UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus China Tour - Summer 2026
Chamber Chorus performing "Ode to Common Things" by Cary Ratcliff in fall 2024.
In Summer 2026, UC Chamber Chorus is going abroad for a 8-day tour to China and we’re counting on your support to ensure all of our students can embark on this once-in-a-lifetime performance experience!
The idea for this tour was born in summer 2025, when Chamber Chorus director Dr. Wei Cheng was invited to participate in the 18th China International Choral Festival (CICF). Besides the festival, Chamber Chorus will perform at various venues in Shanghai and Beijing. Along with our successful concerts and artistic excellence, our chorus will have the opportunity to perform in an environment where high-class ensembles from all the world gather.
We aim to make international touring and cultural exchange an integral part of our curriculum. Our tour to Portugal in summer 2023 was a huge success. Three years later, we are aiming to continue this opportunity for students. Travel prices have significantly risen from previous years. We know the first step lies in creating a financially-inclusive experience for our entire group, regardless of circumstance or background, and we plan to provide financial tour aid for our students. Our journey to grow the chorus and develop our students as musicians and as leaders starts with this crowdfunding campaign. Consider making a gift today!
Who We Are
The UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus is the university's premier concert choir, consisting of 45 singer-musicians competitively selected from the greater Berkeley community, including undergraduate and graduate students and community members. Directed by Wei Cheng, the Chamber Chorus is acclaimed for its readings of early and contemporary music and has performed in venues like Grace Cathedral, Walt Disney Hall, and Carnegie Hall. In 2022, Chamber Chorus won The American Prize in Choral Performance - college/univeristy division (small program) and Dr. Cheng won The American Prize in Choral Conducting - the Dale Warland Award (college/university division). In spring 2019, the Chamber Chorus partnered with Volti and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London under Esa-Pekka Salonen to premiere Dreamers, an oratorio about the stories of undocumented immigrants written by Berkeley alum and award-winning composer Jimmy Lopez. In 2022, Chamber Chorus partnered with the Del Sol Quartet and Huang Ruo to perform Angel Island, a staged production with lighting design. In summer 2023, the chorus went on their first international tour in over 20 years to Portugal, performing in various venues.
A group of our students mix and mingle at our retreat!
The strength of our choir comes from the diversity of our musicians. Our members include underrepresented minorities, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, spanning from graduate students pursuing PhDs in Physics to undergraduates studying Environmental Design to Music majors who plan to turn singing into their career. Our choir is a family, coming together outside of rehearsal at potlucks, retreats, hiking trips, and more.
How Your Support Helps
Performing on this tour will allow our students to develop their leadership skills, to work diligently on complex repertoire, and to collaborate with international musicians, helping to create unity through cultural exchange.
Every dollar from this campaign will go towards funding financial support for our Summer 2026 tour.
Every $500 supports one member's financial aid to participate on the tour. With a goal of $10000, we hope to sponsor 20 students to be able to embark on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Your gift will provide unrestricted support to the Chamber Chorus Fund, a fund that strives to support the Chamber Chorus in the Department of Music, College of Letters & Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Uses of funding include, but are not limited to, tour financial aid, voice lessons, and concert productions. Funding that surpasses the goal will continue to support the operations of the Chamber Chorus.
Support our students by making a gift today!
Chamber Chorus performs Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 along with University Chorus and UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra.
Follow Us on Social Media:
UCB Choral Program Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UCBerkeleyChoralProgram/
UCB Choral Program Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ucbchoralprogram/
UC Berkeley Music Department Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ucbmusicdept/
$25
Digital Shout Out
You’ll be given a digital shout out in one of our written campaign updates!
$50
Video Shout Out
You’ll be given a shout out in one of our video campaign updates!
$100
Blue Recognition + Recording
You’ll be recognized in print as a Blue Level donor in our Spring 2026 concert programs and be given an exclusive recording of one of the season's concerts + lower level perks!
$250
Gold Recognition +Original Art
You’ll be recognized in print as a Gold Level donor in our Spring 2026 concert programs and receive a customized card with original abstract art from the music director (signed by the whole choir) + lower level perks!
$500
Preferred Seating
You’ll be given preferred seating at one of our Spring 2026 choir concerts in Hertz Hall + lower level perks!
$1,000
Behind-The-Scenes
You’ll get to sing along at a Chamber Chorus rehearsal and meet our students + lower level perks!
$2,500
Be Our Guest!
You'll be invited as a special guest to have a meeting with our music director + lower level perks!
