Kitka Seeks Female Vocalist

Kitka is accepting audition submissions for new singers with strong, beautiful voices and engaging stage presence. We are looking for women who are adept at singing in both open/chest voice and “pure” (light vibrato) head voice styles. Familiarity with Eastern European singing and language and music-reading ability is preferred. Accurate intonation, rhythmic capability, previous performance experience and strong ensemble singing skills are essential.

Singing with Kitka is a musical adventure. We constantly strive for higher and higher standards of artistry and excellence. We perform exciting local concerts and tour throughout North America and travel to Eastern Europe. We teach vocal workshops, host regular master artist residencies to hone our vocal technique and language skills, and collaborate frequently with artists working in different musical traditions and performance media. We are currently venturing into vocal theatre and pushing our own personal and organizational creative boundaries. We record CDs and, occasionally, movie soundtracks. We have an amazing amount of fun singing together and audiences are moved to tears by our performances.

Interested singers should submit required preliminary audition materials no later than August 8, 2014.

We will respond to all applicants by August 15th, at which point top candidates will be invited for a live audition with Kitka in Berkeley, CA.

Preliminary audition materials should include the following:

1.) Statement of interest including biographical information describing your musical/performance background

2.) Audio (MP3) or video recordings (YouTube or Vimeo links) of 2 contrasting pieces demonstrating your skills singing Eastern European music. Ideally, recordings should be unedited and without effects or overdubbing.

3.) (Optional) An additional recording of a piece in any style that will better acquaint us with the range and expressive capacity of your voice. Please limit additional media materials to no more than 5 minutes.

Please submit all materials as links or attachments to an email sent to [email protected].

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF MATERIALS: August 8, 2014

IMPORTANT INFO FOR PROSPECTIVE AUDITIONEES

Kitka singers must live in (or be willing to move to) the San Francisco Bay Area, be available for twice-weekly rehearsals in the East Bay (currently Monday and Thursday evenings), and have general availability for performances on weekends, periodic domestic tours, and occasional overseas tours. Singers’ schedules must be somewhat flexible to allow for participation in these activities.
Kitka’s core ensemble members are part-time employees of Kitka, Inc., a non-profit cultural organization. All of our singers juggle other jobs with the work of the ensemble.
After passing trial and apprenticeship periods, core members share musical leadership of the ensemble and also assist with non-musical tasks that support the ensemble’s work. We are seeking women who are not only fantastic vocalists but also great team-players who understand the unique challenges and rewards of working in a small ensemble.
Audition materials are screened by Kitka’s core ensemble members. Singers who pass the initial phase will be invited for a live audition. For more information about Kitka auditions and membership, call 510.444.0323 or email us at [email protected] .

About KITKA

Kitka is an American women’s vocal arts ensemble inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe. The Oakland-based octet has earned international recognition for its distinctive sound, exploring a vast palette of ancient yet contemporary- sounding vocal effects. The ensemble’s earthy to ethereal timbres evoke an astonishing range of subtle to extreme inner states, instincts, and emotions. Kitka’s commitment to presenting traditional song as a living and evolving expressive art form has led to adventurous collaborations with some of the world’s most exciting indigenous musicians and contemporary composers ranging from Les Mystères des Voix Bulgares to Meredith Monk. Currently celebrating its 33rd season, Kitka began as a grassroots group of amateur singers from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds who shared a passion for the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European women’s vocal music. Since its informal beginnings, the group has evolved into an award-winning touring ensemble known for its artistry, versatility, and mastery of the demanding techniques of regional vocal styling, as well as for its innovative explorations in wide-ranging performance, teaching, and recording activities have exposed millions to the haunting beauty of their unique repertoire.

For more information, visit KITKA’s homepage at http://www.kitka.org.