Houston Choral Festival is a residential choral camp for outstanding high school singers designed to develop and strengthen vocal and musical skills in a concentrated, stimulating, musical environment while working on a large choral work and selections of the 2000 Texas All-State Repertoire. This program runs for seven days, Wednesday, June 28, through Tuesday, July 4, and is sponsored by Houston Masterworks Chorus in cooperation with the University of Houston Moores School of Music’s Texas Music Festival. Participation is limited to 125 singers in grades 9-12 who are highly recommended by their school or church choir directors.

Participants in Houston Choral Festival will study, rehearse and then perform the July 4^th Celebrational Concerts with the Houston Symphony Orchestra at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on July 3 and at the Miller Outdoor Theater on July 4. Instructors will be R. Keith Dixon and Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, with sectional rehearsals led by outstanding high school choral directors.

Houston Choral Festival students will stay on the University of Houston campus and participate in a variety of musical activities throughout the day and evening. Classes and daily rehearsals will be held in the beautiful new John and Rebecca Moores School of Music building.  Students will have access to well-equipped Midi computer labs and practice rooms while rehearsals, sight-reading, theory, and fun evening activities complete each day. Vocal coaching sessions and private voice lessons are available for interested students.

The Festival culminates with performances in the Fourth of July Celebrational Concerts with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, July 3 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and July 4 at the Miller Outdoor Theater, before audiences of thousands. During the week informal solo and chamber music recitals will be presented by students and faculty and a talent show will also provide an opportunity for students to showcase their diverse talents.

Sample Daily Schedule

Faculty And Staff

Founding Organizations

Costs, Schedules & Deadlines

Applications & Forms Needed

Houston Masterworks Chorus is proud to sponsor the Houston Choral Festival in cooperation with the University of Houston Moores School of Music.  This intensive program is designed to introduce and teach choral music and to develop both future performers and appreciative listeners.

Choral directors are welcome to attend any classes of the Festival. Housing is available in University of Houston dormitories or at the University Hilton. For more information, call the Houston Masterworks Chorus office at (713) 529-8900.

Additional information about the Houston Choral Festival, the Moores School of Music of the University of Houston and Houston Masterworks Chorus can be found elsewhere on the World Wide Web at:

http://www.uh.edu/music

http//www.choral.org/grou/hmc

or by contacting Karla J. Randle, Executive Director of Houston Masterworks Chorus at Houmast@neosoft.com, or calling (713) 529-8900.

Houston Choral Festival is a joint project of Houston Masterworks Chorus and the Moores School of Music’s Texas Music Festival at the University of Houston.

Houston Choral Festival acknowledges with deep appreciation the generous contributions of the following:

Houston Choral Festival is funded in part by the City of Houston and the Texas Commission on the Arts through the Cultural Arts Council of Houston / Harris County.