2026 Chorus America Conference in Photos

July 7, 2026
group of people dancing on dance floor

From June 3-6, Chorus America held our 2026 Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Conference kicked off with energy and connection. We watched our community reunite, share ideas, and shine with inspiration. 

We were so happy to welcome our community to Minneapolis. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from this year's Conference (maybe you'll spot yourself!)  

Photos by Belleamiss Photography

Starting Every Morning With Song

It wouldn’t be a Chorus America Conference without singing, which is why every plenary session kicks off with one of our Daily Sings. They give us a moment to breathe and just be together before the day takes off at full speed. This year our Daily Sing leaders were: Abbie Betinis, Jane Ramseyer Miller, and Kimberly Waigwa for Thursday morning, Libby Larsen on Friday morning, and Ahmed Anzaldúa closing us out on Saturday morning. This year's song leaders were all local to the Twin Cities, giving us all another chance to hear from the area choral community. 

Two women standing next to each other and holding sheet music while singing and smiling
three men in a row holding sheet music and singing
Libby Larsen conducting

 

Big Ideas to Start the Day

Thursday morning's Opening Plenary, "More Than a Concert: How Choirs Can Compete in the Attention Economy," led by Emily Isaacson, tackled one of the biggest questions facing our field head-on: how do choruses capture hearts and minds in a crowded media landscape?  

Emily Isaacson presenting in front of room and waving her hands in the air with a podium in front of her
woman reaching across table to shake hands with another woman

 

Voices of the Field 

Breakout sessions throughout the week spotlighted the issues shaping the future of the choral field. There were practical sessions on fundraising, board leadership, artistic direction, and much more! 

Three people sitting in a row as a panel. The person in the middle has a microphone and is talking. The two on either side are turned towards her listening as she speaks
three people sitting in a row the two on the left side are turned towards each other smiling adn talking the one on the right is facing ahead listening to the not pictured speaker
Speaker in front of room speaking to crowd of attendees with a screen to his right

 

Networking in Action 

One of the best parts of Conference is getting a chance to connect with our community. Whether attendees were sharing ideas with peers during Peer Forums and Experts at a Table, building new relationships at fun events like the DCINY Fun Run/Walk and Beer Choir, or discovering new music and resources through Meet the Exhibitors and our Composer Showcase, there were opportunities to connect at every turn. This year's Composer Showcase was especially notable, featuring more composers than ever before at a Chorus America Conference.

group of people sitting at a table and singing joyfully with empty beer cups by them. One of them holds sheet music up as he sings
a woman walking through the exhibit hall
a person listening to a composer's work through headphones as the composer in front of her clicks play on his device

 

Spotlight on Sound

Our Conference performances opened with a bang on a Wednesday night: the Opening Concert brought together Cantus, One Voice Mixed Chorus, and MPLS for an evening that set the tone for the week ahead. 

These choruses were all local Twin Cities choruses and showed a wide diversity of talent and music. An Opening Reception followed, giving attendees their first chance to reconnect over conversation and celebration. 

6 member all men chorus two holding maracas
Dancers in front of chorus
large chorus singing

 

Our Thursday Night concert brought the sound of the Twin Cities choral community to life with Border CrosSing, National Lutheran Choir, and The Singers. 

Border CrosSing chorus with director in front
National Lutheran Choir singing as a group with director in front of them
the Singers singing

 

Friday's closing concert showcased VocalEssence in a performance that featured guest instrumentalists and soloists who were also local to the Twin Cities area, like Monroe Crossing Bluegrass Band, Nirmala Rajasekar, and Jhadiya Steele.

Woman singing and looking up with closed eyes
Bluegrass bands with instruments singing into one mic
choir raising their hands in song

 

Homecoming

A new event this year, Homecoming hosted by Equity Sings, brought our Conference community, as well as friends from across Minneapolis, together for some late-night fun. DJ Shannon Blowtorch kept the dance floor moving, while a photobooth and games gave everyone a reason to let loose and support the choral community in a whole new way. We even crowned Homecoming royalty! With the generous help of our Homecoming attendees, we were able to raise $107k for our choral community. That’s money that works to help choruses all across the United States and Canada. 

one person hugging another who is homecoming royalty she is wearing a crown and has a sash
three people playing limbo on the dance floor
two people standing back to back posing for a camera

 

Closing Plenary 

We closed out Conference on with "Every Chorus Can Advocate: Practical Power for Big Impact" with Michael Bobbitt, President and CEO of Opera America. He closed his plenary with an advocacy pledge that our attendees all recited ending with, “A public voice is how the music lives,” leaving us all with the reminder that every organization, big or small, has a voice in shaping the future of our field. 

Michael Bobbitt speaking with mic
attendees holding hand up and saying advocacy oath

 

See You Next Year!

We hope you had as much fun as we did this year, and we can't wait to see you at next year's Chorus America Conference, happening June 9-12 in Los Angeles! 

 

Los Angeles