Michigan Youth Chamber Singers
Last updated 5/15/23
The Michigan Youth Chamber Singers (MYCS) is a select SATB choir composed of outstanding vocalists from across the region. Students interact with U-M SMTD faculty and graduate students to perform challenging standard chamber choir repertoire. Michigan Youth Chamber Singers is open to advanced high-school aged singers.
MYCS Announcements
(5/15/23) Make-Up MYCS Auditions Available!
Make-Up Applications for MYCS’ 2023-2024 Season are now available! Information on make-up auditions can be found in the “Auditions | Eligibility” section below. Questions? Contact the Office of Engagement & Outreach at smtd-youthandadult@umich.edu.
Make-Up Auditions are currently being accepted for all voice parts.
NEW FOR THE 2023-2024 MYCS SEASON
YOUTH VOCAL INTENSIVES
New for the 2023-2024 season, MYCS will be incorporating a new component to its curriculum: Youth Vocal Intensives!
These new vocal intensives allow pre-college singers to immerse themselves in a variety of vocal subjects led by voice faculty and graduate students out of U-M’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Examples include masterclasses, audition technique workshops, voice technique classes, lessons on vocal diction and more!
There will be 7 (seven) sessions during the 2023-2024 MYCS season, occurring every other week during the year. More information can be found via the 2023-2024 MYCS Season Schedule here! Feel free to contact Engagement & Outreach Staff via email if you have any questions about next season’s structure.
Participation in the Bi-Weekly Voice Events hosted by SMTD Vocal Faculty is optional for MYCS Ensemble participants and not required to participate in the ensemble
Participation in the Bi-Weekly Voice Events hosted by SMTD Vocal Faculty is only open to students participating in the MYCS Full Ensemble. Participation in only the Bi-Weekly Voice Events is not allowed.
Rehearsal Information
Time: Sundays, 1:00-3:30 PM
Location: Kevreson Rehearsal Hall
E. V. Moore Music Building
(U-M North Campus, 1100 Baits Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48109)
Season Schedule
*This is a tentative schedule that closely resembles the time commitment students can expect during the MYE Season. A finalized schedule will be posted in May 2023.
Faculty
CONDUCTOR/FACULTY DIRECTOR – MARK STOVER
Assistant Professor of Music, Conducting
Associate Director of Choirs
Regarded as a leading conductor and pedagogue in the U.S. and abroad, Mark Stover shares his passion for people and building community through pursuing the highest levels of artistry. He joined SMTD in 2018 as associate director of choirs, conducting the Men’s Glee Club and the University Choir, teaching undergraduate conducting, and serving as the conductor of the Michigan Youth Chamber Singers.
Stover has been featured as a conductor and pedagogue throughout the United States and abroad and has led ensembles in Ukraine and France. In 2014, Stover guest-conducted the famed St. Olaf Choir and led the ensemble in performances throughout the Midwest. Upcoming guest engagements include 2018 Together In Hope Project, a professional touring choral ensemble from the Twin Cities who will travel to perform several concerts in Rome, and the 2019 Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools in Singapore.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR – EUGENE ROGERS
Director of Choral Activities
Associate Professor of Conducting (choir)
A two-time Michigan Emmy Award winner, a 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, and a 2015 GRAMMY® Award nominee, Eugene Rogers is recognized as a leading conductor and pedagogue throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Rogers is the founding director of EXIGENCE. Recently, he was named as the fifth Artistic Director of the two-time GRAMMY® Award-Winning Ensemble, The Washington Chorus (Washington, D.C.). At the University, Rogers leads the graduate choral conducting program, conducts the chamber choir, and administers the program of over eight choral ensembles. His choirs have toured throughout China, South Africa, the United States, and have appeared at national and regional conferences. In 2016, Rogers’ passion for issues of social justice and music was featured in the award-winning documentary Love, Life and Loss which highlights Joel Thompson’s powerful Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, and in 2013, he co-managed the production of the joint CD Ye Shall Have a Song with the Michigan, Yale, and Harvard Glee Clubs, a collaboration celebrating America’s three oldest collegiate choirs.
Auditions / Eligibility
Make-Up Auditions for Michigan Youth Chamber Singers’ 2023-2024 Season are due
5:00 P.M. SUNDAY, JULY 30, 2023
Make-Up Auditions are currently being accepted for all voice parts.
2023-2024 MICHIGAN YOUTH CHAMBER SINGERS APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- Complete the 2023-2024 Michigan Youth Ensembles Application via the button below.
- Pay the non-refundable $30 application fee. Fee waivers are available for those who qualify based on financial need (contact Engagement & Outreach Staff for more information).
- Prepare specific audition materials listed below and upload them to your application before submitting.
Audition materials for all MYCS applicants are as follows:
- A vocalization that showcases the singer’s highest and lowest ranges. This can be done either with five note scales or octave arpeggios (1-3-5-8-5-3-1) on a neutral syllable of their choosing.
- A classical solo that best demonstrates the singer’s voice either a cappella or accompanied.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Those applying to MYCS should do so with a piano accompaniment (either live or via recording).
ELIGIBILITY
Students interested in the Michigan Youth Chamber Singers must be enrolled in grades 9 (nine) through 12 (twelve) for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Michigan Youth Chamber Singers is also open to students of exceptional ability enrolled in grade 8 (eight) for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Michigan Youth Chamber Singers accepts any singers of ALL voice parts (i.e. soprano, alto, tenor, bass/baritone).
For questions about applications, audition requirements, or the audition process, feel free to contact SMTD Engagement & Outreach Staff via email at smtd-youthandadult@umich.edu.
Tuition | Fees | Scholarships
Full Ensemble + SMTD Bi-Weekly Voice Events Tuition – $500.00
Full Ensemble (NO Bi-Weekly Voice Events) Tuition – $375.00
Non-refundable application fee – $30
A discounted tuition rate of $330.00 per additional ensemble is available for musicians who participate in multiple ensembles. This discount is applied to the ensemble of equal or lesser value.
Need-based Scholarship
A limited number of need-based scholarships are available to families with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $100,000 or under in the previous calendar year, or with special circumstances due to the pandemic. To be considered you must upload your financial aid materials by the application deadline as part of your application. This includes:
- Monthly Expenses
- Previous Year’s Tax Return
- Statement of Need
Refund Policy
Full refunds of MYE tuition are only available before the first regularly scheduled rehearsal of the current concert season. Those wishing to learn more about the MYE Refund Policy can do so by clicking here: SMTD Engagement and Outreach refund policy
Contact Us
Email at smtd-youthandadult@umich.edu
Phone at (734) 936-2660
The Engagement & Outreach Staff monitors emails / phone lines at the following times:
- Monday – Friday, 9:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. EST