The Madison Singers, under the direction of Dr. Jo-Anne van der Vat-Chromy, is the premier advanced auditioned choral chamber ensemble at James Madison University. The Madison Singers perform a wide variety of musical genres from the Renaissance to the present, and maintains an active and demanding concert schedule, both on and off campus. This ensemble focuses extensively on advanced techniques of singing, as well as choral and harmonic skills. The ensemble has performed many esteemed concerts, most recently at Carnegie Hall in NYC in March 2025, in concert with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in the spring of 2026, and in combined forces with the JMU Choral Area for the Inauguration Ceremony of President James Schmidt. 

The Treble Chamber Choir (TCC), under the direction of Dr. Bryce Hayes, is the select auditioned soprano and alto ensemble. Consisting predominantly freshman and sophomore vocal music majors, this ensemble is designed to provide a platform for the discovery and presentation of often untapped advanced treble repertoire. 

The James Madison University Chorus is split into two different ensembles that perform separately and together throughout the academic year: 

The James Madison University Chorus: Soprano/Alto Ensemble (UCSA), under the direction of Dr. Jo-Anne van der Vat-Chromy, is the non-auditioned ensemble component of the JMU University Chorus for soprano and alto voices. Numbering from 40-60 voices, the UCSA performs music of various styles and genres as appropriate to the needs and levels of the group and is appropriate for the beginning to intermediate collegiate singer who desires voice building and musical training.  

The James Madison University Chorus: Tenor/Bass Ensemble (UCTB), under the direction of Dr. Bryce Hayes, is a non-auditioned ensemble open to all tenor and bass voices at JMU. It is offered especially to non-music majors and music majors alike, focusing on vocal pedagogy, musical training, and high-quality singing, while tapping into Tenor/Bass literature. Modeled after the Harvard and Yale Glee Club tradition, this 30-40-voice ensemble performs both on and off-campus, presenting concerts at churches and retirement communities throughout the local area. 

These two ensembles join forces each semester to present SATB concert music and often collaborate with the JMU Chamber Orchestra for spring semester choral masterworks.  

The JMU Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Christopher Cicconi, is the premier woodwind, brass, and percussion ensemble at James Madison University. With an active performance schedule, the Wind Symphony is committed to performing the great works of the wind band’s core repertoire while also exploring the best of contemporary composition. The ensemble has hosted on-campus residencies with composers David Maslanka, John Mackey, Michael Daugherty, Joel Puckett, Steven Bryant, Donald Grantham, and JMU alumnus Brian Balmages. The ensemble has also presented premieres of faculty composers Jason Haney (Jetpack) and Eric Guinivan (Vicious Cycle), and consortium premiers of Maslanka’s Symphony No. 8, Puckett’s The Shadows of Sirius, Grantham’s Tuba Concerto, Turrin’s The Sounding of the Call, Stamp’s Divertimento, Plog’s Concerto 2010, and Balmages’ Portraits in Bluestone. As part of JMU’s annual Contemporary Music Festival, students have collaborated with composers such as Karel Husa, Joseph Schwantner, Don Freund, Donald Erb, John Harbison, Francis McBeth, Mark Camphouse, Samuel Adler, and Viet Cuong. 

In addition to on-campus concerts, the Wind Symphony performed for the 2015 National Conference of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) in Nashville, TN, the 2025 CBDNA Southern Division Conference in Tampa, FL, and the VMEA In-Service Conferences in 2022, 2015, and 2011. Throughout its tenure, the Wind Symphony has also previously performed at CBDNA regional conventions in New Orleans, Charlotte, Williamsburg, and Greensboro. Graduates of the Wind Symphony hold positions in several of the Washington-based military bands, military post bands, and symphony orchestras throughout the world, and numerous graduates are serving as noted educators and conductors throughout the country.