Idaho State University to host 15 choirs from around the world during International Choral Festival

The choirs performing will come from Africa, Costa Rica, Poland, Iran and the United States among others. Soundscape, a local barbershop quartet, will also be performing.

Other choirs include a girls’ choir from New Jersey, ChildrenSong of New Jersey, a well-known choir from Trinidad and Tobago, two choirs from the Philippines and the choir Martve from the Republic of Georgia. Seventy-five students from Idaho will be performing under the direction of Karen Kennedy, University of Miami, in the High School Honor Choir.

“This year we will have a very diverse group of musicians all with very different styles,” said Scott Anderson, Director of Choral Activities at ISU and co-founder and artistic director of the festival.

Concerts will be held at the Stephens Performing Arts Center, Trinity Episcopal Church, First Congregational United Church of Christ, First Presbyterian Church, ISU’s Goranson Hall and Quad and Pebble Creek Ski Area. A schedule for the festival can be found at idahointerchoralfest.org.

Idaho State University hosts the festival every three years, and currently has a partnership with the International Choral Festival in Missoula, Montana. The Festival has now become a unique experience for choir guests, host families, volunteers and audiences. Anderson said some families have hosted choirs seven times, and have built lifelong relationships with members of the various groups.

The Idaho International Choral Festival started in 1999 after Vernae Buck, former ISU music student and co-founder and former executive director of the festival, travelled to Europe with Anderson with the Idaho State University Choir. She was impressed with how welcome the choir guides and residents made them felt. Buck wanted to bring the world to Pocatello and help other countries communicate through music, as she had experienced overseas.

Idaho State University’s Chamber Choir travelled to England and Scotland in May to perform in their own international concert series. They performed in historic cathedrals whose history dates back to the 1,100 years ago. The Chamber Choir performed with a high school choir from York High School which drew over 500 audience members. Anderson extended a formal invitation to the school’s director to perform in the Idaho International Choral Festival next time it is held in Pocatello.

For a full schedule and tickets to the Idaho International Choral Festival, visitidahointerchoralfest.org. Individual concert tickets are $9, an individual pass is $17, a family pass is $33 and tickets for families at an individual concert are $17. For more information, contact Anderson at andescot@isu.edu