Nashville Children’s Choir Auditions

A citywide program for boys and girls ages 8 through 18, Nashville Children’s Choir (NCC) is committed to the rehearsal and performance of quality choral music in a positive and affirming setting. The choir is housed at Belmont University and is part of Belmont Academy, the pre-college program of Belmont University. After auditions, children are placed in a choir appropriate for their age and musical development. To request information regarding the next round of auditions, please email ncc@belmont.edu for details.

Next audition: May 6th, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. | Belmont University

The choir fills a dual role as a quality choral organization and as an ambassador of goodwill, performing throughout Middle Tennessee with groups such as Nashville Opera, Nashville Symphony, and Nashville Ballet, and with Nashville recording artists. NCC has also sung in cities around the country, in Costa Rica, and on the national broadcast of Christmas@Belmont.

After auditions, children are placed in a choir according to their vocal development, ability to focus, and emotional maturity at the time of the audition. Children should be at least 8 years old and be entering 2nd grade through 12th grade at the time of the audition. In subsequent years with NCC, children may be promoted as their skills, vocal maturity and social maturity increase.  

The choir year begins in August and concludes in early May. Rehearsals are Monday afternoons from 4:30-6:00. Performance opportunities include singing at end of semester concerts; older choristers may perform additional times. 

Neither prior choral experience nor the ability to read music is necessary to audition, and a child does not need to prepare an audition song. During the audition, an NCC director will lead a small group of children to sing—both as a group and individually—vocal exploration exercises and familiar songs which we will review, such as “Happy Birthday.” The audition is not a stressful situation, and parents are invited to sit in the back of the room and observe if they wish. The directors watch and listen for tuneful singing, evidence of musical aptitude, and demonstration of the child’s ability to focus, follow directions, and work in a group setting.

The audition itself will only take about 15 minutes, but families will need to plan on a total of about 45 minutes. The auditions will be held in the lower level of the Massey Performing Arts Center on the Belmont campus. There is visitor parking adjacent to the building. Questions?  Email ncc@belmont.edu.