History of Young Voices

30 years of excellence

Created in 1990 to inspire children to a lifelong love of singing, Young Voices of Colorado has become one of the premier children’s choral groups in the west, as evidenced by awards, critical acclaim and performance invitations. Today YVC offers the strongest children’s choral music education in Colorado. Our traditional program serves 170 singers, ages 5-18, from 80 schools in 7 counties, and our popular outreach programs benefit several thousand children. We perform at The Newman Center for the Performing Arts and throughout greater Denver. We are based in the Centennial area.

we know how to make music

We want our children to know how to make the music, not just turn it on! Young Voices of Colorado’s curriculum is gleaned from our directors’ studies with the finest choral directors and music educators in the world. Children are taught correct vocal placement, tone, intonation, sight-reading, solfege, music theory and expression, while performing the finest examples of classical to contemporary music literature. We impart the value of discipline through high-performance standards, attendance rules and professional appearance. We encourage thorough, improved and enduring musicianship among students, teachers and the community.

we perform all over the world

YVC produced the first children’s opera on the Newman Center stage and performed, in Chinese, the American premiere of Chinese composter Tan Dun’s Symphony of Peace with DU’s Lamont Symphony. We have performed, by invitation, for conferences of the Colorado Music Educator’s Association (CMEA), American Chorale Director’s Association (ACDA), Southwestern ACDA and National and Regional Organization of American Kodaly Educators (OAKE) and in Carnegie Hall. We collaborate with local talent such as the Denver Brass, symphony orchestras from Parker, Littleton, Lone Tree, Denver and the Spirituals Project. YVC’s senior choirs and soloists have represented the US in the prestigious International Music Eisteddfod competition in Wales, some going on to win.

Sing a Mile High International Children's Choral Festival

Each summer our international children’s choral festival, Sing A Mile High, (SAMH) brings together eminent conductors/composers and exceptional youth chorales for a week of rehearsals and performances. Serving up to 400 children each summer, SAMH promotes artistic excellence and understanding of world cultures through the universal language of music and has become one of the most popular youth choral festivals in the US.