May Festival Youth Chorus: Sundays are for Singing

by DiDi Turley

For many high school students, Sundays are spent catching up on homework, spending time with friends, and prepping for the week of school ahead of them. However, for a select group of Cincinnati teens, Sundays are for singing.

The May Festival Youth Chorus (MFYC) is a 100% cost-free choir that connects, inspires and educates young musicians from the greater Cincinnati area through extensive music education and performance opportunities. These talented teenagers perform music ranging from the medieval era to world premieres from living composers. On top of that, they get the performance opportunities of a lifetime singing with the renowned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops and in stand-alone concerts around Cincinnati. Between the performances, exposure to internationally renowned conductors and soloists, and the opportunity to take private voice lessons and study music theory, the MFYC is any choir kid’s dream come true.

The MFYC accepts students enrolled in 8th grade through 12th grade. For some, the choir is a stepping stone that helps them prepare to study music at the collegiate level. For others, the skills they learn and the community they’ve built are all things that they plan to pull from as they pursue studies outside of music.

Keep reading to meet some of this season’s MFYC members and learn about their experiences:

Calia Burdette, soprano, is in her fifth year as a member of the MFYC, making her the titleholder of “longest-serving member” in the history of the chorus. She started singing with the choir in eighth grade and has been involved in countless musical endeavors since. Calia is now in her senior year of high school, and she plans to study music in college—double majoring in classical voice performance and arts administration. According to her, the MFYC has been a crucial part of her preparation for college auditions:

The May Festival Youth Chorus has been super helpful in preparing. I plan to study music in college, so the musicianship classes with Dr. Floyd have been so helpful, especially for sight reading…. We’ve also had the opportunity to do three world premiere works, and there are many opportunities to sing solo repertoire. —Calia

Gwyneth (“Gwyn”) Gaunt, alto, is also in her senior year of high school and has been singing with the MFYC since the winter of 2021. According to Gwyn, she came across the recruitment table in Music Hall’s lobby after a Holiday Pops concert, and the rest is history. The skills Gwyn has gained from MFYC have set her apart in the college audition process, and she is thrilled to be attending Ohio University for musical theatre in the fall.

I don’t think I could have done it without [MFYC], because one of the things that [colleges] were specifically looking for was musicianship, playing instruments, and sight-reading music. A lot of people going [into college] for musical theatre don’t have access to that training. So, I feel very lucky that I’ve had that opportunity. 

—Gwyn

For Charles (“Charlie”) Rahner, tenor, MFYC has shown him a sense of community that he hopes to continue beyond his time in high school and into his collegiate studies, regardless of what career he decides to pursue. This is Charlie’s first season with MFYC.

Even though I don’t think I’m going to go into music, being a part of the May Festival Youth Chorus has made me realize that I definitely want to stay in some sort of choir beyond high school. —Charlie

Younger members of the choir are amazed at the chance to take the stage in breathtaking venues. For some, these performances are their first time hearing a professional orchestra, which makes the experience of rehearsing and singing even more magical.

Natalie Hoover, alto, is an eighth-grade student in her second year as an MFYC member. She began singing in church as a child, but had never performed in such remarkable venues prior to her first MFYC concert at The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.

Going to the Basilica to sing was so huge. It’s such an amazing space. Being there to sing…I honestly don’t know how to describe it. It was such an amazing experience to sing there.

—Natalie

The MFYC has provided high school freshman Sophia Clever with countless musical firsts. Though she isn’t new to singing in choirs, her previous experiences didn’t focus on music theory, sight-singing and musicianship in the same way that MFYC does. According to Sophia, this (along with the beauty of creating music in Music Hall) is her favorite part of singing with MFYC:

One of my favorite things is learning about melodic intervals and harmonic intervals and really diving into music theory…. I’d also never been to Music Hall before—getting to be on stage and seeing the strings [of the CSO] and how they’re playing in this beautiful, beautiful auditorium was amazing. —Sophia

Auditions for the May Festival Youth Chorus are held in January, May and August for singers enrolled in 8th through 12th grade. Acceptance into the choir is based solely on ability, and there is no fee for membership. Rehearsals are held from 1 pm to 3:30 pm in Music Hall  from September through May and are under the direction of Matthew Swanson. Singers can register for auditions at mayfestival.com/join.