18th Annual First Coast Honors Choir Festival
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Location TBA
The Jacksonville Children’s Chorus's (JCC) one-day event to honor local students who have been recognized by their music educators for their singing ability, musical aptitude and strong work ethic. The children spend the day rehearsing with a nationally recognized clinician and conductor. The event culminates in a performance of the newly-formed Honors Choir.
Each ensemble is limited to 80 singers. A music teacher referral is required to participate.
High School Women's Ensemble
Guest Conductor
Rosephanye Powell
Professor, Auburn University
Participation Fee is $32
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About Dr. Powell
Dr. Rosephanye Powell serves as a Charles W. Barkley Endowed Professor and Professor of Voice at Auburn University. Dr. Powell teaches applied voice, art song literature, and vocal pedagogy courses. She conducts the Women’s Chorus and co-conducts the AU Gospel Choir. Dr. Powell holds degrees from The Florida State University, Westminster Choir College, and Alabama State University. She served on the faculties of Philander Smith College (AR) and Georgia Southern University prior to Auburn University. Her primary performance and research areas are the African-American spiritual, the art songs of William Grant Still, and voice-care concerns for choral singers and directors. Dr. Powell has performed recitals and served as a clinician at venues nationally and internationally.
Dr. Powell has been hailed as one of America’s premier women composers of choral music. She has an impressive catalogue of works published by leading national and international publishers, including the Hal Leonard Corporation, the Fred Bock Music Company/Gentry Publications, Oxford University Press, Alliance Music Publications, and Shawnee. Dr. Powell is commissioned yearly to compose for professional, university, community, church and secondary school choruses. Her work has been auctioned by Chorus America and her compositions are in great demand at choral festivals around the country, frequently appearing on the regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, as well as All-State and Honor Choir festivals. Praised for their rhythmic energy, colorful harmonies, and well-crafted vocal lines, Dr. Powell’s compositions include sacred and secular works for mixed, women’s, men’s, and children’s voices. She serves yearly as a conductor for All-State and Honor Choirs around the country. Additionally, she is a clinician and adjudicator for choral festivals, including Festival Disney.
PHD - Florida State University, Vocal Performance
MM - Westminster Choir College, Vocal Performance and Pedagogy
BM - Alabama State University, Music Education
Unchanged Treble Voices | Grades 4-8
Guest Conductor
Barbara Sletto
Founder and Artistic Program Director, Heartland Youth Choir
Participation Fee is $40 (Festival t-shirt included)
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About Ms. Sletto
Barbara Sletto founded Heartland Youth Choir in 2003. Prior to that she was the Artistic Director of the Iowa Youth Chorus, the Des Moines Children's Choruses, the Anderson Area Children's Choir of Anderson, Indiana, and the Lakes Treble Choir of Minnesota.
As a specialist in the voices of youth, Barbara frequently serves as a guest conductor for high school and elementary festival choirs and all-state honor choirs. Under her direction, choirs have performed for national and regional conferences in Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.
In addition, Barbara has guest conducted at various summer choir camps throughout the United States, including the International Music Camp, the Wisconsin Summer Music Clinic, the Indiana Choral Director's Summer Music Institute, the Virginia Kodály Summer Music Camp, the Drake School of Music Summer Camp, the Heartland Choral Camp, and the International Music Institute.
Barbara has a Masters of Arts in Music Education degree with a Kodály emphasis from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is also trained in Orff and Dalcroze methodology. She is a frequent clinician for music educators throughout the United States.
Barbara has fulfilled twelve commissioned works for treble choirs including commissions for Iowa and Indiana All-State choirs. Her compositions are published with Plymouth Music Company, Colla Voce Publishing, and Alliance Publishing Company.
Contact Information:
Honors Choir Performance Coordinator:
Dorothy Leitch, Email
Phone: 904.353.1636, ext. 6