Performance Opportunities
EKU students have the unique opportunity to perform with award-winning ensembles that are regularly invited to perform at national and international festivals and competitions. They study with nationally recognized award-winning faculty, guest artists, and clinicians. Approximately 200 undergraduate and graduate music majors, along with students drawn from a general body enrollment of 18,000, perform in music ensembles at EKU.
Students should contact the director of their preferred ensemble to arrange an audition. Auditions are scheduled at the beginning of each semester and scholarships are awarded to talented musicians.
Instrumental Ensembles
- EKU Bluegrass Ensemble
- Clarinet Choir and Flute Ensemble
- Concert Band
- Horn Ensemble
- Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Combos
- Marching Colonels
- Sax Ensemble
- Symphony Orchestra
- Ensembles for Trombone and Trumpet and Tuba
- Wind Ensemble
Guitar Ensemble
Information about the EKU Guitar ensemble directed by Dr. Dennis Davis is posted here.
Percussion
The EKU marching band drum line, EKU percussion ensemble, and EKU steel band provide many opportunities to apply musical techniques in a performance setting. The studio is typically comprised of two or more graduate students / teaching assistants, and 15 – 25 undergraduate percussionists.
Aside from being a popular on-campus performance ensemble, the steel band is also an important outreach vehicle for our School of Music and is committed to educating students in Kentucky through many off-campus concert and lecture performance presentations each semester.
Although the Steel Band is open to anyone through audition, it is comprised primarily of music education, music performance, and music industry majors. Goals of the ensemble include performing a wide range of steel band compositions and developing individual and ensemble performance experience. Due to the ensemble serving more of a supplemental role in the overall percussion education at EKU, the focus and intensity of the ensemble programming varies and is dependent on the specific percussion studio focus of a given semester.
Vocal Ensembles
The EKU Choirs offer an active, vibrant program with a variety of singing and educational opportunities for students of all academic majors. In recent years, EKU choral students have appeared at Carnegie Hall (2013), completed an eight-day tour of Ireland (2015), performed at the KMEA state conference (2016, 2021, 2022), toured West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. (2017), and have had the opportunity to collaborate with world-renowned musicians including Jeffery Ames, Ola Gjeilo, Jeffery Redding, Jake Runestad, Timothy Takach, and Tesfa Wondemagegnehu. Recent notable works include Bach’s Cantatas 150 and 158, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Brahms’ A German Requiem, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Haydn’s Kleine Orgelmesse, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Rutter’s Requiem, Thompson’s Frostiana, and Verdi’s Requiem. Students with experience singing in high school, college, community, or church choral programs are encouraged to participate in the choirs at EKU regardless of academic major.
EKos
EKos is a small mixed vocal ensemble that specializes in commercial music styles. The group performs vocal jazz, pop a cappella, gospel, and standard choral literature. EKos performs for campus recruitment and community events, as well as for EKU choral concerts. Auditions are held near the end of each spring semester for the upcoming academic year.
For more information, email Jill Campbell using the subject EKos.
Other Vocal Ensembles
Opera
Opera Workshop presents opera scenes and fully staged productions annually. All phases of performance and technical procedures of staging, costumes, and management are included.
For more information, email Curtis Streetman.