Making Great Friends and Great Music OFC Motto

AN OREGON ORIGINAL

Oregon Festival Choirs (OFC) was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit corporation to operate the Pacific International Children's Choir Festival and establish community children's choirs and provide choral music education services.

The Festival, known as PICCFEST, was founded by Peter Robb in 1997 and occurs each June in Eugene. Up to 10 treble choirs from the U.S. and beyond are selected based on audition. PICCFEST involves a a week of rehearsals, concerts and cultural exchange in conjunction with the Oregon Bach Festival.

OFC’s six ensembles serve young singers ages 7 to 18 from more than 40 public, private, and home-schooling settings throughout central Lane County. The Festival Choirs are an integral part of OFC's innovative Choral Program Partnership (CPP), a choral music education program available at no cost to schools and home school associations.

The OFC concert season, community performances, and festival activities reach a combined audience of 12,000 annually. Of the 36 performances in the past season, 30 were offered to schools, retirement centers, churches, and the community at large at no charge. In addition, OFC’s Conductor's Workshop held during PICCFEST provides training for 20 children’s choir directors with the top clinicians and conductors in North America.

PREPARING YOUNG SINGERS TO MEET THE WORLD

OFC provides motivated young singers with world class opportunties:

Collaborating with mentor organizations including:

      American Boychoir
      Boychoir of Harlem
      Cantus
      Cor Vivaldi of Spain
      Northwest Girlchoir
      Tiffin Boychoir of London
      Oregon Bach Festival
      Oregon Festival of American Music
      Victorian Boychoir of Melbourne, Australia

Communicating directly with composers, among them Bob Chilcott, David Fanshawe, Robert Hutchinson, Robert Jager, György Orbán, Paul Halley, and Valerie Shields

Participating in workshops and performances directed by top conductors such as Henry Leck, Jim Litton, James Paul, Doreen Rao, Rebecca Rottsolk, Sandra Snow, Axel Theimer, Dr. Walter Turnbull and Judith Willoughby

Partnering with outstanding local civic and university ensembles, notably the Oregon Bach Festival, Oregon Mozart Players, Eugene Concert Choir, Eugene Ballet, Eugene Opera, Dance Theatre of Oregon, Oregon Wind Ensemble, and the UO's top a cappella ensembles, On the Rocks and Divisi

Hosting and performing with visiting children’s choirs and professional ensembles from throughout the world.

Touring as Music Ambassadors by offering free concerts locally and in Oregon, the United States and abroad.