Choirs of America
2026 Nationals for Top Choirs
NYC + Carnegie Hall
March 19-21, 2026
Principal Conductor: Craig Hella Johnson
Guest Conductor: Rollo Dilworth
Composers-in-Residence: Rollo Dilworth & Coty Raven Morris

Sing and Learn in the Big Apple
(and Perform in Carnegie Hall)
COA's Nationals for Top Choirs has become the premier choice for choirs seeking an unparalleled festival + concert performance experience. Launched in New York City and Carnegie Hall with Anton Armstrong as the Principal Conductor in 2013, this program has experienced remarkable growth.
Honoring our conviction that collaboration is vastly superior to competition (at least as it pertains to creating art), we have thoughtfully designed and curated the
COA Nationals to offer a comprehensive and enriching experience, focusing on top-tier educational adjudications, extensive one-hour clinics, and exceptional performance opportunities, all while fostering collaborative exchanges with other choirs and esteemed teaching artists.
During the 3-day COA Nationals event in March 2026, participating choirs will have the rare chance to learn from some of America's top teaching artists (André Thomas, Julie Yu, Coty Raven-Morris, Bruce Rogers) and to work under two of its most iconic choral conductors, Craig Hella Johnson (Principal Conductor) and Rollo Dilworth (Guest Conductor).
You'll also join choirs from across the country and perform in world-famous
Carnegie Hall during an enthralling, unforgettable concert complete with a world-premiere piece written especially for the occasion by our Composer-in-Residence, Dr. Rollo Dilworth (world premiere with text by
Coty Raven Morris). This highly educational and performative event promises a profoundly impactful and transformative experience for everyone involved.
Meet Your Teaching Artists.
Festival Inclusions
Pre-Trip Inclusions...
- Placement into one of three massed choirs (Grandioso, Vivace, or Armonioso) for the concert in Carnegie Hall
- Festival chorus development and preparation assistance
- Rehearsal notes from COA’s Artistic Team relating to massed choir repertoire assigned by the Principal Conductor, festival logistics, adjudication details, etc.
- Detailed festival schedule provided to each participating choir
- Concert advertising and audience development
- Concert listing with ensemble names in official Carnegie Hall performance calendar, PlayBill, and website
Festival Day Inclusions...
Thursday, March 19, 2026
- COA student ambassador to act as choir’s guide for the day
- Adjudicated performance in LeFrak Concert Hall (Queens College - Aaron Copland School of Music)
- On-stage performance review (pre-clinic) – time permitting
- Written comments and ratings from all three adjudicators per COA’s criterion-referenced rubric (click here for rubric)
- Detailed, one-hour clinic with one of COA’s Teaching Artists: Bruce Rogers, Julie Yu, Coty Raven-Morris, André Thomas
- Scheduled observational opportunity to watch another choir perform
- xChange: A Meeting of Voices workshop (during which you'll get to sing for other choirs from across the country… and vice-versa)
Rehearsal Day Inclusions...
Friday, March 20, 2026
- Principal Conductor: Craig Hella Johnson
- Guest Conductor & Composer-in-Residence: Rollo Dilworth
- Full rehearsal for your assigned massed choir (Grandioso, Vivace, or Armonioso) led by Craig Hella Johnson and Rollo Dilworth at our rehearsal venue in Manhattan
- Pen2Podium Workshop with Composer-in-Residence, Rollo Dilworth (and Lyricist, Coty Raven Morris) relating to the World-Premiere written by them for this event
- Professional collaborative pianist, and supporting instrumentalist (per repertoire), for rehearsal and Pen2Podium workshop
Concert Day Inclusions...
Saturday, March 21, 2026
- Cue-to-cue walk-through and finale rehearsal in Carnegie Hall
- Professional production team dedicated to the performance (stage crew, house management, ushers, box office personnel, etc.)
- Official PlayBill concert program with group bio and singer names
- Dedicated house seats to experience other concert parts
- Massed choir concert performance in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium (1pm Concert)
- Spotlight, individual choir performance opportunity during concert in Carnegie Hall (for choirs bringing 45 or more singers)
- All choir world-premiere finale performance of newly commissioned piece from COA’s Composer-in-Residence: Rollo Dilworth (with text written by Coty Raven Morris)
- One archival, digital video recording of Carnegie Hall concert
- Professional audio recording of adjudicated performance
- Exclusive access to purchase official concert photos
- Memories to last a lifetime!
Festival Rate...
♬ Performer Rate: $429.00 per person
♬ Directors and Chaperones (up to 1 per 20):
Free
♬ Additional Chaperones (concert ticket):
$95.00
Harmony Tours
Sample Tour Itinerary
Day Three (Rehearsal Day)
- Inclusive Group Breakfast
- Explore Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty
- Pen2Podium Workshop + Massed Choir Rehearsal for 2026 Nationals for Top Choirs
- Inclusive Group Dinner in Manhattan
- Visit Summit One Vanderbilt Observatory
Day Five
- Inclusive Group Breakfast
- Director's Selection: explore Central Park, shop along Fifth Avenue, visit Metropolitan Museum of Art, etc.
- Travel Home
Day Two (Festival Day)
- Inclusive Group Breakfast
- Participate in 2026 Nationals for Top Choirs - Festival Day
at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College (adjudicated performance, observational opportunity, full clinic, xChange workshop)
- Inclusive Group Dinner in Times Square
- Attend Broadway Musical
Day Four (Concert Day)
- Inclusive Group Breakfast
- Early Group Lunch
- Perform in Carnegie Hall during COA's Harmonic Convergence Concert
- Enjoy a post-concert DJ Dance Dinner Cruise aboard the
Hornblower Infinity
Customize Your Tour
We have a scores of other ideas and options. Contact us to create and customize the perfect tour itinerary for you and your group!