Who is Cassiopeia?

Cassiopeia is the energetic and youthful mixed choir of the University of Oulu. The choir, active since 1978, has had a varying number of singers ranging from sixty students to a hundred. In recent times, however, the number has set to approximately seventy.

The choir’s artistic activities are extremely wide ranging. However, the May Day and Independence Day concerts form the core of the choir’s yearly schedule. Additionally, Cassipeia organises a varying number concerts every year. Social activities, such as parties, get-togethers and sports, are also frequently organised within the choir.

Cassiopeia rehearses during the academic year on Wednesdays at 18:00–20:30, usually at the University. These weekly rehearsals are supplemented with weekend choir camps, of which there are usually two during both terms.

Would you like to join us?

New singers are added to our ranks twice a year when we arrange auditions. Information about when and where these will take place will be posted on university noticeboards and our website. Cassiopeia is facing the same challenge all other Finnish mixed choirs are, i.e we never have too many tenor or bass singers. All tenors and basses are encouraged to contact us at any time of the year for a possible private audition!

The audition itself consists of a small interview where we try and get to know you and your background in music for a bit, followed by a vocal warm-up, where we estimate your register. We also test your pitch with excercises involving chords and intervals. Finally, we test your ability to read music. Last of all, we request you to perform a simple song for us. Please do not feel intimidated by all this. All tested persons have lived to tell the tale, and many now sing in the choir!

Productions

Over the years we have had many opportunities to realise productions of smaller and larger scale, both independently as well as in collaboration with different parties. Below is a short list of the most recent ones to give you a clue of our artistic activities:

• W. A. Mozart: The Magic Flute (in collaboration with Oulu Theatre, Oulu Symphony Orchestra and Oulu Chamber Choir), January–February 2023
• Nordic Student Singers’ Summit, May 4–7, 2017, organising choir
• Carl Orff: Carmina Burana (in collaboration with Oulu Symphony Orchestra), October 2014
• Ludwig van Beethoven: 9th Symphony (in collaboration with Oulu Symphony Orchestra), Autumn 2013
• W.A. Mozart: Requiem, Autumn 2012
• Pietro Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana -opera, Autumn 2010
• Aulis Sallinen: Punainen viiva -opera, Autumn 2009
• Gioacchino Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle, Spring 2009
• Christopher Gluck: Orfeus and Eurydice, Spring and Autumn 2008
• Jacques Offenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann, Autumn 2007
• Praga Cantat International Choir Competition: Gold series, Fall 2006
• Ludwig van Beethoven: 9th Symphony (in collaboration with Oulu Symphony Orchestra), Spring 2006
• Carl Orff: Carmina Burana, Autumn 2004, Spring 2007, Summer 2008, Autumn 2014
• Giuseppe Verdi: A Masked Ball, Autumn 2004
• Seppo Paakkunainen: Kaikkeuden ytimessä (opera)
• A tour of Karelia, Spring 2003
• A Christmas Spectacle, Christmas 2001
• Frigyes Hidas: Requiem (in coll. with the Oulu Symphony Orchestra), Autumn 2001
• Kaj Chydenius: The Toppila Cantata, (2001–2002)
• The Budapest International Choir Competition: Silver series, Spring 2001

Contacting us

Exchange students are welcome to join us even for shorter periods. If you want to sing along or just come to watch and see if it looks like fun, you can contact our chairperson (pj (at) cassiopeia.fi).