Ensembles

The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts offers a wide range of ensembles that reflect its diverse and experimental approach to music education. 

The ensembles are central to students’ hands-on experience, allowing them to collaborate with peers, faculty, and even guest artists across various genres and styles. 

• Brass Ensemble: Ensemble studies for brass, from quintets to dectets or more.
• Percussion Ensemble: Ensemble studies for percussionists, in groups of various sizes.
• Woodwind Ensemble: A performance ensemble dedicated to studies of works for woodwinds. Audition preparation and woodwind fundamentals are also covered.
• Multifocus Ensemble: Cross-disciplinary ensembles in which students from various programs within The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts may collaborate for special projects.
• Collaborative Student Ensembles: Development, rehearsal, and recording of experimental pop music. 
• The Ensemble: Varying in size, this conducted ensemble performs major works from all eras, with an emphasis on recently-composed music.

Contemporary music

• Chamber Music Ensembles: A variety of project-driven chamber ensembles are formed each semester, with faculty and students often playing side-by-side in these groups.
• Contemporary Vocal Ensemble: Study and performance of literature from the 20th and 21st centuries for small groups of singers. Studies of compositions by CalArts students and faculty are included.
• Creative Electronic Ensemble: Interactive languages and the improvisational forms of live electronic music.
• Grids, Beats, and Groups: Musicians networked to share a common temporal context and explore live electronic performance of rhythmically complex music.
• Sonic Boom: An ensemble/band between avant-garde rock, noise, ambient, new music, and other things that fall between the cracks. Explores the hidden tradition of experimental rock music.

Jazz and improvised music 

• Jazz Student Ensemble: A contemporary take on jazz, students explore a wide range of modern and traditional jazz styles, often incorporating improvisation.
• Jazz Faculty Ensemble: Small jazz groups under the direction of Jazz faculty perform regularly on concerts at the Institute.
• Improvisation Ensembles: A coached ensemble exploring free and structured improvisational forms.

World music

• African Music and Dance Ensemble: Instruction in the performance of authentic traditional music and dance of West Africa. These include singing in the language and playing percussion instruments indigenous to the area of origin.
• Balinese Gamelan: Instruction in the techniques of playing Balinese instruments, collectively called the Semar Pelgulingan.
• Baltic Ensemble: Study and performance of Baltic folk music, including recitation songs, antiphonal singing, and part songs.
• Dahomey Women’s Ensemble: Ensemble performing traditional drum repertoire from Ghana.
• Gender Wayang Ensemble: Small ensemble performances by quartet of metallophones as accompaniment to Balinese shadow plays.
• Gong Suling: Balinese Flute Ensemble: Studies of Balinese flute ensemble music, with 16 bamboo flutes of varied sizes and percussion instruments.
• Kecak: Balinese Monkey Chant ensemble.
• North Indian Music Ensemble: Vocal and instrumental performance studies using both Indian and European instruments.
• Persia Electric Ensemble: An ensemble exploring the intersection of ancient and new forms.
• Salsa Band: Latin jazz ensemble.
• Tabla Ensemble: The CalArts Tabla Ensemble draws from the vast repertoire of North Indian tabla, ranging from classical to folk and traditional to contemporary.
• Talking Drum Ensemble: Music of the Dagomba people of Northern Ghana.
• World Percussion Ensemble: An experimental performance group that works toward combining instruments and musical structures from various cultures, integrating improvisation, composition, and performance practice.

More ensembles in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

• Period Instrument Ensemble: An ensemble dedicated to historically-informed performance practice on Baroque instruments.
• Vinny Golia Large Ensemble: Large ensemble performing compositions and structured improvisations.