The 2013 national conference of the American Choral Directors Association recently announced the selection of Honor Choir Singers for the March invitational conference in Dallas, Texas. Of the 1,200 total participants from across the country, 22 of the singers selected to go submitted their audition tapes through Young Singers of the Palm Beaches, Palm Beach County’s premier community-based youth choir. Among those selected, eight are from the western communities.
Selected to participate in the High School Women’s Choir were Akilah Etienne of Royal Palm Beach, Alexis Rizzolo of West Palm Beach and Katherine Hostetler of Wellington. For the Middle School/Junior High Choir, Amanda Shenkman and Michelle Balko, both from Wellington, and Tristan Butler of Loxahatchee were selected. Also from Wellington, Emily Shecter and Tayla Youngblood were chosen for the Community Choir.
Twenty-seven Young Singers applied and the group had an unprecedented 83 percent acceptance rate.
“Our singers, once again, have made us very proud,” noted Beth Clark, Young Singers of the Palm Beaches executive director. “Their award-winning talent is most impressive, and we are thrilled that they are being recognized by such an important group in the choral industry. By teaching life skills through music, we aspire to give all our Young Singer members the opportunity to achieve their personal goals.”
Young Singers of the Palm Beaches is an award-winning, world-class troupe of youth singers who have not only performed at concerts all over Palm Beach County, but also at Lincoln Center in New York City, with Native Americans in New Mexico, and at international music festivals in Salzburg and Vienna.
The group’s next concert, “Ubuntu,” will be held May 19 on the main stage of the Kravis Center. Tickets start at $10. At a time in our country when even our neighbors might be strangers, “Ubuntu” is a South African concept illustrating the connectivity of humanity. The performance will be highlighted by an original song of the same name and world premiered at the concert. This year’s annual spring concert celebrates the group’s 10th anniversary.
For more info., call (561) 659-2332 or visit www.yspb.org.
Above: Lauren Snyder, Akiliah Etienne of Royal Palm Beach, Victoria Bell and Katherine Hostetler of Wellington.
