Small Ensembles | School of Music

When you get involved in music at UNI, you’re not only able to join a large ensemble and play with dozens of other student musicians, you’re also offered the chance to participate in smaller, more specialized ensembles. Take a look at the individual ensemble pages to find out more about all the opportunities you’ll have when you get involved!

Chamber Music

Playing chamber music can be one of the most fulfilling experiences available to musicians of almost any level of accomplishment. Instrumentalists engaged in chamber music develop and apply skills of interpretation, collaboration and communication.

Student chamber ensembles who...

rehearse regularly
are coached by a member of the music faculty
perform as an ensemble

...may earn credit for their participation.

Student chamber groups may be formed at the initiative of the students involved or in consultation with a faculty coach. Group members are responsible for scheduling their own regular rehearsal time and will coach weekly with a member of the faculty. Each group will perform at least a significant portion of the work they study. Appropriate venues for this performance include seminars, student recitals, specially designated chamber music recitals or other public performances in the community.

Contact Hannah.Porter-Occena@uni.edu for more information.

Clarinet Ensemble

To learn more about the Clarinet Ensemble, contact amanda.mccandless@uni.edu.

Flute Choir

The Northern Iowa Flute Choir was formed in 1986 by former UNI professor Angeleita Floyd for students to develop their ensemble skills, perform challenging repertoire and to synthesize the music making experience. The Flute Choir uses instrumentation spanning the six-octave range of the flute family, featuring piccolo, “C” flute, alto flute in “G,” bass flute and contra-bass flute. The Flute Choir has performed for numerous functions within the School of Music, the university and the surrounding community. Performances include the GBPAC Gala Grand Opening Concert, Scholarship Benefit Concerts, Northern Festival of Bands, Christmas Camaraderie, dedication of the Great Reading Room—Seerley Hall, UNI Foundation luncheons, Sartori Hospital Festival of Trees, Hartman Reserve Fall Festival, Cedar Valley Nature Trail Concert Series and numerous Iowa Flute Festivals. The ensemble consists of music majors and non-music majors alike and provides a challenging opportunity for flutists to explore the Flute Choir repertoire. The Northern Iowa Flute Choir is featured on YouTube performing Ian Clarke’s “Within!”

For more information, contact Hannah.Porter-Occena@uni.edu.

Horn Choir

The University of Northern Iowa Horn Choir was founded in 1982 by Dr. Thomas Tritle, professor emeritus of horn at UNI, who served as its director until his retirement in 2006. From 2006 to 2020 the group was directed by Dr. Tina Su, assistant professor of horn at UNI. It is presently composed of about 20 hornists from around the state of Iowa. Its philosophy is to serve not only UNI horn students but to offer performance opportunities for the horn-playing community at large, its membership consists not only of UNI horn students, but a number of the area's professional performers, teachers, alumni, talented high school students and recreational horn enthusiasts.

The ensemble has premiered many original compositions and transcriptions, and has offered many UNI horn students their first public conducting experience. The group typically performs large ensemble horn choir pieces as well as smaller chamber horn groups such as duets and quartets. In addition to its two yearly concerts at UNI, the ensemble's appearances range from a recent Midwest Horn Workshop to church services, performances with the UNI International Dance Theatre, at the University of South Dakota, and two concerts for the Iowa State Bandmasters Association Conference. The Horn Choir joined with the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony in their 2000-01 season opener, performing the hunting horn choruses to Etienne Méhulís La Chasse du Jeune Henri.

For more information, contact music@uni.edu.

Laptop Ensemble

Laptop Ensemble is a chamber ensemble focused on the use of laptops and electronic instruments in performance. The ensemble explores non-traditional scores (graphic and animated scores), free improvisation and works composed by ensemble members. Typical topics of conversation include human-computer interaction, sound synthesis and processing, coding, score interpretation/adaptation, technology troubleshooting, performance practice, improvisation and composition for electronic instruments. No previous electronic music experience or audition is required. Email daniel.swilley@uni.edu if you have questions.

Modern Band & Creative Music Making

In Modern Band and Creative Music Making, students are grouped into modern bands where they write and perform music in popular music styles such as rock, pop, hip hop, country, metal, punk, etc. Prior musical skills are not required. In Modern Band and Creative Music Making, students learn beginner skills on all instruments. The ensemble uses a student-centered approach where students make all the decisions from which music to do to who plays what role. Bands perform covers as well as original songs and each semester concludes with performances on and off campus. Modern Band and Creative Music Making is open to all students. Contact Kevin Droe at kevin.droe@uni.edu for more information.

New Music Ensemble

New Music Ensemble is an instrumental ensemble focused on the music of our time. The ensemble explores Sound Painting (a live-composing sign language), free improvisation, contemporary playing techniques, non-traditional scores (graphic and animated scores as well as game pieces), open instrumentation works, student composed works and standard contemporary literature depending on available players. Typical topics of conversation include new music performance as it relates to performance practice, entrepreneurship, outreach, improvisation, performing with technology and contemporary literature. No audition or previous new music experience is required. Email daniel.swilley@uni.edu if you have questions.

