Ensemble involvement at Lee University is one of the highlights of the School of Music. With a strong history of over fifty years of dynamic ensemble offerings, instrumental and vocal ensembles are open to all interested and qualified students regardless of major. Most university music ensembles require an audition, unless otherwise noted, and provide musical and ministry experiences that mold the college experience for our students. Ensemble auditions are held at the beginning of every semester.

Instrumental

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Jazz Ensemble

The Lee University Jazz Ensemble performs traditional and recent literature for the traditional Big Band.
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Percussion Ensemble

The chamber percussion experience is essential to the percussionist's training and allows students to experience repertoire from contemporary genres to world music and improvisation.
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Symphonic Band

The Lee University Symphonic Band has performed at leading churches across America, ministering in venues large and small, both in the United States and the eighteen foreign countries where they have conducted missions trips on five continents.
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Symphony Orchestra

Performing a wide variety of orchestral literature, this ensemble of select instrumentalists is led by critically acclaimed conductor Robert Bernhardt.
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Wind Ensemble

Under the direction of renowned composer and national band clinician Dr. David Holsinger, this group is committed to the highest level...
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Vocal

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Campus Choir

For more than 50 years, Campus Choir has been a Christ-centered auditioned touring choir, performing at the university as well as...
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Choral Union

Choral Union performs choral music and major masterworks for mixed chorus and orchestra.
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Chorale

The Chorale is an ensemble of highly motivated vocalists who are selected by audition. An emphasis is placed on the diversity and breadth...
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Evangelistic Singers

Lee University Evangelistic Singers is a forty-six member ensemble from Cleveland, Tennessee.
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Festival Choir

The Lee University Festival Choir is comprised of approximately 350 singers drawn from each of the seven choral ensembles at Lee University.
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Ladies of Lee

The Ladies of Lee offer vocal performance opportunities to approximately 55 women seeking to express their creative talents...
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Lee Singers

Lee Singers is an auditioned mixed choral ensemble of 45 vocalists and 9 band members. This dynamic choral ensemble tours...
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Music & Worship @ Lee

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Musical Theatre

Lee University offers a minor in musical theatre in a collaboration between the School of Music and the theatre program in the Department of Communication Arts.
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Voices of Lee

The Voices of Lee is a 16-member a cappella ensemble characterized by a unique variety of lush vocal harmonies, high-energy patriotic numbers, fun-filled audience participation, and heartfelt gospel favorites.
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The Lee University School of Music exists to provide professional music instruction and mentorship in the context of a Christian liberal arts education. Its goal is to inspire and equip students to become excellent musicians, outstanding thinkers and articulate advocates for music in their diverse callings, for the sake of others, and in service to God's Kingdom.

School of Music Statement of Purpose

To achieve its goal of inspiring students, the School of Music immerses them in the formative experience of making music with others and for others, fostering creativity; and it provides deep, engaging encounters with great music, all under the mentorship of music professionals and scholars who are committed to the mission of Lee University. To achieve its goal of equipping students, the School of Music provides one-on-one studio instruction, ample opportunities for solo and ensemble performances, and classroom instruction in music history and literature, theory and analysis, musicianship, and a host of discipline-specific subjects.

The School of Music serves the University campus and the broader community by maintaining a variety of music ensembles that are open to interested and talented students and community members, by providing music for chapel and other worship services, and by offering frequent high-quality concerts performed by our own musicians as well as by guest artists. No matter the context, the School of Music believes that the ultimate purpose of music is to honor God, and that the appropriate response to the experience of music is gratitude and adoration for the Creator, who is the source of every good and perfect gift.

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In accordance with standards for health and safety of students, faculty and staff detailed by the Lee University School of Music’s programmatic accreditor, the National Association of Schools of Music, several resources have been made available to educate musicians on hearing, vocal, and neuromuscularskeletal health, as well as overall wellbeing. The School of Music also works in conjunction with the Lee University Counseling Center and Health Clinic in order to ensure student, faculty and staff safety and wellness. Click below for helpful resources in a variety of areas.

