SPREADING JOY THROUGH INTERNATIONAL SONG
🎵
SPREADING JOY THROUGH INTERNATIONAL SONG 🎵
The San Diego Children’s Choir is pleased to present its 3rd San Diego Youth Choral Festival, June 24 - 29, 2027.
The 6-day festival offers middle and high school choirs (treble and mixed voice) the opportunity to learn and celebrate various choral works, led by dynamic and knowledgeable guest conductor, Arian Khaefi. Participating choirs will perform, among other choral works, the world premier of a newly commissioned piece, in unique venues and with other choirs in San Diego. Join us for a fun, educational, cultural exchange in beautiful San Diego - where great weather, pristine beaches and world class attractions will help make this festival a memorable experience!
JOIN OUR AMAZING
PAST FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS
2027 FESTIVAL ITINERARY
Day 1, June 24, 2027
Welcome/Opening Ceremony
Dinner provided
Evening
Check-in, University of San Diego (USD)
Opening Ceremony and Welcome Party, University of San Diego’s Shiley Theater
Informal Individual Choir Performances
Day 2, late June 25, 2027
BEACH DAY
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided
Morning/Afternoon
Group rehearsal
Free time to enjoy La Jolla Shores beach
Evening
Group rehearsal
Day 3, June 26, 2027
SAn Diego Zoo Day
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided
Morning/afternoon
Free time to enjoy the world famous San Diego Zoo
Lunch independent at the Zoo
Evening
Group rehearsal
Workshop with
members of the internationally acclaimed San Diego Barbershop Chorus community
Day 4, June 27, 2027
Balboa Park
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided
Morning
Group rehearsal
Afternoon
Perform at the world famous Spreckels Organ Pavilion, the world’s largest outdoor organ
Free time to enjoy the many gardens, museums, and artist studios in historic Balboa Park
Evening
Special presentation hosted by San Diego’s Center for World Music
Day 5, June 28, 2027
Festival Concert
Breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and late dinner provided
Morning
Final group rehearsal
Individual choir rehearsals at USD
Afternoon/Evening
Dress Rehearsal and individual choir sound-checks
Festival Concert at world-class venue
Individual choir performances as well as full group numbers
Post-Concert dinner and dance party
Day 6, June 29, 2027
Departure
Breakfast provided
Morning
Check-out and departure
*Unless otherwise noted, meals and group rehearsals will be at the University of San Diego.
Transportation will be provided for all activities listed above.
About Our Conductors
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SDCC,
YOUTH CHORAL FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
RUTHIE MILLGARD
Ruthie Millgard has served as the San Diego Children’s Choir’s artistic director since 2017. An active member of San Diego’s larger choral community, she regularly conducts honor's choirs, serves as a clinician at K-12 choral festivals, and presents various workshops and interest sessions at music education conferences and events. Workshop topics have included creative rehearsal practices around movement and improvisation as well as the benefits of group singing for those with dementia.
Millgard has a bachelor's degree in music education from Western Washington University and a master of music in choral conducting from the University of Oregon (Dr. Sharon Paul). During her undergraduate and graduate training, Millgard sang at regional and national American Choral Directors Association conventions. Continued professional development includes successful completion of Kodaly Level Three credit hours.
Millgard is past Board President of the Choral Consortium of San Diego, a network of over 80 San Diego/Tijuana area choirs. She has also volunteered as rehearsal director for Voices of our City Choir, serving San Diegans living with housing insecurity. Millgard, with SDCC’s Chamber Choir, was awarded Music and Memory's 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award for the ongoing classes and workshops Millgard created highlighting the value of singing for those living with dementia.
Guest Conductor
Arian khaefi, D.M.A
Arian Khaefi is the Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at San Diego State University where he conducts the SDSU Chamber Choir, Treble Choir, U-Chorus, teaches choral literature, and directs the graduate choral conducting program.
In 2017, Khaefi was appointed as the Director of the Cornish American Song Institute (now Music Across the Pond) Choral Scholars Program, a month-long intensive summer conducting program held in the United Kingdom in conjunction with Oxford University. In 2022 he was appointed Chorus Director of the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, and now helms the symphonic chorus through performances of canonic masterworks as well as commissions and new music.
Khaefi maintains an active schedule leading ensembles and conducting workshops for high-schools, colleges, and universities across the country, and is particularly passionate about collaborating with leaders in education to promote the advancement of choral arts within secondary schools.
Khaefi is nationally and internationally recognized for his accomplishments as a conducting pedagogue and guest conductor. In addition to leading regional and all-state honor choirs, he has guest-conducted throughout Asia, Europe, and South America. Choruses under his direction have toured nationally and have performed in concert halls across the United States. Khaefi has prepared choruses for leading conductors including Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Slatkin, Christopher Warren-Green, and James Conlon.