ATLANTA YOUNG SINGERS BRINGS BACK GOLD FOR THE US!

ATLANTA YOUNG SINGERS, now celebrating its 40th Anniversary Season, is proud to announce the honors of both gold and silver medals, as well as two gold diplomas from the 8th World Choir Games in Riga, LATVIA.

Over 50 Singers from the AYS Youth Chorale and Treble Concert Choir formed 4 ensembles competing at the Games this year: Scenic Folklore, Young Male Choirs, Children’s Choirs and Youth Choirs of Equal Voices.  Of the 470 ensembles from 60 countries and 27,000 singers competing in the 2014 World Choir Games, AYS was the only choir to send 4 ensembles into competition. ATLANTA YOUNG SINGERS was also one of only 18 choral organizations representing the United States, and the only choir hailing from our very own Atlanta, GA!

Known as the Olympics for choirs, the World Choir Games is an international choir festival taking place every two years on different continents. As Gold Diploma recipients from the 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati, Atlanta Young Singers was invited to sing at the Champions Level in the Children’s Choirs and Youth Choirs of Equal Voices categories. Below are the accolades awarded at the 2014 World Choir Games:

GOLD MEDAL in Youth Choirs of Equal Voices Champions Competition

SILVER MEDAL in Children's Choirs Champions Competition

GOLD DIPLOMA in Young Male Choirs Open Competition
(2nd Place in Category)

GOLD DIPLOMA in Scenic Folklore Open Competition

(3rd Place in Category)

Another musical highlight of the Treble Concert Choir and Youth Chorale tours was the AYS commission and world premiere of Miers un Kluss, commissioned by AYS from talented American composer Eric Banks. This piece is based on works by Latvian poet Maris Salejs, who was also present with Banks at the premiere performance in Riga, first sung in the Youth Choirs of Equal Voices competition, featuring AYS Young Women’s Choir and select TCC young women.

Bringing music to life for 40 seasons, ATLANTA YOUNG SINGERS is Atlanta’s premier choir for children and youth.  With the cooperation of dedicated community leaders, schoolteachers, arts professionals, and Stephen J. Ortlip (Director for 23 years), AYS was founded in 1975 when the idea of boys and girls singing together in a community choir was rare in the United States.  Under Music Director Paige F. Mathis (also an AYS alumna) and Executive Director Virginia M. Thompson, AYS now accepts over 200 children ages 7 to 18 each year into one of seven AYS choirs where they serve, grow, learn and sing together. Singers come from 100 public and private school environments, represent over 60 zip codes, and truly reflect Atlanta. Every year, AYS serves hundreds of Atlanta-area children and over 90,000 people in Atlanta and around the world.

AYS has performed with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, at the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games and at numerous events sponsored by nationally recognized organizations.  The Choir has traveled extensively in 23 countries on over 83 tours, singing in all the cultural capitals of North America and Europe and winning invitations to the most prestigious choral festivals in the world, such as Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales, International Choral Kathaumixw in British Columbia, and Premiering Sydney in the Sydney Opera House. In 2007, the Youth Chorale was chosen as one of only 4 American choirs out of 34 choirs for FESTIVAL500 in Newfoundland and also traveled to Brazil and Argentina for MELODIA! Festival in 2009. In 2010, Treble Concert Choir traveled to Ireland, where they performed in Christ Church, Galway Cathedral and other famous venues, took tea with the Lord Mayor of Belfast, and worked with renowned Irish musicians! The Youth Chorale traveled to Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden and participated in EUROPA CANTAT junior, performed in Carnegie Hall under the batons of Francisco Núñez and Jonathan Willcocks in 2013 and sang at the 2013 Peace Corps Awards with President Jimmy Carter. Visit www.aysc.org to find more details of our past tours, performances, collaborations and community involvement.

While celebrating a rich history, AYS looks forward to an exciting future and continuing its dedication to music literacy, commissioning of new American choral works, support of local musicians, presentation of cutting-edge performance formats, interdisciplinary collaborative education, and especially outreach to underserved children in the Atlanta area. AYS seeks boys & girls in grades 2 - 12 of all musical levels. Auditions will be held through August for each of seven AYS Choirs – including satellite Training Choirs rehearsing in Atlanta (Callanwolde), South DeKalb, North Atlanta (Chamblee/Dunwoody) and South Cobb.  Meet new friends, travel the world, perform live, learn important music skills, and sing the future now with AYS.