Oratorio Society
The Oratorio Society is the symphonic choir of the University of Illinois. Conducted by Dr. Andrea Solya, the ensemble is made up of accomplished singers from many constituencies, bringing together members of the University student body, faculty and staff, and community musicians from throughout the region who join together to perform the masterworks of the choral-orchestral repertory at a high level of artistic excellence.
Recent seasons have included collaborations with the finest local orchestras, including the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, performing such works as the St. Matthew Passion of J. S. Bach, Verdi’s Requiem, Brahms’ Requiem, and the Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky. Oratorio Society is also committed to discovering and presenting important new works. In 2015, they gave the world premiere of Lewis Spratlan’s Of War, and in 2016 sang the regional premiere of August 4, 1964, an oratorio by Steven Stucky.
Concerts and rehearsals are enriched by the diversity of the members’ life experiences — but all the singers of the Oratorio Society share a common passion for musical excellence and a belief in the ability of great choral music to transform the lives of those who perform and those who listen.
For more information about the Oratorio Society, contact Dr. Solya.