Chorus festival: Where education and entertainment mix

BY KATHLEEN BOLUS
Times-Shamrock Writer

Students from 33 schools in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties will be singing together Friday night in Tunkhannock.

They will perform in the final concert of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association’s District 9 Chorus Festival, scheduled Wednesday through Friday at Tunkhannock Area High School.

This year, 165 students will participate, said Tara Kasperowski, Tunkhannock Area choral director and PMEA assistant coordinator. They will be auditioning to move on to the regional level.

“The festival gives the kids another opportunity to pursue their musical careers or music in general. It brings everyone together and shows how music education is strong in our counties,” Kasperowski said.

The music is picked by the guest conductor of the festival. This year’s conductor is Joy Hirokawa from Moravian College, who has included musical selections in German and English.

During the first day of the festival, students check into their hotels and audition to move on to the regional level. Even if students do not advance past the regional round, they stay at the festival and rehearse until Friday, when all 165 students perform as a group.

The top 20 students from District 9 advance to regional competition.

The three-day festival begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. and concludes Friday at 9 p.m. at Tunkhannock Area High School, 135 Tiger Drive, Tunkhannock. The cost to attend the final concert, which begins at 7 p.m., is $5 for adults and $3 for students.