Ensembles at Our School of Music
Crescendo has several ensemble opportunities available at our school of music. Ensemble membership is by teacher recommendation and/or audition.
Chamber Music Ensembles
Crescendo Chamber Ensembles are for students of all instruments including voice interested in exploring chamber music repertoire. Placement in a group is based on playing level and age. Groups include duos, trios, quartets, quintets and more. Rehearsals culminate in a recital.
Ensemble coaches include, Audrey Lipsey (violin), Mark Portolese(violin/piano), Luke Cook (cello), Silvia Sidorane McClish (cello), Jesse Williams (clarinet), Stephanie Measzros (flute), Gabriel Renteria-Elyea (oboe), Dan Willenberg (jazz/piano), Anthony Healy (jazz/piano), and more.
Class Fees:
$20 per one-hour coaching session
(Students not currently taking private lessons at Crescendo will also be charged an annual $20 registration fee.)
Community Voices
Instructors: Corlis Watkins-Nass, Cynthia Cross, and Marcia Working
Led by a board-certified music therapist with assistance from community teaching artists, this program provides teens and adults with a variety of mental and physical challenges a unique opportunity to work collaboratively to learn and perform music.
Class Days and Times:
School-year session meets Thursdays, 4:05-4:45 pm
Class Fees:
This grant-supported program only costs $30 per session
Crescendo Fiddlers
Director: Joanna Steinhauser
Crescendo Fiddlers gives violinists, violists, cellists, bassists, and guitarists of all ages the opportunity to explore their interest in folk fiddle music. The Crescendo Fiddlers perform at a variety of locations, including Farmers’ Markets in Kalamazoo, Springfield, Athens, Vicksburg, Richland and Texas Township, as well as for the Oshtemo Historical Society, the VanBuren Historical Society, the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital, the Scotts Harvest Festival and Old Time Steam Show, and more!
Two to three years of playing experience is usually required to handle our repertoire, which includes fiddle tunes from the folk music traditions of New England, Appalachia, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, and China.
Class Session:
Classes meet in the Jill & Dan Christian Large Ensemble room at Crescendo.
Class Days and Times:
Monthly academic-year fiddle club meets the second Saturday of the month from 1:00-2:00 pm
Summer fiddle class meets Mondays from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Class Fees:
Monthly Fiddle Club is $15 per class
Cost for the summer session is $200
Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra
The Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra is a plucked string ensemble consisting of mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos, guitars, and bass. Membership is gained by audition.
The KMGO was founded in 2003 to revive the mandolin orchestra tradition in Kalamazoo. The orchestra enjoys performing a wide variety of music including classical, ethnic, and “golden era” mandolin orchestra music. The orchestra has premiered original music composed for the orchestra and has sponsored workshops with international mandolin virtuosi.
Class Days and Times:
Tuesday evenings at 7:15 pm
Class Fees:
Registration fee is $75 per year
