ENSEMBLES
With over 20 ensembles and dozens of chamber groups spanning genres from classical music to jazz to Asian music and beyond, our beautiful rehearsal and performance halls are alive with activity.
Performance plays a crucial role in the education of music majors and our curriculum capitalizes on exceptional facilities and abundant talent. Special emphasis is placed on developing well-rounded performers who are equally adept as soloists, chamber musicians and large ensemble members.
Ensembles fulfill important degree requirements but may be offered with a non-credit option. You do not need to be a music major to participate in most ensembles. Many ensembles welcome non-majors, as well as UMD faculty, staff and community members. If you are interested in receiving audition information, or would like to learn more about ensembles with non-major participation, please fill out our Non-Music Major Ensemble Information form.
The majority of performances take place in the beautiful The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and receive production and promotional support.
Ensembles
Bands
With performance experiences for music majors, non-music majors, faculty, staff, alumni and local community, our concert and athletic bands are at the intersection of our curricular and community engagement efforts.
Chamber Music
Chamber music is at the core of the School of Music curriculum. The leadership and communication skills essential to chamber music performance empower the musician and lead to the best performances.
Choral Activities
With repertoire spanning the greatest music from the 21st century and five centuries prior, our eight choral ensembles perform at the highest artistic level at venues throughout the country and around the world.
Jazz Ensembles
Encompassing over 100 students, the jazz bands and combos perform repertoire from the traditional and contemporary jazz lexicon. Compositions and arrangements by students, faculty and alumni are frequently featured at performances.
Maryland Opera Studio
The Maryland Opera Studio prepares singers for the future of opera by building vocal and musical skills alongside dramatic and physical skills through practical experience with esteemed resident faculty and visiting artists. Committed to providing all studio members with a wide variety of performance opportunities, the Maryland Opera Studio presents multiple performances a year including a scene study, new work reading, minimally produced fall opera and fully produced spring opera.
Orchestras
Our orchestras offer varied performance opportunities for the UMD community. The ensembles are grounded in the core repertory while looking to the future through the commissioning of new works and the exploration of works by underrepresented composers.
World Music
The four world music ensembles are open to all students and are an integral component of our ethnomusicology program. These ensembles enable students to study music from Bali, Japan, Korea and Trinidad.