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2019-2020 Season

Conor McDonald, Baritone

Conor

Friday, October 4 | Squires Hall @ 7:30 p.m.

Baritone Conor McDonald has been praised for his “standout performance . . . whose robust voice filled the hall with a clear, glimmery richness” (Schmopera). He most recently performed the roles of Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore with Anchorage Opera, the Marquis in La Traviata with Atlanta Opera, and Merlin in Gluck’s L’île de Merlin with Wolf Trap Opera.

 

 

 

Warp Trio

Warp

Monday, November 11 | Pangle Hall @ 7:30 pm

Not your typical piano trio, the Warp Trio (Mikael Darmanie- piano, Ju Young Lee- cello, and Josh Henderson- violin) is an internationally touring cross-genre chamber music experience. Warp Trio combines original material, dynamic interpretations of popular music, improvisation, and unique takes on classical favorites. Reflecting the combination of Juilliard trained members, juxtaposed with members steeped in rock and jazz styles, the one of a kind trio is known for their electrifying public performances.

 

 

Frances Luke Accord

BW-FLA

Tuesday, January 28 | Dixon Center @ 7:30 p.m.

When Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers put their songs and voices together, there is a delicate and powerful magic that commands the room to attention. The multi-instrumentalist indie-folk duo is known as Frances Luke Accord, and they are what NPR’s Mountain Stage calls “the definition of lean-in music.” Rich, up-close tenor harmonies lend their timeless songwriting an urgency that is compared to Simon & Garfunkel, Bon Iver, and Jose Gonzalez.

Light refreshments and hot cocoa will be served following the concert.

Tickets are available online at: https://www.showclix.com/event/performing-arts-series-frances-luke-accord

 

Beijing Guitar Duo

Quitar-Duo

Tuesday, February 4 | Squires Hall @ 7:30 p.m.

Praised by the distinguished Classical Guitar Magazine as “having the star potential to serve as inspiration for new generations of guitarists to come,” Beijing Guitar Duo made their New York debut in Carnegie Hall in 2010. Composed of guitarist Meng Su and Yameng Wang, Beijing Guitar Duo has performed around the world in halls such as Concertgebouw, Palau de Musica, Tchaikovsky Hall, and the National Theatre in Beijing.

Tickets are available online at: https://www.showclix.com/event/beijing-guitar-duo

Scholarships are available to students who major in the discipline of music, as well as to the general student body. Other forms of financial aid are also available through the Office of Student Financial Aid. Music students with high academic standing are encouraged to pursue every available type of funding for college, especially the honor scholarships and those pertaining to academic achievement.

The Music Scholarship Committee makes scholarship recommendations based on the results of School of Music auditions. Students awarded music scholarships will be notified in writing by the Dean of the School of Music. The response form enclosed with the music scholarship letter must be signed and returned to the office of the Dean of the School of Music before the semester in which the student is to receive the scholarship.

The Lee University Honor Band is an event for outstanding high school musicians held annually in the fall. Students are selected from numerous high schools throughout the United States, based on individual submissions as well as recommendations by band directors. Honor Band participants have the opportunity to play alongside the high-level collegiate performers from the Lee University School of Music and will receive quality training over the course of the clinic.

Dr. Josh Pace, director of the Lee University Wind Ensemble, serves as clinician for the Honor Band.
Dates

Thursday, November 21 – Saturday, November 23, 2024

Registration will open September 1st, 2024

School of Music Auditions

If you are a high school senior thinking about majoring in music in college, we encourage you to audition for our School of Music while on campus for the Honor Band. Auditions will be held during part of the scheduled rehearsal time. Please contact Dr. Amy Humberd at [email protected], if you are interested in an audition. You should have a prepared solo and be proficient on scales. A brief sight-reading excerpt will be provided. This is a great time to audition to become a music major at Lee University. If you have any further questions in regards to Honor Band at Lee University, please email [email protected].

