Audition for NWRS
2025-2026 Northwest Repertory Singers Auditions
Celebrate our 25th Anniversary Season with us!
NWRS mission: To lift voices in song: creating art and fostering community through choral music.
Before scheduling your audition, please read the information on this page…
We know it’s a lot of info, but it gives you a good picture of our upcoming season and what to expect at your audition. Near the end of the page you’ll find a calendar tool to schedule your audition slot.
About NWRS
Founded in 2001, NWRS is an independent concert choir that presents repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day—from art songs to sea shanties, from sacred to secular. Every few years, we collaborate with outside groups and/or feature a larger work with orchestra, such as the Vivaldi Gloria (December 2019) and the Fauré Requiem (May 2022). We work hard, and we have fun (and plenty of laughs) along the way.
We look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary season in 2025-2026 with Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest with choir, harp, marimba, and guitar in December; and our anniversary celebration concert in May 2026 will include selections from Carmina Burana (two pianos and percussion version) plus additional pieces with chamber orchestra.
For more information about Northwest Repertory Singers, use the “About” navigation.
NWRS 2025-2026 Season Auditions: General Info
Auditions for new singers for 2025-2026 will be held at Zion Lutheran Church on Sixth Avenue near Union Avenue. This venue is for auditions only.
We are delighted that our principal rehearsal and performance venue again this season is Christ Episcopal Church near Tacoma’s Stadium District. To celebrate our 25th anniversary, we will close the season with Saturday rehearsals and one festive Sunday performance at the University of Puget Sound’s Schneebeck Concert Hall.
All singers accepted into NWRS are expected to participate for the duration of the season (September through May) unless prior arrangements have been made with the Artistic Director at or near the time of the audition (exceptions: illness or medical condition; family emergency, or similar unforeseen circumstances).
Covid-19
As of Fall 2022, NWRS does not require masking or distancing. Singers may, at their option, wear a mask or distance themselves from others during rehearsal. Our rehearsal and performance venue does not require proof of vaccination for singers or audiences. Should public health guidance or our venue’s requirements change, we will update our policies accordingly.
Member Dues
Membership is based on the audition, not payment of dues.
For 2025-2026, NWRS member dues are $250.
Payment plans and scholarships may be available upon request. Again, membership is based on the audition, not payment of dues. However, eligibility to participate during the season may be affected by unpaid balances unless prior arrangements have been made.
Dues provide only a fraction of our funding to cover music purchases, rehearsal and performance venue rentals, artistic staff compensation, etc. The remainder of our budget is funded through ticket sales, grants, and, especially, through generous donors.
Concert Attire
We’ve valued a professional and uniform appearance since our founding. NWRS members provide their own concert attire that conforms to NWRS policies. As of 2022-2023, attire options include criteria for a dress/skirt/palazzo pants option and criteria for a tuxedo option. Both options are available to all singers. Singers must choose an option and conform to all applicable guidelines. If you have financial concerns about procuring performance attire, please reach out to the Artistic Director or the Board.
Attendance
Rehearsals are fast-paced and content-rich. We work hard and enjoy the rehearsal process—and we have fun (and plenty of laughs) along the way.
To maintain our shared commitment to high artistic standards, members of NWRS commit to missing no more than three (3) rehearsals in each concert preparation sequence. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Artistic Director.
Attendance is mandatory for the following: a) the final Monday rehearsal before concert weekend; b) the rehearsal the afternoon of the Saturday concert; and c) the Saturday concert and Sunday concert.
NOTE: In May 2026, we will hold Saturday afternoon AND evening rehearsals (with no concert) and present one concert on Sunday. We will endeavor to provide a similar schedule in both December and May, but please see details under “Spring 2026” below.
Please note all concert weekend and extra performances as described in the schedule information below.
Exceptions to the attendance and performance participation policy may be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Artistic Director (primarily for illness or other unforeseen circumstances). All decisions about participation made by the Artistic Director are final.
Dates and Commitments
Season At-A-Glance
For a PDF with dates at-a-glance for rostered 2025-2026 singers, select this link. The document will be updated as needed.
Fall 2025
Like many of our holiday concert programs since our founding in 2001, this year’s repertoire will be wide-ranging. This year’s theme is CAROLS AND LULLABIES featuring Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest by Conrad Susa, for choir, harp, marimba, and and guitar. Cherished pieces from past seasons, representing a variety of genres, will also be presented as we celebrate our 25th season. To see what our NWRS holiday program is like, you can access our December 2023 concert program at this page, and our December 2022 concert program at this page. For our 2024-2025 season, we produced professionally-designed and printed booklet programs with photos, texts, program notes, and more and will continue this for 2025-2026.
