Knox College Players

The Knox College Players, founded by Bram Wayman in 2023, is the sister ensemble to the Knox College Choir: a chamber orchestra that plays with the KCC in large-scale choral-orchestral works. A rarity among universities in the United States, and virtually unknown in small liberal-arts colleges, the opportunity to play in this ensemble is one of the many aspects of the Knox music program that sets the College apart. The Players are directed by Dr. Bram Wayman.

The repertoire of the Players varies each term, and, likewise, so does its roster. The KCP is rarely an entire standard orchestra: some performances call for a full battery of percussion, others just brass, some only strings and harp. Students in the Knox College Players are versatile musicians! They encounter different styles, and match them with diverse musical skills. Instead of rehearsing every week, the Players gather only in the days before a Knox College Choir concert, the way professional instrumentalists do. Students work directly with Dr. Wayman to prepare for performances.

The Knox College Players offers a special arrangement: the opportunity to play, every term, alongside the strongest professional classical musicians in the region. This is thanks to Knox College’s partnership with the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, Galesburg’s professional orchestra. The KCP’s roster is partially filled by players appointed by the Symphony. If you join the KCP, you will learn ways of making music from their expertise that you won’t find in the classroom.

Membership in the Knox College Players is by audition. If you’re intrigued, email our Director, Dr. Bram Wayman, today!