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The Lee University Festival Choir is comprised of approximately 350 singers drawn from each of the seven choral ensembles at Lee University. This chorus performs at various major university and community events, and has performed alongside the Lee University Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, performing major works by Maurice Duruflé, G.F. Handel, Gusav Holst, John Rutter and Mack Wilberg.

In January 2013, the Lee University Festival Choir performed at the 57th United States Presidential Inauguration at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Directed by: William Green
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A student seeking admission as a music major should have some background in music skills and performance, as well as a desire and commitment to develop these skills within the framework and guidance of the music major curriculum at Lee University.

Students may audition for the School of Music before applying or being accepted to Lee University, but a student must be accepted to the university and to the School of Music in order to enroll as a music major.

Undergraduate Audition Process

  1. Complete and submit the University application for admission.
  2. Schedule an audition online here. Music major auditions are held on selected audition dates. In-person auditions are encouraged, but video audition submissions may be accepted under certain circumstances. Contact Recruitment Coordinator for more information.
  3. Audition for the School of Music. The student will need to follow the School of Music guidelines for music major entrance auditions. During the audition, the student will demonstrate skills that can be developed to enable them to successfully serve as a performer, music educator, music minister, or music entrepreneur. It is necessary for the student to be able to read music.

Notification of acceptance status will be given by letter within two weeks of the audition. Based on the audition, a student may:

  • be given full acceptance into the music major curriculum.
  • be encouraged to enroll as a provisional music major and then re-audition after the first semester of study.
  • be advised to study as a music minor.
  • be advised to study applied music as an elective.

If a student who enrolls as a provisional music major takes music courses and elective applied lessons, and successfully completes one semester of study, he/she may re-audition during the end of semester jury exams. If sufficient progress has been made, the student will be granted full acceptance into the chosen music degree program at that time.

If, in the judgment of the reviewing faculty, the student has not made sufficient progress, counsel from an advisor, area coordinator and/or Dean of the School of Music will be given the student as to what options are available for other educational opportunities at Lee University.

If you have additional questions about the process, please contact the School of Music Auditions Coordinator, Dr. Amy Humberd, by emailing [email protected], or call (423) 614-8675.

Graduate Audition Process

Graduate student auditions by appointment only. To schedule a graduate student audition, click here.

For questions, please contact the Office of Graduate Music at [email protected]

The following guidelines detail what students who plan to audition to major in music should prepare for that audition. There are specific guidelines for specific instruments, which are detailed below. Click each category for the corresponding information. 

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A mainstay in over a century of Lee University history, the School of Music is one of the finest music schools in the southeast. Our faculty and staff are deeply invested in encouraging the musical development of all interested students in an environment that nurtures creative expression, academic excellence, and spiritual growth. Each student in the School of Music receives expert instruction in music theory, history, literature, and performance, with extensive performance opportunities.

We invite you to join us in pursuit of our calling to musical excellence.

Lee University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Look Inside

Take a quick look at the Curtsinger Building, home of Lee's School of Music and the faculty housing our dynamic and close-knit learning community.

Wind Ensemble Concert

Conn Center 150 11th St NE, Cleveland, TN, United States
Free

Concert: Jazz Band

Dixon Center 1053 Church St, Cleveland, TN, United States
Free

Wind Ensemble Concert

Conn Center 150 11th St NE, Cleveland, TN, United States
Free

Concert: Masterworks

Conn Center 150 11th St NE, Cleveland, TN, United States
Free
School of Music

Jordan Narkates

Jordan Narkates came to Lee from Helena, Alabama, to major in music and worship. At Lee, he has immersed himself in a variety of musical pursuits, serving as president of the Lee Singers, tenor section leader of Lee University Chorale, and a member of Lee U Worship. “The Lord ordered my steps and paved the path to Lee since I first visited as an eighth grader,” Jordan says. The highlight of his Lee career to date was being involved on the “Revere,” project, a recording Lee Singers did with Integrity Music. After graduation, Jordan plans to become a full-time worship leader and pursue a master’s degree and a doctorate in worship studies.