Choirs of America
2026 Nationals for Top Choirs
NYC + Carnegie Hall
March 28-29, 2026
Principal Conductors: Edie Copley, Coty Raven Morris,
and Andrea Ramsey
Composer-in-Residence: Andrea Ramsey

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.
For two days in March, 2026, participating choirs will have the rare chance to learn from some of America's most distinguished choral conductors, including Edie Copley, Andrea Ramsey, and Coty Raven Morris.
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. Andrea Ramsey. This combination or festival (day one) and concert rehearsal + performance (day two) 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 Conductors, 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...
- 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: Coty Raven Morris, Andrea Ramsey, Edie Copley
- 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)
- Pen2Podium workshop with Composer-in-Residence, Andrea Ramsey
Concert Day Inclusions...
- Principal Conductors: Coty Raven Morris, Andrea Ramsey, and Edie Copley
- Composer-in-Residence: Andrea Ramsey
- One full rehearsal for your assigned massed choir (Grandioso, Vivace, or Armonioso) led by all three Principal Conductors at our rehearsal venue in Manhattan
- Professional collaborative pianist, and supporting instrumentalist (per repertoire), for rehearsal and concert
- 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
- 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: Andrea Ramsey
Other Inclusions...
- 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
- Inclusive Group Breakfast
- Participate with choirs from across the country in the 2026 COA Nationals for Top Choirs - Festival Day
at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College (adjudicated performance, observational opportunity, xChange workshop, and Pen2Podium workshop)
- Inclusive Group Dinner in Manhattan
- Narrated walking tour of Chinatown or Little Italy
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
- Inclusive Group Breakfast
- Explore Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty
- Visit 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center Observation Deck
- Broadway Workshop
- Inclusive Group Dinner in Times Square
- Attend Broadway Musical
Day Four
- Inclusive Group Breakfast
- Massed Choir Rehearsal for 2026 COA Nationals for Top Choirs
- Early Group Dinner
- Perform in Carnegie Hall as part of COA's Harmonic Convergence Concert
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!