​About Our Festival
​All 2025 festival activities will be held on the beautiful campus of University of Puget Sound, centrally located in Tacoma, WA. All rehearsals and concert take place in Schneebeck Concert Hall. Overnight participants stay in the college dormitories near the music building (double occupancy). Linens service is available (for an extra fee). Each participant will receive a meal card for university provided cafeteria style meals (offering several meal choices at each sitting). University of Puget Sound is located in Tacoma, WA - a short drive from Seattle, WA and surrounding areas. 

Youth Choir Festival Northwest is a non-competitive festival, with the purpose of creating and sharing beautiful music - connecting choirs from around the United States, Canada and abroad. Each choir has the opportunity to perform individually at the final concert, in addition to learning 3-5 massed choir selections that will be rehearsed with the Festival Guest Conductor. 

Youth Choir Festival Northwest was founded by choir director/music teacher Stephanie Charbonneau - and is presented by Exceptional Choral Events / Northwest Choir Resources, which has a 24-year track record of excellence running the Fort Worden Children's Choir Festival, Northwest Choir Camps, Spectrum Choral Academy and Youth Choir Festival NW.

Extended tour options
Build an extended tour to Seattle or the Pacific Northwest with Youth Choir Festival NW as your core music event. We would be happy to assist you in suggesting additional performance opportunities and school/choir-exchange connections. There are also numerous fun activities to make this the perfectly balanced tour for choirs from all parts of the country and abroad. Here are just a few of our local attractions. 
Advanced Youth Choirs – Participate in a 2-day/1-night festival with one of our nation's leading youth Guest Conductors! 
The Youth Choir Festival NW Concert on Sunday afternoon will feature all choirs individually and combined. Open to all advanced treble & mixed voice (SSAB/SATB) youth choirs (approximately grades 6-12 & college). 
Fee: $295 per person - includes 1 nights dormitory lodging, four meals, one evening social w/snacks (a fun, dress-up themed dance!), t-shirt, all festival activities and more!

Children’s Choirs – Attend one-day only festival on Sunday with one of our nation's leading youth Guest Conductors! 
Spend the day rehearsing with the combined choirs in preparation for a festival concert on Sunday afternoon. Breaks and social activities will be scheduled in. Children's Choirs will perform as part of the Youth Choir Festival NW Concert on Sunday afternoon, featuring all choirs performing individually (optional) and combined with our Guest Conductor. Open to elementary aged singers of all abilities (approximately grades K-6).
Fee: $75 per person – includes Sat lunch & snacks, choir social breaks and all festival activities!
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2025 Guest Conductor: ROBYN LANA
 
Robyn Lana is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and proudly serves on the choral faculty of Miami University. Interpreting choral music for diverse audiences in a way that is relevant to young people while maintaining the highest standards of music education and performance sums up her work.

​Mrs. Lana has served as conductor and clinician across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Lana has served on the choral faculty at Xavier University and has been a guest professor in the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s choral department. 

Level III Orff certified, she has taught in elementary schools, most recently on the faculty of the Montessori Academy of Cincinnati. Lana is the editor of a choral series in her name with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Her book, Voices in Harmony, published in 2017, is a collaborative effort that celebrates many successful philosophies in choral education. She also is also published in Chorister Guild’s The Chorister, Chamber Music America’s CMA Matters, and ACDA’s Choral Journal for which she also served as guest editor of the of three issues.

In addition to serving ACDA at state and regional levels, Robyn has served Nationally as Children’s Choir and Community Youth Repertoire and Standards
Chair and Chair of ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration. She currently serves on the Chorus America Board of Directors.

