The Harvard Summer Chorus, founded in 1936, will be led by Harvard’s Director of Choral Activities, Andrew Clark, in Summer 2025. The ensemble is open by audition to Harvard Summer School students, Harvard affiliates (ID holders), and members of the community, including local high school and college students.

This year, the Summer Chorus will present the New England premiere of Dan Locklair’s Since Dawn (1995). The work sets Maya Angelou’s poem, “On the Pulse of Morning,” written for the 1993 Inauguration of President Bill Clinton. In addition, the ensemble will commemorate the centennial of the late composer and conductor, Alice Parker, performing several of her well-known arrangements, alongside works by Gwyneth Walker, Shawn Kirchner, and Lukas Foss’s Psalms (1955).

Participation is free for Harvard Summer School enrolled students, and costs $25 for Current Students (scores only), and $150 for Community Members

The culminating performance is scheduled for the evening of Friday, August 1 in Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall.

Rehearsals are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:15pm to 9:30pm, in Sanders Theatre, starting Thursday, June 27.

Summer School students will audition live at Sanders Theatre in the evening of June 24. The audition consists of singing a simple melody and a few vocal exercises. Sign ups will go out in May.  

High School students, College students, and Community Members will be asked to submit a video recording singing a patriotic tune (America or America the Beautiful). We will reach out to you with a video submission link in May.

Members of certain Harvard-related and a few other ensembles are exempt from auditioning for the 2025 Harvard Summer Chorus (see website for details). You must still complete the interest form to secure your spot.