The University of Michigan Campus Orchestras include two full symphony orchestras: Campus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Campus Philharmonia Orchestra (CPO), and a string ensemble: Campus String Ensemble (CSE). The Campus Orchestra experience is especially designed for undergraduate and graduate students who are not majoring in music. Students from all U-M schools and colleges are welcome. Each section of Campus Orchestras is offered by the School of Music, Theatre & Dance a 1-credit elective.
All sections meet weekly on Wednesday nights at the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance on North Campus during the Fall and Winter semesters. Auditions are typically held during the first or second week of the semester.
The School of Music, Theatre & Dance would like to thank Dr. Clyde and Helen Wu for their vital support to the orchestras. Their support provides the Helen Wu Graduate Fellowship in Conducting, which offers a student conductor the opportunity to manage a full orchestra of student musicians.
Weekly rehearsals for both orchestras are Wednesdays, 7:00-9:30pm in the Moore Building.
This year we welcome Francisco Morales as our Campus Symphony Orchestra Conductor and Elijah Schuh as our Campus Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor.
Auditions will occur August 27th through August 31st in the Moore Building (School of Music, Theatre and Dance). If you would like to audition, please fill out the Registration Form; at the end of your registration, there will be a link to a calendly calendar where you can choose your audition timeslot.
Audition Registration for Fall Term 2025 will open Monday, July 28th at 12:00pm EST. All students auditioning must complete the registration form. This is separate from registering for the course and both are required.
More about auditions can be found on our Auditions Page.
If you are looking for general information for music majors, please visit the SMTD Ensembles Website.