Sing with us!

If you’re looking to join a friendly, committed chamber choir that sings challenging and rewarding music under a professional conductor, Cuore might be your new choral home.

Cuore at a Glance for Prospective Members

If Cuore sounds like your kind of choir, we’d love to hear from you.

About You

• Do you want to continue singing at an elite amateur level, perhaps after graduating from college or moving to Dublin? Many of our singers joined Cuore after moving to Dublin or graduating from university/conservatory choirs. If you’re looking for a musical home and a ready‑made community, you’ll fit right in.

• Would you like to sing rewarding and challenging classical repertoire under a professional conductor, perform Irish and world premieres in beautiful venues, compete and tour internationally, and make award-winning recordings?

• Do you have have good vocal technique & musicianship?

• Have you sung recently with a high-level unaccompanied choir?

• Are you available to rehearse from 7:30pm on Thursday evenings in central Dublin 2?

• Would you like to be part of a friendly committed group with a wide range of ages and nationalities?

Cuore seek advanced choral singers, as we prepare for upcoming performances. Although we are always interested in hearing from experienced high-level ensemble singers, we currently have a particular vacancy for a low bass. Our plans for 2026 include a spring concert of contemporary choral music, including Irish and world premieres, and recording sessions for our first album.

Is it for me?

Although we are a voluntary choir, we are committed to high standards. New members have generally had musical training and recent experience with accomplished chamber choirs. Many of our singers have degrees in music and conduct other groups or teach music in schools, conservatories and universities. Some pursue ongoing vocal study, some sing on Dublin’s chuch “dep” circuit or as occasional soloists; others are good old-fashioned dedicated amateurs.

A new singer joining Cuore will typically have/seek:

1. Formal musical training and a strong vocal technique
   New members have typically had singing lessons and sung with small high-level choirs including university/conservatory choirs, other internationally competitive choirs, cathedral choirs, and even fully professional choirs.

2. Confident sightreading skills and confident holding a line 1-to-a-part (not reliant on their neighbour who may be away one week!)

3. Excellent “personal admin”
   Replying promptly to fixing emails, surveys, punctuality and so on.

4. Reliable and conscientious
   Honouring commitments to projects and making time for individual practice between rehearsals. Recognising the team aspect of what we do.

5. Willingness to contribute to the running of the group
   Admin is handled by a small committee and other volunteers from within the group, with a significant workload to make it all happen. At audition we may ask you how you’d plan to contribute.

If you are an emerging singer, we are also interested in your trajectory and potential. Even if you’re not quite what we’re looking for, there’s no harm applying; we may be able to suggest other groups to consider.

All ages and backgrounds are eligible and welcome to apply. The present group ranges from college students to retirees, with most aged from their twenties to fifties. Subsidised memberships are available to foster participation from all socioeconomic groups.

How to Apply

Submit our audition form. To give yourself the best chance of securing an audition slot, please provide relevant detail for each question. And remember to click the click the ‘Submit’ button at the end of the form.

Next Steps in our Audition Process

After completing our audition application form, you should receive an automated copy of your submission by email. If no automatic confirmation email arrives from Google, then you may need to resubmit our audition form.

We will respond separately with audition details. We aim to respond to applications within a week or two during term time. During the summer holidays or approaching a concert, it may take us a little longer. If for some reason you don’t hear back from us, please check your spam folder in case our response has been misfiled. Otherwise, please feel free to follow up with us by email.

Meanwhile, please follow @CuoreChoir on social media, listen to some of our recordings, and explore the rest of our website.

Due to our limited number of vacancies, we are not in a position to audition every applicant. Cuore generally rehearse with limited use of a piano, and the level of musicianship is high. We prioritise applications from experienced singers with evidence of good vocal technique, musicianship and sight-reading.

Auditions take about ten minutes and consist of the following:

1. A brief chat about your musical background and your motivation for joining Cuore.
2. Some range and ear tests.
3. Singing a short extract (~1 minute) from a prepared solo piece of your own choosing which demonstrates your voice to best advantage.
   • An extract from a solo classical song, a folk song, or a classical choral line are all fine - whichever suits you best!
   • An extract from a musical works if you are stuck, but we’ll need to hear that you can sing without belting or excessive/uncontrolled vibrato.
   • You don’t necessarily need to be a soloist; we look for flexible voices with good intonation and the ability to blend with the choir.
4. Sight-singing a page or so from an unfamiliar choral piece
   • You will have a minute or two to look through the sheet music.
     We will also give you your starting note and a chord to establish tonality.

About Us

Cuore are a voluntary mixed-voice chamber choir of about thirty singers, conducted by Amy Ryan, one of Ireland’s most accomplished conductors. Amy has extensive experience directing award-winning choirs and ensembles, bringing a deep understanding of vocal artistry and interpretation. Under her leadership, Cuore has gained national and international recognition, with acclaimed performances and competition successes. Her expertise ensures that every Cuore performance is both musically exceptional and emotionally compelling.

Over the past decade, Cuore has established itself as one of Ireland’s leading chamber choirs, regularly performing at prestigious festivals and concert series at home and abroad. In that time, we have attracted singers from every continent except Antarctica. Members include current and former professional singers, music teachers, conductors of other choirs, academics (including music), professionals working in other disciplines, college students, recent graduates and retirees.

Now celebrating our tenth anniversary, we have built a reputation for artistic excellence, dynamic performances, and an innovative approach to choral music. Known for our versatility and expressive interpretation, we perform a diverse repertoire ranging from early polyphony to contemporary classical works, including world premieres.

Our 2024 autumn/winter term included vocal workshops with Aisling Kenny and Eimear McCarthy Luddy (Vocology Ireland), a solo charity performance on the National Concert Hall main stage, candlelit carols for charity in the Pepper Canister Church, and our own Christmas concert, topped off by winning Best Overall Choir and Best Contemporary Irish Work in RTÉ lyric fm’s ‘Choirs for Christmas’ competition.

If you are interested in fulfilling your choral ambitions, we would love to hear from you!