Press Room

For specific requests, please contact Melody Ward Leslie, (541) 517-7479.

Children's Choral Music Festival is June 24-28

EUGENE - Six outstanding children's choirs from throughout the United States will combine and perform as a 170-voice chorus for the Pacific International Children's Choir Festival's (PICCFEST) gala concert at 8 p.m. Monday, June 28, in the Hult Center's Silva Hall.

Tickets for the event, which also features the Oregon Mozart Players and Portland pianist Signe Lusk, are are available at the Hult Center box office ($10 for adults; $7 for students/seniors).

Founded in 1998, the seventh annual PICCFEST is presented by Eugene-based Oregon Festival Choirs in cooperation with the Oregon Bach Festival.

"The philosophy of the festival is non-competitive, with the emphasis on making great music and new friendships rather than winning a trophy," says Peter Robb, executive director and founder.

"With the Oregon Bach Festival as the backdrop for the event, our goal is to provide a world class venue for the next generation of choral musicians and excite local families about the value of singing for all young people."

The gala concert caps a week of rehearsals and special events led by guest conductor Rebecca Rottsolk of Seattle.

At the Oregon Bach Festival's opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 25, the PICCFEST chorus will preview "Sanctus," a movement from a dazzling new mass for treble voices and piano by Hungarian composer György Orbán. The entire work, "Mass Number Six," is the centerpiece of the IMAGINE gala concert on June 28.

Signe Lusk of Portland will accompany the PICCFEST chorus. She debuted at Carnegie Hall in 1998 and has served as staff pianist for the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she received the outstanding music director award for her work on Candide. Her accompanying work has included the Seattle Opera, Portland Opera and Eugene Opera companies as well as the Oregon Bach Festival.

Lusk, currently the accompanist for Portland's acclaimed Pacific Youth Choir, has served as resident accompanist for PICCFEST since 2001. She also is the staff pianist and director of the Nova children's choir at First Unitarian Church of Portland.

Directed by Mia Hall Savage, the Pacific Youth Choir is this year's featured choir, leading a line-up chosen by audition including the Northwest Girlchoir's Vivace Choir, Arioso Girl Choir and Olympia Youth Chorus (both from Washington), Fort Wayne Children's Choir (Indiana) and the Kansas Youth Choir.

The complete festival schedule:

  • Thursday, June 24: "Sharing Our Songs I," 7:30 p.m. at Central Lutheran, featuring Pacific Youth Choir, Olympia Youth Chorus and Fort Wayne Children's Choir.
  • Friday, June 25: The individuals choirs combine as the 170-voice Festival Chorus, singing in the Hult Center Lobby at 6 p.m. to open the Oregon Bach Festival. A preview of the Monday Gala Concert program.
  • Saturday, June 26: "Sharing Our Songs II," 7:30 p.m., at Central Lutheran Church with Capella Girlchoir, Olympia Youth Choir and the Kansas Youth Choir.
  • Sunday, June 27: The choirs will fan out to sing at six area churches during morning worship services on Sunday, June 29:
    • Kansas Youth Choir: 9 a.m.
      Central Lutheran 1857 Potter St., Eugene
    • Pacific Youth Choir: 10 a.m.
      Central Presbyterian, 55 East 15th Ave., Eugene
    • Fort Wayne Children's Choir: 11 a.m.
      First Christian Church, 1166 Oak St., Eugene
    • Northwest Girlchoirs' Vivace Choir 11 a.m.
      St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1062 Charnelton St., Eugene
    • Capella Choirs' Arioso Girlchoir: 11 a.m.
      St. Mary’s Episcopal, 166 East 13th Ave., Eugene
    • Olympia Youth Chorus: 9:30 a.m.
      Ebbert Memorial United Methodist, 532 C St., Springfield
  • Monday, June 28: The Pacific Youth Choir and the the Eugene-based Oregon Festival Choir (OFC) will co-present an Oregon Bach Festival "On-the-House" concert at noon in the Hult Center Lobby. The OFC choir , fresh from singing the St. Matthew Passion at the Oregon Bach Festival on Friday, June 25, will spotlight selections from their repertoire for performances at Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey later this summer.
  • Monday, June 28: The Children's Festival Chorus and members of the Oregon Mozart Players present IMAGINE, 8 p.m. in the Hult Center's Silva Hall. The program features a Mass Number Six by György Orbán and selections ranging from Bach to gospel.

For more information, call the PICCFEST Infoline, (541) 465-9600.