Instrumental Ensembles

Strings

University Orchestra; Salvatore Scarpa, Director

This full-sized orchestra performs concerts of the standard repertoire, Young Peoples Concerts, and a Pops concert. The group also sponsors an annual soloist competition. Membership is open to University students and members of the community by audition.

String Ensemble; George Atanasiu, Director

The String Ensemble offers a specialized performing opportunity for those playing the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. No audition is necessary and all Rowan students and members of the community who have had string experience may participate. The String Ensemble is also a credit-bearing General Education course.

Winds and Brass

Wind Ensemble; John Pastin, Director

The Wind Ensemble performs two key functions. It prepares instrumentalists for the professional world of large ensemble performance and future teachers in the concepts of band repertoire and performance. During the 75-minute rehearsal three times per week, the director demonstrates standard rehearsal techniques used throughout the profession. Wind Ensemble challenges students and introduces them to standard repertoire as well as new music written for symphonic bands. the focus of the Wind Ensemble is the exploration of university-level repertoire of serious artistic merit. Two concerts per semester provide students with a large and varied body of music requiring the highest level of artistry. Membership is determined by auditions held annually at the start of the fall semester.

Concert Band; Vincent DuBeau, Director

The Rowan University Concert Band rehearses twice each week. This ensemble is open to music majors, non-music majors, exceptional high school students (with recommendation from their high school band director and acceptance by the university director), and community musicians who wish to hone their performance skills. This ensemble was designed to serve as a musical training experience for players who are not quite ready for the ambitious demands placed upon members of the Rowan University Wind Ensemble.

Clarinet Ensemble; Rie Suzuki, Director

The Clarinet Ensemble performs a versatile repertoire of genres from classical to jazz in both small and large group settings. In addition, the course utilizes unique performing opportunities for students to explore all clarinets from the E-flat to the contra-bass. The Clarinet Ensemble, a credited course, is designed for university clarinet majors as well as non-music majors via the audition process.

Percussion

Percussion Ensemble, Dean Witten, Director

Consisting of percussion majors, this ensemble is one of the most active music organizations on campus. Recent tours have included the Eastman School of Music, the University of Delaware, Penn State University, the Queens College (NYC) as well as frequent visits to local public schoos. The group has recorded five CDs and regularly commissions new music.

Guitar Ensemble

The guitar program has been an important part of the music department since 1972. Rowan guitar students may also study early instruments such as the lute, the vihuela de mano and the mandolin. The guitar ensemble performs works for guitar trio, quartet, and larger groups.

Contemporary Music Ensemble

This ensemble performs selections ranging from experimental concepts on the "cutting edge" to more traditional contemporary repertoire as well as improvisation. It also features premiers of works by Rowan student composers.