Idaho State University to host 34th annual Choral Invitational Festival

The concert marks the 34th Annual Choral Invitational Festival hosted at ISU. It will feature Haitian-American composer, Sydney Guillaume as the guest conductor and clinician for the event.

The Choral Invitational Festival Concert is the first concert of the 2019-2020 academic year for the ISU Choirs. High schools in the state of Idaho are invited to bring their top choirs to ISU’s campus to participate in the two-day event, where they get the opportunity to perform in a world-class venue, engage in vocal masterclasses with the ISU voice faculty and learn valuable music skills from the guest clinician.

 The concert on Saturday evening will finish with all participating high school students singing together in the festival massed choir. The massed choir will be conducted by Sydney Guillaume. Participating high schools in this year’s festival hail from Boise, Bonneville, Burley, Century, Hillcrest, Idaho Falls, Jerome, Madison, Marsh Valley, Minico, Rigby, Skyline and Thunder Ridge.

The ISU Concert and Chamber choirs will also perform their own sets, featuring music from the 17th century to the 21st. The Concert Choir will perform “Fire” by Katerina Gimon, the third of four compositions about the elements. The composer describes “Fire” as a “fun, lively, and energetic work incorporating vocal percussion, body percussion, nasal singing, and nonsense syllables.”

The Chamber Choir will perform “Peace Song,” by Tim Brent, a beautiful piece that includes text drawn from three of the beatitudes found in the Gospel of Matthew, specifically blessedness and joy. The Chamber Choir will also perform “Non havea Febo ancora” by Claudio Moteverdi, featuring soprano, Dr. Diana Livingston-Friedley, cellist Sophie Spreier Stratton, guitarist J. Curtis Thompson and Natalia Lauk on harpsichord. ISU choirs will be under the direction of Scott Anderson.

Guillaume graduated from the University of Miami in 2004 where his works were performed by the Miami University Chorale. Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he is currently residing in Portland, Oregon, working as a full-time composer, conductor and clinician. His compositions have been described by the Miami Herald as having “impressive maturity and striking melodic distinction” and are known to promote human values and are full of heart and passion.

Tickets are available by calling or visiting the Stephens Performing Arts Center Box Office at (208) 282-3595, or at the ISU Pond Student Union Building. Children under the age of six will not be admitted into concerts.