Department of Music

About the Ensembles

Fafali in performance

Music department ensembles perform music ranging from the Renaissance to the modern era and world premieres.

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN AUDITION FOR AN ENSEMBLE THIS FALL!

The Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra comprises students, faculty, staff and associates of Brandeis University and Wellesley College.

The Brandeis Chamber Music Ensembles offer instrumentalists the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to practical music making in an intimate and informal master class setting.

This 24-36 voice choir is chosen from the entire student body on the basis of experience and musicianship skills. It is for singers who wish to explore unusual repertory, Bach cantatas, 16th-century motets and madrigals, 17th-century oratorios, 19th-century lieder and 20th-century works.

Using its large collection of historical instruments including recorders, krumhorns, sackbuts, curtals, viols, lutes, harps and harpsichords, the Brandeis Early Music Ensemble explores the music and performance practices of Western Europe in the Renaissance and early Baroque eras.

Fafali studies and performs the music, song and dance of Ghana, and has performed at Night for Africa, Culture X and even for the President of Ghana! Historically a highly international ensemble, Fafali's members have come from Ghana, Togo, Jamaica, Tanzania, Cape Verde, China, the United States and many other countries from around the world.

Improvisation is always an essential part of our daily life, but during uncertain and challenging times, our ability to improvise becomes more important than ever! Join the Brandeis Improv Collective (BIC) and learn how to become a more fluid, creative, and joyful improviser by exploring improvisation, both individually and in a group. The BIC is open to all Brandeis students, regardless of skill or experience in improvising.

The Brandeis Jazz Ensemble, open to the entire Brandeis community by audition, is composed of 15-20 musicians led by one of Boston's best-known jazz musicians. In addition to classic jazz repertory, the ensemble performs original compositions written specifically for the group.

The Roots Music Ensemble, a special offering for the spring semester, introduces students to the wide range of repertoire from Roots music traditions including blues, country, swing, bluegrass and Appalachian folk.

The Brandeis University Chorus draws its members from the entire Brandeis community. Every year the chorus performs a major work drawn from the vast choral repertory. There are often opportunities for student soloists.

The Brandeis Wind Ensemble is a 35-50 member group that performs a wide variety of music.