Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra

About the WCSO

Seeking to glorify God and minister to others, the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra is a place where music is an act of worship. Here, musicians pursue the highest possible level of artistic achievement in a Christ-centered environment that fosters musical excellence, creativity, and spiritual growth.

Directed by Dr. Benjamin Klemme, the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra (WCSO) performs four full concerts throughout the year and joins other Wheaton College ensembles for the Homecoming Concert, Christmas Festival, and Commencement Celebration Concert. Additionally, WCSO is active in offering music for worship in services on and off campus and performing concerts for school and church communities during regional, national, and international tours.

"The promise of a Wheaton education is that you'll find yourself engaging deeply with the best thinkers and works in your field in the midst of a community of Christians devoted to loving God and each other through the rigorous pursuit of truth and beauty. The Symphony Orchestra is precisely such a community, and the four years that I spent performing in it were truly an indispensable part of my Wheaton experience." - Cameron Harro (’20), horn player

Watch WCSO Performances

WCSO concerts are livestreamed at wheaton.edu/streaming.

Giuseppe Verdi, Overture to “La Forza del Destino”

Homecoming Concert: Sounds of Wheaton
Featuring All of the Conservatory Ensembles
Friday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Edman Chapel

Fall Concert
Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Edman Chapel

Wheaton College Christmas Festival
Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Edman Chapel

Concerto Competition Honors Concert
Saturday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Edman Chapel

Winter Concert
Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Edman Chapel

Spring Concert
Friday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Edman Chapel

Commencement Celebration Concert
Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Edman Chapel

Audition Information

Participation in the Symphony Orchestra is open to all students, regardless of major.  While it is a semester course, Symphony Orchestra musicians are asked to commit to involvement for the entire academic year.

Ensemble auditions take place during the first week of classes every fall semester. Please fill out the Ensemble Auditions Form to indicate your interest in auditioning. A member of the Conservatory of Music community will contact you to schedule an audition time. Audition materials for each instrument are provided below.

Instrumentation: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute (including piccolo), oboes (including English horn), clarinet (including bass clarinet), bassoon (including contrabassoon), horn, trumpet, tenor trombone, bass trombone, tuba, percussion, harp.

Scheduling Your Audition: Ensemble auditions take place during the first week of classes every fall semester. Please fill out the Ensemble Auditions Form to indicate your interest in auditioning. A member of the Conservatory of Music community will contact you to schedule an audition time. Audition materials for each instrument are provided below.

Strings

Brass

Harpists

Percussion

Woodwinds