Tacoma Rainiers game national anthem performance
Friday, September 5; evening call time and run-through 6 p.m. at Cheney Stadium (game begins 7:05 p.m.)
Please plan to participate if at all possible. It’s important that we have a balanced choir as we honor our nation with the anthem and present our ensemble to the community.
Fall kickoff retreat
Food, music distribution, rehearsal, Board info and choir business
Saturday, September 13 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church
Monday rehearsals
September 15 through December 8, from 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church
No rehearsal: Monday, November 24 (week of Thanksgiving)
December concert weekend
Saturday, Dec. 13 rehearsal: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church
Saturday, Dec. 13 call time: 6:45 p.m. for 7:30 p.m. concert at Christ Episcopal Church
Sunday, Dec. 14 call time: 2:15 p.m. for 3 p.m. concert at Christ Episcopal Church
Spring 2026
Our May 2026 concert will celebrate the 25th anniversary of NWRS! The concert will include selections from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (two piano and percussion version). Additional repertoire for this festive occasion will highlight favorites from past seasons, including selections with chamber orchestra. Past singers (“alumni”) of NWRS will be invited to rehearse shortly before the concert and then join current NWRS singers at the end of the program.
Spring kickoff retreat
Food, music distribution, rehearsal, Board info and choir business
Saturday, January 24 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church
Monday rehearsals
January 26 through May 11, 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church
No rehearsal: Monday, February 16 (Presidents Day)
Rehearsal location TBA: Monday, March 30 (Christ Church reserved for Holy Week)
No rehearsal: Monday, April 6 (Day after Easter)
May concert weekend: 25th Anniversary Concert
Saturday, May 16: Afternoon and evening rehearsal/run through at University of Puget Sound, Schneebeck Concert Hall (see below).
VERY IMPORTANT: Choral and instrumental rehearsals will be scheduled the afternoon AND evening of May 16. Please hold Saturday, May 16 from 12 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so that we can be flexible with our venue when they open their calendaring process. The choir will rehearse for approximately 2 hours PLUS an additional run-through of the entire concert. We do not yet know if the venue can accommodate us to parallel the Saturday schedule in December (see above). Thank you.
Sunday, May 17 call time: 2:15 p.m. (on risers!) for 3 p.m. concert at at University of Puget Sound, Schneebeck Concert Hall.
Other events
Optional events/programming in past years and under consideration for 2025-2026 include:
Caroling at Proctor Street tree lighting: Sunday, November 30 (6:15 p.m. to approx. 7:30 p.m.)
Caroling at Franke Tobey Jones (retirement and assisted living): Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.
Fundraising gatherings (2024, 2025: wine tasting, raffle at concert)
Movie singalong (past movies include Les Miserables, Mama Mia!); silent movie date in Fall 2025 to be confirmed
Audition Registration
Please carefully review the information below. Use the calendar at the end of this page to schedule your appointment.
Questions? Please contact Kyle Haugen, Artistic Director, at conductor@nwrs.org. Please also reach out if you can’t make the available appointments to learn if other arrangements may be possible.
Audition Requirements
For your meeting with the Artistic Director, please be prepared for the following:
Brief solo. The solo may be an aria, art song, hymn, or simple patriotic song such as “America, the Beautiful” or “The Star Spangled Banner.” The Artistic Director will provide basic accompaniment; if you wish to sing a piece with demanding accompaniment, please bring a pianist to your audition.
Simple vocal exercises to determine range and voice placement.
Tonal memory check: Sing back a series of notes given from the piano.
Sight reading exercises.
Q&A with the Artistic Director.
You must complete the online audition registration (see calendar at https://nwrs.jvalenmedia.biz/audition/) to reserve your appointment.
Schedule Your Audition
In odd-numbered years the entire choir re-auditions after the conclusion of the season (typically in August; sometimes June dates are offered as well). Please note that singers who audition and join NWRS in even-numbered years also re-audition the following odd-numbered year.
The total duration of the audition is approximately 25 minutes, including:
5 minutes before your scheduled slot: Arrival and intake form
15 minute scheduled slot: Meeting with the Artistic Director
5 minutes after your scheduled slot: Informal Q&A with member(s) of the Board of Directors (optional)
Audition appointments are available:
Monday, August 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church
Monday, August 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church
Monday, August 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church
Please schedule your slot abutting an existing appointment. This helps make best use of the time our volunteers donate to serving at auditions. Thank you!
Are all slots full? Please contact Kyle Haugen, Artistic Director, at conductor@nwrs.org.