Young Voices of Colorado
Background Statement
In 1990 our founder discovered a need to educate and train young singers in the region, and Littleton Children's Chorale was born. However, quick growth led the group to expand its name in 1996 to Young Voices of Colorado, reflecting a broader geographic area.
While a lifelong love of singing is highly valued, the goal to "achieve excellence in children's choral music through education and performance" became clear. Children who enter the program with modest ability and experience soon resonate with glorious tone and informed performance as they are emersed in sound and inspired by their peers.
YVC's strong program of vocal music education is truly exceptional and receives accolades from worldwide, as well as local, authorities in choral music for children.
Today, our traditional program serves 200 singers, predominantly from Arapahoe and Douglas Counties, while our outreach and scholarship programs benefit several thousand children throughout the region.
Young Voices produced the first children's opera—The Last Straw—on the Newman Center stage. Our Concert Choir performed, in Chinese, the American premier of Chinese composer Tan Dun's Symphony of Peace with the University of Denver's Lamont Symphony. We have performed, by invitation, for regional and national conferences of the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, American Orff Schulwerk Association, Colorado Music Educators Association and the Southwestern region of the American Choral Directors Association. Locally, they have performed with the Denver Brass, the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Denver Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Littleton Symphony, Lone Tree Symphony, Parker Symphony, Voices West and Cherry Creek Chorale. We have performed in Carnegie Hall, throughout U. S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and in festivals and competitions around the USA. We have commissioned and premiered lasting choral music, some of which is performed internationally.
Our A Cappella group won second place in the world at the 2019 International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales; two boys won international Solo competitions in 2005; over 250 individual singers have auditioned and been selected for regional and national honor choirs; and many of our singers are selected for All-State Choirs.
In 2006, Young Voices launched Sing A Mile High, our international children's and youth choral festival, bringing together world renowned conductors, composers and youth chorales from across the nation. This week-long festival has become one of the most popular youth choral festivals in the country enabling us to sell out every year since its beginning except, of course, for the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Again, several hundred singers and their families from the U.S. and Canada will attend this June.
Young Voices has progressed from an all volunteer team to a staff of three full-time employees, two part-time staff, two part-time directors, four part-time accompanists and a full contingent of volunteers. We have seven choirs at progressive levels. Our choristers come from over 80 schools. Our office and rehearsal spaces are located in Arapahoe County.