AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT • 2026–2027 SEASON
SASO Chorus
Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra
Audition Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 • Noon to 5:00 PM
Location: Catalyst Collaborative Arts & Maker Space
4500 N. Oracle Road, Suite 110, Tucson, AZ
Virtual Auditions: Available for those who cannot attend in person
Rehearsals: Tuesday evenings, 6:30–9:30 PM (beginning August 2026)
Rehearsal Venue: Catalyst Collaborative Arts & Maker Space, 4500 N. Oracle Road, Suite 110
Voice Parts: All voice parts (SATB) — all singers welcome
Ensemble Size: 40–60 singers
Interest Form: www.sasomusic.org/saso-chorus-interest
Email: info@sasomusic.org
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About the SASO Chorus
The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra — founded in 1979 and a cornerstone of Tucson’s classical music community — is proud to launch its first-ever chorus for the 2026–2027 season. The SASO Chorus is an auditioned ensemble of 40 to 60 singers that will perform a wide variety of music, from a cappella folk traditions to full orchestral and operatic works.
"Few other opportunities exist for community members to sing such diverse and challenging repertoire," said Chorus Director Robin Lopez-Hanshaw. The chorus will rehearse Tuesday evenings starting in August 2026 at Catalyst Collaborative Arts & Maker Space.
Chorus Director: Robin Lopez-Hanshaw
Robin Lopez-Hanshaw is a composer, conductor, author, and metalworker in bronze and steel based in Tucson. She brings to the SASO Chorus a deep commitment to music that transcends cultural boundaries and a conviction that even ordinary singers can achieve extraordinary musical heights.
Her Tucson choral credentials are extensive. She has composed works commissioned and performed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and wrote a series of pieces for the Tucson Girls Chorus (2016–2019). In 2018, she organized, composed, rehearsed, and conducted an hour-long Chanukah Cantata featuring solos by all of Tucson’s Jewish cantors, performed with SASO at the Tucson JCC. She has served as choir director at Temple Emanu-El (now Kol Ami Synagogue), the Tucson chapter of HaZamir International Jewish Teen Choir, and the UA Faculty-Staff Choir. She also founded and co-directed Camerata Sonora, a chamber choir, for three seasons.
Lopez-Hanshaw studied music composition at the University of Arizona, where she sang in the Symphonic Choir under Dr. Elizabeth Schauer and served as its Assistant Conductor. Her scholarly writing on microtonality has appeared in publications by New Music USA and the International Choral Bulletin (translated into Spanish, French, and German), and she contributed a chapter on musical evolution to Music in Human Experience (2022). She has also composed original scores and sound design for seven theatrical productions by Scoundrel & Scamp and Winding Road Theater Ensemble.
Inaugural Season — 2026–2027
The SASO Chorus debut season features four major programming events:
October 24 & 25, 2026 — “Let All Nations Sing”
Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St., Tucson
Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7:00 PM • Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3:00 PM
An ambitious global choral journey drawing on folk and classical works from 11 countries. The program includes the celebrated Heyr Himna Smidur by Icelandic composer Thorkell Sigurbjornsson, alongside works by four Tucson composers. Repertoire spans Sacred Harp traditions of the American South, music from the Republic of Georgia, Iceland, France, East Prussia, Lithuania, Sicily, Congo, and South Africa, as well as original works by Lopez-Hanshaw, Vargas, Linthicum-Blackhorse, Blakeslee, Aurora Bass, and Kepner-Adney. Chamber orchestra drawn from SASO musicians.
December 5 & 6, 2026 — “Midwinter Lights”
A celebration of the winter season’s many traditions — Chanukah, Christmas, Diwali, and others — including a world premiere by composer Michael Kaulkin. Chamber orchestra drawn from SASO musicians.
Spring — “Lux Aeterna” with Tucson Masterworks Chamber Singers
The SASO Chorus joins the Tucson Masterworks Chamber Singers for a collaborative performance of Morten Lauridsen’s beloved Lux Aeterna.
Spring — SASO Opera: “Die Fledermaus”
The SASO Chorus takes part in SASO Opera’s spring production of Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus.
About the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1979, SASO is a vital community resource that unites performers and audiences through a passion for music. Under the direction of Music Director Linus Lerner, the orchestra presents world premieres, seldom-performed treasures, and classical gems, performing at venues including the DesertView Performing Arts Center in SaddleBrooke and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson. SASO has a tradition of community engagement, international collaboration, and showcasing both emerging and established artists.
Ready to Sing? Auditions Are Open to All.
In-person auditions: Saturday, July 11, 2026 • Noon–5:00 PM
Catalyst Collaborative Arts & Maker Space • 4500 N. Oracle Rd., Suite 110, Tucson
Virtual auditions also available.
Express interest: sasomusic.org/saso-chorus-interest • info@sasomusic.org
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Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra • sasomusic.org • info@sasomusic.org
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