About Us
We are located in Rio Rancho, but you don't have to be! The Rio Rancho Youth Chorus welcomes middle & high school aged singers of all backgrounds, styles, cultures, orientations, abilities, identities.
No previous chorus experience is required – you just need to love to sing! We accept new members twice a year in January/February and again in August/September. Rio Rancho Youth Chorus is Rio Rancho's only community youth chorus. Everyone is welcome! Tuition is $125 per season, which includes 10-15 sessions of two-hours of instruction and rehearsal and t-shirt. Full and partial scholarships are available. |
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Our PurposeRio Rancho Youth Chorus offers musical instruction in a welcoming, open, and fun environment. RRYC performs various styles of music that will teach the chorus members to learn harmony, recognize and reproduce pitch, have rhythmic accuracy, and be able to focus while the chorus, as a whole, works towards our goals. Through the group’s musical instruction and performance experience, RRYC hopes to instill confidence and self-esteem, skills that will serve our members for life. RRYC unites youth of diverse backgrounds by bringing them together with a common thread of music. RRYC also advances the role of youth in the community by offering a public performance at the end of each season.
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Our Members
We know that there are many kids in our area that are passionate about singing and performing, but as education budgets shrink, so do opportunities for these kids to participate and engage in musical activities. RRYC will teach our members how to sing and make a beautiful sound within a group, to exercise their performance skills, socialize with their peers and the community, and develop skills that will be useful throughout their lives.
Participants are encouraged to bring a prepared audition piece to the audition, though this is not required. |
Our Rehearsals
The RRYC rehearses every Saturday, 2:00pm-4:00pm, September through December, and February through May. Weekly rehearsals at RRYC begin with warm-ups for two purposes: to physically prepare the chorus members’ voices for singing, and to teach vocal technique. After warm-ups, chorus members will spend time working on repertoire for concerts. Chorus members should always have their music and a pencil with them (provided by the artistic director throughout each season). Parents are invited to sit in on rehearsals as observers.
At the end of each season, members' efforts will culminate in a performance for the community. |
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Colin BurdgeArtistic Director
Colin Burdge, an Albuquerque native, has been an avid musician his entire life. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music Performance from Gonzaga University. He has performed as a featured soloist with the New Mexico Symphonic Chorus and the New Mexico Philharmonic, and he continues to perform regularly with Polyphony, Voices of New Mexico. He is a valuable member of the Opera Southwest Chorus, and has performed minor roles in that company's productions of Wagner's Lohengrin and Sciarrino's Lohengrin.
Colin is very involved in Albuquerque community theatre, appearing in lead and principle roles at the Albuquerque Little Theatre, Landmark Musicals and Musical Theatre Southwest. Colin made his debut as a music director on MTS’ production of Nine, and is currently music directing "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" with the same company. Colin has served as Assistant Director for The New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus since 2018, where he is deeply involved in the selection of repertoire, rehearsal process, and vocal coaching for that organization. He also directs the outreach ensemble of the NMGMC, a separate choral group called the QTones. |
Our Rehearsal Space
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"Rio Rancho Youth Chorus is a place for children to express themselves musically and artistically while making friends and participating in great performances.”
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"Like a sport, music provides an environment for children to enjoy an emotional release and to work hard towards a common goal with teammates.”
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"RRYC provides an opportunity for children to round out their education, pursue their artistic interests, and give them confidence in their talents.”
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Aaron Howe, founding artistic director
Chorus during COVID-19 restrictions
Here are some samples of what we were doing virtually!
Encore Performs "Secret for the Mad"
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