Percussion Ensemble

Percussion/marimba ensembles have been a curricular offering at the University of Northern Iowa since 1972. All percussion majors as well as many non-majors participate in weekly rehearsals and concerts each semester. The ensembles have taken many tours throughout the state of Iowa and have also performed in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago areas.

In addition to several "home" concerts each year, the UNI Percussion/Marimba Ensembles perform at the annual Iowa Percussive Arts Society Days of Percussion hosted by various colleges and universities in the state. The Percussion Ensembles appear on two international CD’s.

For more information on percussion ensemble contact matt.andreini@uni.edu.

Sample Repertoire

Junctures (1991, Iowa Première) - Ted Piltzecker
Toccata for Percussion (1942) - Carlos Chavez
Symphony for Percussion - Stanley Leonard
Gainsborough - Thomas Gauger
Three Patchen Songs (1984, World Première) - Mary Badarak
Of This Same Beauty (1983, World Première) - Mary Badarak
Lift-Off (1977) - Russell Peck
Ostinato Pianissimo - Henry Cowell
Ritmicas No. 5 & 6 - Amadeo Roldan
The Greenfly (1987, World Première) - Janika Vandervelde
Dance Music Two - Peter Terry
Teufelstanz (1988, U.S. Première) - Nancy Van de Vate
Three Views from the Hill (1993, World Première) - Jeremy Beck
Signals (U.S. Première) - Torsten Nilsson
Krakow Concerto (U.S. Première) - Nancy Van de Vate
Double Music (1941) John Cage & - Lou Harrison
Take That (1972) - William Albright
Fugue (1933) - William Russell
Sleep and Walking (1993) - Ben Johnston
The Floating Bubble (1994) - Ron George
Kopeyia (1995) - Jeremy Beck
An Idyll for the Misbegotten (1986) - George Crumb
Pulse (1938) - Henry Cowell

Taiko Ensemble (Kaji Daiko)

The UNI Taiko Ensemble - Kaji-Daiko - made its debut on September 26, 2008, at the School of Music Russell Re-dedication and the Scholarship Benefit Concert in the newly renovated Russell Hall Bengtson Auditorium. The ensemble plays on thirteen hand-made drums from www.taikos.com - shime-daikos, okedo-daikos, katsugi-daikos and a five-foot hira-daiko. Our Happi coats and belts are from www.happicoats.com. The headbands can be found at www.jun-gifts.com.
For more information, contact matt.andreini@uni.edu.

Trombone Choir

The UNI Trombone Choir/Trombone Society rehearses weekly and consists of UNI majors and minors. Its purpose is to refine ensemble skills, perform challenging literature and provide an entertaining performance outlet. The famous composer Hector Berlioz was quoted as saying "a group of trombone players could emote the entire spectrum of emotion in music."

For more information, contact Anthony.Williams@uni.edu.

UNITUBA

UNITUBA is among the oldest tuba and euphonium ensembles in the world. Comprised entirely of tuba and euphonium students at the University of Northern Iowa, the ensemble rehearses weekly and is a credit ensemble in the school of music. UNITUBA was formed in 1974 by former UNI faculty member Donald Little. Previous directors have included Dr. Stephanie Ycaza, Dr. Jeffrey Funderburk, Fritz Kaenzig and Brian Book. UNITUBA performs regularly on campus at UNI as well as around the state. The ensemble has been featured in performances at the International Tuba and Euphonium Conferences in Lexington, Kentucky, and Knoxville, Tennessee. UNITUBA has also performed at ITEC Regional Conferences at Illinois State University, Bowling Green State, Iowa State and Gustavus Adolfus College as well as on tour with the UNI Wind Symphony in Hungary and Italy. With a repertoire ranging from transcribed works of the Baroque and Classical era to original compositions, performances are an eclectic mix of musical styles.

For more information, contact music@uni.edu.

West African Drum Ensemble

The UNI West African Drum Ensemble (UNI-WADE) was formed in the Fall of 1997. It is now a continuing course offered through the School of Music that may be taken for credit. The curriculum includes drumming, dancing and singing from Ghana and Guinea, West Africa. UNI-WADE is comprised of UNI students who are interested in learning and performing the music of other cultures.

The current repertoire is based on the music of the Malinke people from Guinea using jembes, dununs, bells and rattles as well as the Ewe people from Kopeyia, Ghana. The Ewe ensemble consists of drums made in Ghana - sogo, kidi, kaganu, klobotodzi, totodzi, donno, gankogui, axatse and frikyiwa - as well as the master drums - gboba and atsimevu.

UNI-WADE has performed for Martin Luther King, Jr., Kwanzaa and Black History celebrations around the state. In addition the ensemble has presented many school and children's programs in the Cedar Valley and has taped an educational program for cable television. UNI-WADE has also performed for the Northern Festival of Bands, the Iowa Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion in Grinnell, the Iowa Bandmasters Association Convention and Nollen Plaza AFRIKA Festival in Des Moines and the KCRG Variety Clubs Telethon in Cedar Rapids.

For more information, contact matt.andreini@uni.edu.