About the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale
Now in its 19th season, Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale (BCC) is a 60-voice mixed choir whose members perform a rich variety of musical styles, both a cappella and with a variety of instrumental accompaniment. This ensemble performs two to three concerts per season in Brooklyn, with occasional opportunities to collaborate with ensembles around New York City. Members develop their vocal skills through exciting and stimulating repertoire chosen from the music of the Renaissance to contemporary songs and everything in between. The BCC prides itself on presenting high-quality concerts with superbly polished musicianship.
Auditions are required to join BCC. Please email Conrad Chu at conrad.chu@bkcm.org to schedule a time. Auditions will be held by appointment only.
Want to see the Chorale perform? Join us for our next concert on January 31st at 7:30 pm: “The Joy of Singing: A World in Harmony”.
Audition Information
The Chorale audition has two components:
1. Prepare a short song, aria or an excerpt of a choral piece that you are comfortable singing solo, and which comes with a piano accompaniment or arrangement. The choice of music does not have to be classical, just anything that demonstrates your vocal range well. Please bring a copy of the sheet music if you can – if you absolutely cannot find sheet music for your selection, you can sing over a backing track or karaoke recording.
2. For the second part of the audition, we ask applicants to demonstrate their ability to sing harmony parts. We provide a choral arrangement of the classic Christmas song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and ask you to learn either the Alto or Baritone harmony for the first 16 bars. Your job will be to sing the harmony — and stick to it — while the melody plays on the piano.
Contact Conrad Chu at conrad.chu@bkcm.org for full audition instructions and materials.
Schedule and Rehearsals
The BCC rehearses on Monday evenings from 7:15-9:30 PM in the BKCM Concert Hall, from September 16 through June 14.
Upcoming Concerts
Join us on Friday, January 31 at St. John’s of Park Slope (139 St. John’s Pl., Brooklyn) for the BCC’s winter concert, “The Joy of Singing: A World in Harmony”.
Conrad Chu, Director of the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale
Conductor and pianist Conrad Chu has over 25 years as a director of community and academic choruses, with an affinity for both classical and contemporary genres. Since 2017 he has music directed the North River Sing Community Chorus, a Jersey City mixed choir dedicated to preserving the Great American Songbook tradition. He is also a director of Chinese American choruses, and has served five seasons as chorusmaster for the New Jersey Symphony’s annual Lunar New Year Festival. Conrad’s most recent academic post was Director of Performance at Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he taught the Union College Chorale and the Union College Community Orchestra. By training an orchestral conductor, Conrad actively freelances in New York’s orchestral and operatic scenes. Opera companies where he has music directed or assisted include Santa Fe Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, American Opera Projects, Bronx Opera, Brooklyn Repertory Opera, Beth Morrison Productions, Rhymes With Opera, and Victory Hall Opera. In the orchestral scene, Conrad has conducted a range of community ensembles, including the Litha Symphony, Queer Urban Orchestra, Hunter College Symphony, Gemini Youth Orchestras and the Queens Symphony. In 2023, Conrad began a new role as Orchestra and Chamber Music Coordinator for Bloomingdale School of Music in Manhattan. 2024-25 marks his debut year leading the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale.
Registration Information
Auditions are required to join BCC. Please email Conrad Chu at conrad.chu@bkcm.org to schedule a time. Auditions will be held by appointment only.
Please call 718-622-3300 to speak to one of our registrars who will guide you through the registration process and answer any questions you might have. Financial aid is available for qualifying students. To apply please contact kris.mandapat@bkcm.org and fill out the financial aid application.
For complete information on our registration process and policies, please click here.
Recent Chorale Performances
