Spirito! Singers Holding Auditions for 2017-2018 Season

For Spirito! Singers, music is so much more than notes. It’s more than weekly rehearsals, more than listening to the other sections, more than concerts. For this west suburban choir’s members, music is a way to give back to their communities, to improve themselves and their surroundings by sharing their talents.

“Music increases our emotional bandwidth. That’s what makes it so transformative,” says Spirito! Artistic Director Molly Lindberg. “We want to empower our girls to make a difference in their communities. This is about instilling a lifelong love of music, service and teamwork while inspiring young women to be leaders with high expectations and a yearning for excellence. Each and every Spirito! chorister is considered an instrumental part in that mission, creating an environment of responsibility, respect, and where every individual is valued for who she is.”

Spirito! Singers is pleased to announce open auditions for their 2017-2018 season. Spirito! is a not-for-profit (501c3) choral organization comprised of three distinct, auditioned ensembles:

Bravura - Performance, Touring & Recording ensemble for High School Young Women

Ragazze - Training & Performance ensemble for 5th-8th Grade Girls

Men of Spirito! - Performance ensemble for Men, 18 Years and Up

The Spirito! rosters include singers from fifty-two schools crossing twenty-nine communities. Each ensemble rehearses once weekly and Ragazze singers can choose their location preference: Downers Grove, Elmhurst or La Grange.

The yearlong, multi-level curriculum offered by Spirito! includes the study and development of choral artistry, vocal technique, music theory, and performing style. As part of their weekly practices with the Ragazze ensemble, singers will receive dedicated music theory and

repertoire instruction. Each singer is placed in one of five theory levels with its own instructor and dedicated classroom, in addition to rehearsals with the full youth ensemble.

In addition to formal music training and standalone performances, including winter and spring concerts, each ensemble participates in at least five service performances each year. “We know that local involvement elevates the experience for each of these young girls and underscores the importance of making a difference in their community,” says Lindberg. “Spirito! is more than a choir group – it’s a place for learning, an outlet for service and an environment of responsibility and respect.”

Auditions for the 2017-2018 season are now being scheduled. Singers are encouraged to call immediately to arrange an audition time. There is no need to prepare a piece for the audition. Each audition is scheduled individually and is spent vocalizing as well as checking range and intonation. Bravura singers are assessed for music reading fluency. Ragazze singers are assessed to determine theory level placement. Auditions can be arranged via e-mail at spirito@spiritosingers.org or by calling (630) 581-5440. Please note that financial assistance is available based on economic need.

About Spirito!:

Founded in 2008 by Artistic Director Molly Lindberg, Spirito! is a choral organization comprising two distinct choirs open to young women throughout the western suburbs of Chicago. Based on a 5-level music theory program, the youth choral groups instill formal music training beginning in the Ragazze ensemble, which is available for 5th-8th grade girls, and continue with the Bravura group, comprised of 9th-12th grade young women. Additionally, Spirito! is proud to offer a third choir group – Men of Spirito! – an ensemble of men 18 years and older who perform standalone and with the Ragazze and Bravura groups in major concerts and service opportunities throughout the year. For Spirito!’s members, music is more than an artistic expression, and these ensembles provide over two hundred youth and adult singers a way to give back to their communities while improving their talents and musicianship.

Molly Lindberg, Spirito!’s Artistic/Executive Director, is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor School of Music, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor Degree in Vocal Performance and K-12 certification. She sang professionally with the Grant Park Symphony Chorus under the direction of Thomas Peck; the William Ferris Chorale under the direction of William Ferris, and with the Grammy winning Chicago Symphony Chorus from 1990-2000, under the direction of Margaret Hillis and then Duain Wolfe. Molly served as Music Director at Mary Queen of Heaven Church in Elmhurst, Illinois from 2003-2008 and was a faculty member for the American Federation Pueri Cantores and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians’ Illinois Chapter. Molly is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and is a professional member of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).