Join the Ensemble

NOVA Women’s Choral Collective is a project-based treble ensemble dedicated to thoughtful, community-engaged performance. Rooted in collaboration and artistic excellence, NOVA brings voices together to explore music that speaks meaningfully to the world around us.

We welcome Soprano and Alto singers to join us throughout our season. At NOVA, we believe in a barrier-free approach to high-level music-making: there are no formal auditions. Instead, we invite singers to review the specific musical parameters of each project to determine if the repertoire aligns with their skill set and reading abilities.

How Participation Works

Because our projects vary in difficulty and style, we offer a diverse range of programming to encourage a wide net of participants.

Vocalization Appointments: For certain projects, the conductor may request a brief vocalization appointment to ensure a balanced blend of vocal colors.
Solo Opportunities: We believe in the talent within our ranks; all soloists are selected from among the ensemble members.
Intentional Community: Through collective song, NOVA explores shared human questions, tells meaningful stories, and builds a connected, inspired artistic community.

Winter 2027 Constellations: The Light Between Us

NOVA brings soprano and alto singers together for short-term choral projects centered on meaningful themes. Our project-based model allows singers to participate in ambitious, thoughtful choral experiences without the commitment of a traditional year-long ensemble.

This winter, NOVA presents Constellations: The Light Between Us, a program exploring the ways we find connection, create community, and become sources of light for one another.

Through music, storytelling, and shared experience, CONSTELLATIONS asks us to consider the relationships that connect us and the ways that even small acts of care, courage, and kindness can create something larger than ourselves.

The program will include music by composers including Katerina Gimon, Sarah Quartel, Andrea Ramsey, and others, with repertoire exploring themes of connection, belonging, and community.

Project Structure - Two Ways to Participate

For CONSTELLATIONS, singers will have the opportunity to participate in the full NOVA ensemble or audition for a smaller ensemble that will take on some of the project's more advanced repertoire.

NOVA Ensemble

The full NOVA ensemble remains the heart of the project. Singers will self-select their participation and will prepare repertoire independently between rehearsals. (If you sang in Fire Flowers, the repertoire is NOT as difficult. Whew!)

Because we have a limited rehearsal run, this project requires music-reading skills and a willingness to prepare independently between rehearsals. We will not have enough rehearsal time to teach every note from scratch, so singers should be comfortable learning their individual parts on their own and coming to rehearsal prepared to make music together.

Auditioned Small Ensemble

In order to accommodate a short rehearsal window, we are also creating a small, auditioned ensemble of approximately 16–18 singers who are ready to work at a faster pace and take on some of the project's more advanced repertoire.

This group will rehearse immediately before regular NOVA rehearsals, along with one additional rehearsal, and will also participate fully in the larger NOVA ensemble.

The smaller ensemble is not a separate choir or a different level of NOVA membership. It is an opportunity for singers with strong independent music-reading skills to take on additional musical challenges and leadership within the larger ensemble.

There is no additional cost to participate in the small ensemble. Singers selected for this group will participate in both the small ensemble and full NOVA rehearsals.

Rehearsals - All rehearsals and the performance take place at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens

Saturday, January 9th, 2027
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - morning rehearsal workshop
Sunday, January 17th, 2027
5:00–7:00 p.m. - rehearsal
Sunday, January 24th, 2027
5:00–7:00 p.m. - rehearsal
Sunday, January 31st, 2027
5:00–7:00 p.m. - rehearsal
Sunday, February 7th, 2027
5:00–7:00 p.m. - rehearsal
Sunday, February 21st, 2027
5:00–7:00 p.m. - rehearsal

Performance

Sunday, February 28th, 2027; 1:00 p.m. call time; 3:00 p.m. performance

Participation Fee

The participation fee for CONSTELLATIONS is $35 per singer.

This fee helps NOVA cover music, rehearsal, performance, and project-related expenses. We want to keep participation accessible while also building a sustainable model for future projects. Please reach out to us at novachoralcollective@gmail.com if this fee is a barrier to your participation.

There is no additional fee to participate in the auditioned small ensemble.

Singer Expectations

For CONSTELLATIONS, singers should:

Have music-reading skills and be comfortable preparing music independently.
Come to rehearsals prepared to sing their individual parts.
Attend all or nearly all rehearsals and communicate in advance about any unavoidable conflicts.
Be willing to work collaboratively and contribute to a positive ensemble environment.
Approach the music with curiosity and a willingness to explore the meaning behind what we are singing.

Our goal is to make the most of a limited rehearsal run. Your preparation between rehearsals allows our time together to focus on ensemble, interpretation, connection, and the joy of making music together!