(photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Master Chorale)

Celebrating its 32nd year, the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s annual High School Choir Festival will culminate in a virtual Festival Day video that will premiere on Friday, April 23, at 10 a.m.

Featuring hundreds of high school students from 26 schools, the video will feature three virtual choir performances: “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, “Resilience” by Abbie Betinis, and “Es Tu Tiempo” by Francisco Núñez, each led by Grant Gershon, the Kiki and David Gindler Artistic Director of the LAMC. The Festival Day video will also feature pre-recorded and highlights from past festivals.

The High School Choir Festival, one of the longest running arts education programs in Southern California, aims to deepen students’ understanding of the choral art form. Festival Day is traditionally held at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Due to COVID-19, the High School Choir Festival was reconfigured into online webinars, master classes and interactive Zoom sessions for engagement and remote learning.

“There is great power and joy in the communal act of singing, even in a virtual world,” Gershon said. “Adapting the High School Choir Festival for remote learning has provided a much needed sense of belonging for high school students throughout the Los Angeles region while providing access to continued education in the arts, which has been proven to have a transformative impact, including contributing to one’s overall well-being.”

The view the festival, visit lamasterchorale.org/high-school-choir-festival.