Read more about Mrs. Lana: www.robynlana.com 
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2024 Guest Conductor: EMILY ELLSWORTH
Nationally recognized as a leader in the field of youth choral conductors, Emily Ellsworth has a passion for the combination of young people and great music. She enjoys an active schedule as guest conductor nationally and abroad. She has conducted all-state choirs and festivals in over 30 states, honor choirs for the Northwest, North Central, Southwest, and Western divisions of the American Choral Directors’ Association, the national children’s honor choir for ACDA’s 60th anniversary conference (2019) and the national honor choirs for the Organization of Kodaly Educators (2013 and 2023). She is on the conducting roster for Manhattan Concert Productions and will conduct a youth festival there once again in June of 2024. International appearances include festival choirs in Ireland, England, Hong Kong, Grand Cayman Island, Greece, and presentations for the national association of choral directors in Brazil.  From 1996-2018, Ms. Ellsworth was Artistic Director of Anima-Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus outside of Chicago, earning several national awards for her work.

She is currently serving as Producer/Artistic Advisor for the documentary, Choral Singing in America: Nurturing the Country’s Soul, to be released in 2024. Collegiate work includes conducting the University Singers at Northwestern University, serving as a visiting Asst. Professor at Luther College for the 2020-21 season, and teaching Conducting III at Elmhurst University.  More information can be found at www.emilyellsworth.net
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2023 Guest Conductor: JIM PAPOULIS
“As a composer I want to explore what makes us human; what makes us considerate; what makes us accepting of others. Through my work, I travel to many parts of the world and work with young people from all different backgrounds. The focus of my work is primarily to write music that captures the voices of youth, the thoughts of youth, the hopes of youth -- their inner strength woven into the lyrics and rhythms.

When I was first asked to compose music for youth choirs, I attended many concerts to learn more about young people -- what they were singing, what they weren't singing, what might work with their voices. I began a journey that quickly evolved into hundreds of workshops; I asked young singers what they liked about music, what made them passionate about music, what moved them, and what they identified with. I was struck with their desire to break from tradition - to explore worlds of helping others - to share their inner voices - to fuse rhythms and chants and body percussion together with lyrics and melodies that were fun to sing, and that meant something to them. That was the main focus of what they wanted -- for the text to mean something to them, and offer something they could relate to. All of my music for children's choir is sung from the vantage point of the person singing it -- the young people. I do my best to write music that answers that desire -- something meaningful that they can relate to -- and something that can expand their horizons, both lyrically and musically.

Through my workshops, I have had the opportunity to work in both affluent and very underprivileged communities. I've tried to learn what the answer is to breaking from the propagation of any extreme, be it wealth or poverty, and find a way to bring us all to common ground as human beings. Education, music, kindness, encouragement, role models, and community involvement are often at the forefront of finding those solutions. Music, especially in a young person's life, can be a bridge to self empowerment, self esteem, cooperation, commitment, and discipline.

​Music is my passion, and music as a vehicle for the creation of a better world is my life's mission. Through the Foundation for Small Voices, we strive to raise awareness and funds for music programs that are suffering, and communities that are without music programs altogether. I firmly believe in the power of music to engage, empower, and inspire young people, and I am dedicated to making joyful and creative musical experiences available to as many young people as possible, and to continue to explore musical worlds that can bridge communities and differences.”
- Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis composes, orchestrates, and conducts music from many genres and is known for work that combines contemporary, classical, and world sounds with contemporary rhythms, voices, technology, and children’s voices. He has written for and conducted hundreds of live shows worldwide for musicians and artists that include symphonies, quartets, pop bands, gospel and children’s choirs, and top talents Celine Deon, Aretha Franklin, Shania Twain, Bette Midler, Faith Hill, Venessa Williams, Maroon V, Tony Bennett and Wynonna Judd.

Recent Commissions: Score for TunaHAKI documentary; Untitled for Brooklyn Ballet Company; Kolenna Sawa in Arabic for ACDA closing concert in Miami ’07; NYU Jazz Vocal Ensemble Spring concert piece ’07; Conducting concerts worldwide of Dvorak’s New World Symphony and History’s Doorstep (Papoulis original orchestral work); two choral pieces featured at the Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations in Boston ’06/’07; Sing for Peace for the opening of Lincoln Center’s holiday season; ballet for Alvin Ailey featuring children’s choir, orchestra, and world percussion; a recreation of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s signature Prodigal Son with Tony Award Winner Geoffrey Holder; and a competition piece for The Young People’s Chorus of New York City.

