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Performance Opportunities
Large Ensembles
The opportunity to perform is key to the Petrie student’s education. Whether it is rehearsing for a wind ensemble concert, playing or singing in a master class, auditioning for a role in an opera, or performing solo in a concerto with an orchestra, Petrie students are encouraged and challenged to reach their full potential.
Serving as the Petrie School’s orchestra, the Converse Symphony Orchestra presents approximately six performances each year. In addition to the standard orchestral repertoire, the Converse Symphony Orchestra presents oratorios, ballets, and accompanies Converse Opera Theatre productions.
Open by audition only, this ensemble performs advanced wind literature in a variety of compositional settings.
The Converse Chorale is an all female chorus that performs several concerts annually, including the Festival of Lessons and Carols service. Most of its members are freshmen and sophomore music majors, but the choir is open, by audition, to all students. Converse Chorale sings a wide variety of women’s chorus repertory, from all of the major style periods, sacred and secular. Occasionally they collaborate with other ensembles like the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Holst The Planets) and the Spartanburg Festival Chorus (Britten Saint Nicolas).
The group is conducted by Dr. Keith Jones, Associate Professor of Voice and Choirs, and accompanied in rehearsal by Ms. Irina Peace. Rehearsals are Mon-Wed-Fri from 2:00-2:50 PM in Mayfarth rehearsal hall in Blackman Music Building. Interested singers should call Dr. Jones at 864.596.9004 or email him at keith.jones@converse.edu.
Spartanburg Festival Chorus (SFC)
The Spartanburg Festival Chorus is a 65-voice SATB choir of Converse students and Spartanburg area community singers. The group specializes in the performance of choral and choral-orchestral masterworks of the last 400 years. Highlights of the last 10 years include performances of Handel's Messiah, Brahm’s A German Requiem, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Orff's Carmina Burana, Mozart's Requiem and Mass in C-Minor, Bach's Magnificat and St. John Passion, Vaughan Williams Hodie and Serenade to Music, and Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna. You can find past concert listings in SFC's performance history (PDF).
The group is conducted by Dr. Keith Jones, Associate Professor of Voice and Choirs, accompanied in rehearsal by Ms. Julie Smith. Rehearsals are Tuesday nights from 7:00-9:30 PM in Mayfarth rehearsal hall in Blackman Music Building. Interested singers should call Dr. Jones at 864.596.9004 or email him at keith.jones@converse.edu.
Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra
A partnership between the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) and Converse College allows exceptional Petrie School of Music students to win a professional orchestral contract while pursuing their Converse degree. Under the agreement, apprentices will perform with the SPO in five concerts and participate in corresponding rehearsals.
Chamber Ensembles
Chamber Winds
This highly selective group performs advanced chamber music for winds in a variety of settings.
This ensemble performs in concert several times each year and is the Petrie School’s touring choral ensemble. Participation in the ensemble is open by audition only.
Early Music Ensemble
Performing vocal and instrumental music written before 1750, participants learn period instruments, performance practices, and techniques.
Other chamber ensembles are organized to respond to curricular needs and student interest. Among the many available are the Flute Choir, Percussion Ensemble, wind quintets, woodwind trios, string quartets, keyboard, and vocal ensembles.
