ECU School of Music: Ensembles

Instrumental Ensembles

Large Ensembles:

Concert Band
Approximately 70 students take part in the Concert Band, enjoying continued musical involvement at the university level without excessive performance pressures or rehearsal time. There are no auditions, and membership is open to all University students. [Contact Dr. Jay Juchniewicz, director]

ECU Symphony Orchestra

The Symphony Orchestra performs several times each year, playing a wide variety of literature chosen from standard orchestral repertoire, contemporary works, music for smaller instrumentation or chamber orchestra, as well as works for full orchestra. The ECU Symphony is open to music majors and to musicians who choose to major in other disciplines. [Contact Dr. Jorge Richter, conductor]

Marching Pirates

As the dominant spirit organization on campus, the band entertains more than three-hundred thousand fans each year at ECU and National Football League games, as well as regional high school marching band festivals. The band's unique style combines exciting arrangements of diverse musical styles with traditional and contemporary drill design. [Contact Dr. William Staub, director]

Symphonic Band
The Symphonic Band consists of 70 select woodwind, brass and percussion instrumentalists. Although most of the members of this group are music majors, several talented students from other disciplines also participate. Auditions are held at the beginning of each semester.Each year, the students who participate perform four concerts of established wind band repertoire as well as contemporary band literature. [Contact Dr. William Staub, director]

Wind Ensemble
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is comprised of the most outstanding wind and percussion students in the School of Music. The group is dedicated to the study and performance of the finest wind repertoire regardless of historical period or disposition of instrumental forces. The ensemble had performed original compositions under such well-known composers as Karel Husa, Vincent Persichetti, Vittorio Giannini, Martin Mailman, Jack Stamp and Ron Nelson. [Contact Dr. Scott Carter, director]

Jazz-related Ensembles:

Contemporary Jazz Ensemble
The Contemporary Jazz Ensemble has been in existence for approximately ten years. The main purpose of the group is to acquaint advanced students with small group performance of compositions by jazz masters such as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, and Cedar Walton.

Jazz 'Bones
The Jazz 'Bones was organized in 1974 as an adjunct to the East Carolina University Jazz and Trombone Ensembles and performs several on-campus concerts and at various education conferences each year. The group has appeared in concert with such artists as Kai Winding, George Roberts, Bill Watrous, Phil Wilson, Charles Vernon, Dan Barrett, and Jiggs Whigham. [Contact Mr. George Broussard, director]

Jazz Ensemble "A"
The award-winning East Carolina University Jazz Ensemble "A" (ECUJE) is the select touring group of the East Carolina University School of Music Jazz Studies Program. The ensemble has earned international recognition as one of the premiere university jazz ensembles from the state of North Carolina. [Contact Mr. Carroll V.Dashiell, Jr., director]

Jazz Ensemble "B"
The lab band for jazz studies.

Additional Ensembles:

Guitar Ensemble
The ECU Guitar Ensemble is open to guitar students, mostly music majors, with experience in classical guitar. Students who have taken the non-music major group guitar sequence are welcome to participate as well. The ensemble has toured across the southeastern US and performs in recital every semester on campus. Students participate in a variety of ensemble experiences including small and large guitar ensembles as well as performing with other types of instruments. [Contact Dr. Elliot Frank, director]

Percussion Ensemble
The Percussion Ensemble is a chamber ensemble specializing in music composed exclusively for percussion instruments. Music in all styles; contemporary art music,ethnic ensemble, pop, jazz etc. are all performed. This ensemble is open only by audition and is primarily intended for upper level undergraduates and graduate students. [Contact Dr. Jon Wacker, director]

Percussion Players
This ensemble performs music intended only for percussion instruments and in a wide variety of styles. Freshmen, sophomores and non-majors (by audition) are welcome to perform in this ensemble where in addition to a focus on performing, time is spent teaching the techniques necessary for performing on a wide variety of percussion instruments. [Contact Dr. Jon Wacker, director]

Zamba Yawar (ECU Afro-Andean Ensemble)
This World Music ensemble specializes in the traditional music from the Andean highlands and the creole expressions from the Pacific coast of South America. The group performs vocal and instrumental repertoire using a variety of authentic, traditional non-Western instruments. Ensemble participation is by audition. [Contact Dr. Mario Rey, director]

Sports-related Ensembles:

Basketball Pep Band
The ECU Basketball Pep Band consists of 40 students representing many degrees fromacross campus. The band performs at all men's and women's basketball home games as well as the men's and women's Conference-USA tournaments. Members of the band receive academic credit for participation and are paid for each performance.

Marching Pirates

Vocal Ensembles

Opera Theater

East Carolina University's Opera Theatre is committed to giving students the opportunity to learn the requisite skills for performing in opera and musical theater. It has become the tradition in the past ten years to produce two works each academic year, in addition to occasional smaller scale offerings and educational opera outreach for children. Professors oversee the productions -- working closely with students to achieve the highest possible caliber of opera for our community. A wide variety of operatic offerings at ECU has included standard works by Mozart, Handel, and Puccini, as well as lesser-known operas by Britten, Blow, Menotti, and Rorem. Opera Theatre hold auditions in the spring and fall of each year for its upcoming productions.

Chamber Singers
The Chamber Singers is the select choral ensemble at ECU. Comprised of 34-40 auditioned singers, many of whom are voice majors from within the School of Music, the group tours annually and has performed by invitation at regional and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. The Chamber Singers have also produced two professional CD recordings on the Gothic label: Greater Love and Eternal Light. They maintain a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule, and focus predominantly on unaccompanied choral literature suitable for advanced chamber choir. Dr. Andrew Crane, conductor.

University Chorale
The University Chorale is open to all university students, and is typically comprised of an equal balance of music-majors and non-music-majors. Presenting at least four concerts per academic year, this ensemble performs a variety of choral repertoire from the seventeenth through twentieth centuries. All students registered for the University Chorale must audition for as a means for appropriate voice placements. Dr. Jeffrey Ward, conductor.

The St. Cecilia Singers
St. Cecilia Singers is a subset of The University Chorale, typically comprised of voice principals. Presenting at least four concerts per academic year, this ensemble performs a variety of choral repertoire from the sixteenth through twentieth centuries. All students registered for St. Cecilia Singers must also be active members of the University Chorale and audition for as a means for appropriate ensemble placements. Dr. Jeffrey Ward, conductor.