Youth Choirs – Columbia Choirs of Metropolitan Seattle

Join in the Singing Fun!

Teenagers and pre-teens build advanced musicianship skills and connect with musical peers from different schools. All of our Youth Choirs rehearse weekly from September through June and perform multiple times throughout each season.

Ragazzi

3rd – 6th grade / male-identifying singers
Thursdays / 4:45-6:15pm / Redmond, WA (Education Hill)

What do singers learn in Ragazzi?

Singers in Ragazzi will develop the skills necessary to:
– Hold their part in rounds, partner songs, and beginning two-part repertoire.
– Display a strong sense of steady beat and ability to read and reproduce most rhythms within repertoire.
– Support the singing voice through phrases at both piano and forte dynamic levels.

Learn More about Ragazzi Enroll Today

Lyrica

5th – 7th grade / female-identifying singers
Tuesdays / 4:45-6:45pm / Redmond, WA (Education Hill)

What do singers learn in Lyrica?

Singers in Lyrica will develop the skills necessary to:
– Label solfège when given ‘Do’ in a diatonic melody.
– Identify note names, most articulation markings, and other common score markings.
– Produce a clear tone with relaxed face, jaw, neck and shoulders.

Learn More about Lyrica Enroll Today

Bel Canto

6th – 9th grade / all singers
Tuesdays and Thursdays / 4:30-6:00pm / Redmond, WA (Education Hill)

What do singers learn in Bel Canto?

Singers in Bel Canto will develop the skills necessary to:
– Hold their vocal line in 2-4 part pieces, even when alone on their part.
– Maintain pitch consistently when reading all intervals within diatonic melodies or scales, including large and unusual intervallic leaps.
– Demonstrate a high level of comfortability with all diatonic solfège syllables in major and minor keys and a basic understanding of altered solfège syllables.

Learn More about Bel Canto Enroll Today

Cantabile

9th – 12th grade / all singers
Tuesdays / 6:00-8:00pm / Redmond, WA (Education Hill)

What do singers learn in Cantabile?

Singers in Cantabile will develop the skills necessary to:
– Hold their vocal line in 4-8 part pieces, even when alone on their part.
– Maintain pitch consistently when reading all intervals within diatonic and non-diatonic melodies and scales.
– Identify note names, read in multiple clefs, identify interval and chord qualities, identify most articulation markings, and other common score markings.

Learn More about Cantabile Enroll Today

Looking for choirs for children?

Browse our Children’s Choirs

Looking for choirs for adults?

Browse our Adult Choirs

Experience the Joy of Columbia Choirs!

High-Quality Music Instruction

Columbia Choirs sessions are led by an expert artistic staff with over 80 years of combined experience. Singers of all ages will build musical skills in a fun and engaging way, while experiencing a variety of musical styles and traditions from around the world.

Structured Fun & Creativity

Creative connections through music can reduce stress and help singers of all ages find their voice. This season, our choirs will explore music through music games, musicianship activities, and learning a wide variety of music. No busywork, no stress, our choirs are a safe space for singers to be creative and build confidence.

A Singing Community

Columbia Choirs rehearsals are a non-competitive opportunity to connect with those who share a love of music. We have introverts and extroverts, serious and quirky – anyone who loves to sing can find a place with us. Whether you join us for one year or twelve, or anything in between, you’ll find a welcoming, inclusive community where many voices make beautiful music together.

The enrollment process includes a stress-free Choir Placement appointment geared towards getting to know you and your musical background more.

**Learn more about the Choir Placement process.**

Choir Placement appointments for children and youth singers are about 15 minutes, with one of our wonderful musical staff. Adult singers will meet directly with the conductor of their desired choir. This stage of the enrollment processes is meant to get to know you and your musical background in a stress-free environment. We will vocalize you to better understand your range, vocal flexibility, and music reading experience. See the Choir Placement Process for each age range below for more specifics about what should be expected.

6th – 12th Grades

Choir Placement appointments for these choirs will include:

A conversation with the singer and parents to get to know them better.
Vocal warmups and simple ear training exercises.
Music reading exercises according to your skill level.
Singing of a prepared song (Singer should have one song prepared. This can be anything from an aria to an art song to a simple folk song. We just want to hear you sing!)

Start the Choir Placement Process

New enrollment occurs at the beginning of the season (in August/September) and at the beginning of the calendar year (in December/January). Feel free to complete the Enrollment Form at any time and we will work to schedule a placement appointment at the next available time.

We look forward to meeting you at your audition! Let us know if you have any questions.

Up to 100% Financial Aid is Available to assist with monthly tuition, based on need.

**Learn more about Financial Aid and determine your eligibility.**

Columbia Choirs has a longstanding history of providing financial aid to make choir affordable for any singer that wants to participate. Financial aid is available to reduce monthly tuition payments as well as fees for tours and camps.

Aid eligibility is determined based on the King County Housing Authority standards; aid awards range from 50% to 100% coverage. To determine if you are eligible to receive financial aid, and how much coverage you are eligible to receive, you may use the Eligibility Calculator below. If it is determined you are eligible to receive aid, you will have the opportunity to receive a link to the Financial Aid Application to complete the process.