We believe that the breadth of this list gives each singer the opportunity to demonstrate what they would contribute to the Richmond Symphony Chorus. See below for details, materials, and guides to help you do your best. There will be a few minutes between each of these sessions when you will need to wait while others are being auditioned, so feel free to bring a book, Kindle, crossword puzzle, or anything else quiet to pass the time. We will certainly try to keep your wait to a minimum and hope to finish hearing everyone within one hour. Our chorus members and the audition committee fully understand the stress of going through an audition and will do all they can to put you at ease. We hope you may even enjoy the audition! Thank you for your interest in joining the Chorus and for your willingness to audition. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Contact chorus manager Janice Guzman at ​[email protected].

In a Group

CHORAL EXCERPT:
In a small group, you will participate in a mini-rehearsal of Damien Geter's Libera Me. You will not need to have the excerpt memorized, but please come prepared with the music learned to the best of your abilities. If you are not sure which voice part you are, learn both parts for your prospective range.
Full speed practice track:
80% tempo practice track:
*Practice tracks start at mm. 14.

Individually

VOCALIZATION
You’ll meet with our chorus director, Richard W. Robbins, our assistant director, Kevin Barger, our accompanist, and our four friendly and encouraging section leaders.  You may be asked to do any or all of the following:
  • sing “My Country ‘tis of Thee,” with piano accompaniment, beginning on various pitches; we’ll provide the lyrics if you need them 
  • sing through the prepared repertoire selection again with the four section leaders joining you.  
  • perform warm-up style vocal exercises, at the direction of Richard W. Robbins, to determine where your range lies ​
EAR TRAINING 
A member of our Chorus will play a series of pitches on the piano and ask you to sing those back to evaluate how well you hear intervals.
RHYTHM SKILLS
You’ll meet with a member of the Chorus to sing the rhythm exercise you prepared on your own (linked below). You’ll sing that on a comfortable pitch, using a syllable of your choice (such as “dee” or “da”).  When you first arrive for your audition, we’ll give you a second rhythm exercise to study and sing as well. You have the opportunity to study that second exercise before you enter the rhythm skills room. 
LANGUAGE
You’ll meet with another member of the Chorus who will listen to you speak the German text you prepared prior to the audition and may coach you to improve your pronunciation.  This is not to assess how well you understand German, but rather your ability to quickly adjust your diction while rehearsing foreign language lyrics.