As a composer, he has received honors from publications nationwide such as JW Pepper’s Editor’s Choice Award (Can You Hear, Give Us Hope, Oye.)  Papoulis’ album CAN YOU HEAR has sold thousands of copies, and features artists such as Martha Wash, the Tokyo String Quartet, Geoffrey Holder, Odetta. Hyatt Hotels sponsored a successful tour of Sounds of a Better World concerts conceived and conducted by Papoulis, with CD and concert proceeds benefiting children’s music and mentoring programs through The Foundation for Small Voices.

​Awards include: The Brizzolara Family’s Most Inspirational Film at The Hampton’s International Film Festival ’04 (The Untold Story of Emmett Till), Winner Best Feature, Arizona International Film Festival ‘04, Special Recognition, Prada Foundation, Tribeca Film Festival ’04, Best Selection Avignon/NY Film Festival ’04 (Lustre), Four Telly Awards’05 and ’06; The Young People of New York City’s Artistic Honoree Award ’05; University of Miami School of Music Alumni of Distinction ’04, Metro Mass Choir Inspiration Award ’03, National Association of Composers awards for Philopoly & Ghost, two Clios. Papoulis holds Graduate degrees in music composition and performance from the University of Miami.

​​2023 Festival Choirs: 
- Spectrum Choral Academy - Youth Chorus (Gig Harbor, WA)
- Spectrum Choral Academy - Children's Chorus (Gig Harbor, WA)
- Lawrence Children's Choir (Lawrence, KS)
- Northwest Girlchoir (Seattle, WA)
- Endolyne Children's Choir (Seattle, WA)
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​2017 Guest Conductor: HENRY LECK
Founder and Conductor Laureate -Indianapolis Children’s Choir
Professor Emeritus – Choral Music – Butler University
Distinguished Music Advisor – KI Concerts
Artistic Director – MFA National Choir Festival
An internationally recognized choral director, Henry Leck is a professor emeritus in choral music at Butler University, where he served on the faculty for 27 years. He is the Founder and Conductor Laureate of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, which he served as Artistic Director for 30 years. Under his leadership. the organization grew to and continues to be one of the largest and most respected children’s choir programs in the world. The touring choirs of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir have performed regularly for national ACDA, MENC, OAKE and AOSA Conferences. Additionally, the ICC tours internationally every year and has sung throughout the world. Mr. Leck recently arranged and conducted the national anthem for Kelly Clarkson and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir at the Super Bowl XLVI.

In the state of Indiana, Mr. Leck is the founding conductor of the Indiana Children’s Allstate Honor Choir. He also founded and conducted the Indiana Middle School Honor Choir. He conducted each ensemble for three years and returned to conduct the children’s honor choir this year for a fourth time. Mr. Leck has conducted Mixed, Men’s, Women’s, Junior High and Children’s All-State choirs and festival choirs in nearly every state. He is a frequent conductor of regional and national honor choirs, including the ACDA Southern, Southwest, North Central, Central, Western and Northwest Honors Choirs. In the spring of 2003, he conducted the ACDA National Junior High/Middle School Honor Choir in New York City and in 2011, the ACDA National Children’s Honor Choir in Chicago. On three occasions he has conducted National Honor Choirs for OAKE. In 2011 Mr. Leck conducted the premiere performance of a seven movement oratorio entitled “Melancholy Beauty” written by Bulgarian composer Georgi Andreev in Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center with adult choruses, children’s choir (ICC), Bulgarian women’s choir, Bulgarian folk instruments and the National Philharmonic Orchestra. For twenty-two years, he has conducted National Youth Choral Festivals in Carnegie Hall annually. In 2016. Mr. Leck has just been named Artistic Director of the Music for All National Choir Festival. Mr. Leck has conducted many international festivals including the Musica Mundi Tuscany Children’s Choir Festival in Italy, the Central European International Children’s Choral Festival, the Pacific Rim Festival, the International Children’s Choir Festival in Beijing, China, the Vienna Children’s & Boys Choir Festival with the Vienna Sangerknaben and the Festival Internacional de Coro de Ninos en Mexico. He is a regular festival conductor for KI Concerts having done festivals in Spain, Austria, and Italy and has recently been named their “Distinguished Music Advisor”. He has conducted many times in Brazil, including the Curso Internacional de Regencia Coral in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil where he founded the ARCI Sao Paulo Children’s Honor Choir that he conducts every other year. He recently conducted the Tokyo International High School Honor Choir in Japan. For more than twenty years he has conducted a festival annually with David Flood at Canterbury Cathedral. He also has served as the U.S. Jurist for the 1st Xinghai Prize International Choir Championships and as an international lecturer for the International Symposium on children and youth choral music in Guangzhou, China. In the summer of 2013 he was the US jurist in Malta, and in 2015 was a jurist at the Musica Sacra a Roma. In the summer of 2014, he was a jurist at the World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia.

