Cal State LA Chamber Ensembles

Classical Guitar Ensemble

The Cal State LA Classical Guitar Ensemble exists to serve students whose primary instrument is the classical guitar by developing and amplifying their talents through practice and performance opportunities on and off campus. 

The classical guitar ensemble performs a wide range of music from Baroque to Contemporary repertoire as well as music of Latin America.  The ensemble not only performs each term as a course requirement, it has become a favorite source of music for events. The Cal State LA Classical Guitar Ensemble is also the Gohar & Ovanes Andriassian Guitar Festival Ensemble, each year performing works by the festival composition competition winners. In 2018 the guitar ensemble initiated a European Tour, and with the generosity of many sponsors and the hard work of the members of the ensemble, toured and gave concerts in London, Rome, Sicily, and Malta.

For more information on the Cal State LA Classical Guitar Ensemble please contact, Satik Andriassian

New Music Ensemble

The New Music Ensemble at Cal State LA serves to give students the opportunity to perform contemporary “non-commercial” music written by professional composers in a wide variety of genres and styles. The bulk of the repertoire is from the past 20 years, but it is possible that music from earlier in the 20th century may be programmed because it fits the theme of a specific concert. Because the makeup of the ensemble varies from semester to semester, repertoire will be chosen that best highlights students’ abilities and includes interesting and well-crafted music that will be enriching for both performers and audience, alike. Participants will sometimes perform in a medium other than their primary instrument or voice, doing things such as speaking, singing, banging on things, etc.

For more information on the New Music Ensemble please contact, Sara Graef.

Exploration Ensemble

The Exploration Ensemble at Cal State LA celebrates diverse life experiences by presenting original productions by students that feature music, dance, and theatre combined with commentary and visual images that explore particular themes often related to one of the College of Arts & Letters values; social justice. 

Previous productions have included “Andalusia: A Concert of Arabic, Sephardic, and Spanish music” (to support students affected by the Muslim ban), “Music of American Immigration” (to support Dreamers after DACA was rescinded), and “Music of Protest” (against racism, misogyny, and the war machine).  The Andalusia concert was also performed for an audience of a thousand at the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple.  

For more information on the Exploration Ensemble please contact Beverly Stein

Trombone Choir

The Cal State LA Trombone Choir performs genres spanning from early Classical music through the music of today. We demonstrate that the trombone can be as delicate as the human voice and as powerful as a church organ. This group is open to all students. If you are interested in joining, please contact Professor MacIntyre!