Mr. Leck has received many honors including the Sagamore of the Wabash and the State of Indiana Distinguished Hoosier Award. He and the choir received the Indiana Governor’s Arts Award, which is the highest honor one can receive in the arts in Indiana. Recently Mr. Leck was named a recipient of the “Lowell Mason Fellows Award” which is the highest award given, by the National Association for Music education. He is also a Paul Harris fellow and named Outstanding Hoosier Musician in 2016 by IMEA.

Mr. Leck is widely known as a specialist in choral techniques, the child’s voice, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Laban and the boy’s changing voice. He has produced four teaching videos titled Vocal Techniques for the Young Singer, The Boy’s Expanding Voice: Take the High Road, Creating Artistry through Movement, Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Creating Artistry with the Male Maturing Voice. He was a lead author for the choral textbook series published by McGraw Hill/Glencoe titled Experiencing Choral Music and is the lead author of a new series of textbooks entitled Voices in Concert. He is also the editor of two nationally known choral series published by Hal Leonard Corporation and Colla Voce, Inc. Each year he has taught an international conductor’s workshop entitled Creating Artistry at Butler University. He has recently written a textbook titled, Creating Artistry through Choral Excellence. Mr. Leck received his training from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, the University of Colorado and Indiana University.
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2013 Guest Conductor: ANDRÉ J. THOMAS, the Owen F. Sellers Professor of Music, is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music Education at Florida State University. A previous faculty member at the University of Texas, Austin, Dr. Thomas received his degrees from Friends University (B.A.), Northwestern University (M. M.), and the University of Illinois (D.M.A). He is in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and director of Honor/All-State Choirs throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.

Dr. Thomas has conducted choirs at the state, division, and national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). His international conducting credits are extensive. They include conductor/clinician for the International Federation of Choral Musicians, summer residency of the World Youth Choir in the Republic of China and the Philippines, winter residency of the World Youth Choir in Europe, and a premier performance by an American choir (Florida State University Singers) in Vietnam. He has been the guest conductor of such distinguished orchestras and choirs as the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in England, guest Conductor for the Berlin Radio Choir in Germany, the Netherlands Radio Choir, the Charlotte Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony, China’s People’s Liberation Orchestra and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.  Since 1988, he has also served as Artistic Director of the Tallahassee Community Chorus.

Thomas has also distinguished himself as a composer/arranger. Hinshaw Music Company, Mark Foster Music Company, Fitzsimons Music Company, Lawson Gould, Earthsongs, Choristers Guild, and Heritage Music Company publish his compositions and arrangements.

Dr. Thomas has produced two instructional videos "What They See Is What You Get" on choral conducting, with Rodney Eichenberger, and "Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice" on adolescent voices, with Anton Armstrong. His recent book "Way Over in Beulah Lan’. Understanding and Performing the Negro Spiritual" has quickly become a major source in this area of study.  The African Diaspora Sacred Music honored Dr. Thomas as a Living Legend.

In 2011, Thomas’ dedication to and accomplishments in the choral arts were recognized by his peers in Chorus America, when that organization presented Dr. Thomas with its Distinguished Service Award. He is a past president of the Florida ACDA, and the past president of the Southern Division of ACDA.

Have additional questions?  
Contact Stephanie Charbonneau, Executive Director
360-271-8086
[email protected]