IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE ANNOUNCES 2026 JAZZ CHOIR AND SHOW CHOIR FESTIVAL

January 22, 2026
Jazz Choir-Choir Festival 2026

ESTHERVILLE, Iowa — The Iowa Lakes Community College Music Department has announced the schedule for the 2026 Jazz Choir and Show Choir Festival, set for Jan. 27–29, 2026, at the Janice K. Lund Performing Arts Center on the college’s Estherville Campus.

The festival is free and open to the public and is designed as an educational experience for participating schools. Choirs will receive on-stage feedback from experienced clinicians to help refine performance skills and prepare for future competitions.

Clay Blackman of Omaha, Nebraska, will serve as the show choir clinician. Jazz choirs will work with Dr. Kurt Runestad of Crete, Nebraska, and Duane Ites of Spirit Lake. All three clinicians bring extensive performance and instructional experience to the festival.

Tuesday, Jan. 27 — Show Choirs & Jazz Choirs

Performances (Auditorium)

  • Graettinger-Terril MS — 9:10 a.m.
  • Ruthven-Ayrshire MS “Legacy” — 9:50 a.m.
  • Pocahontas “Showstoppers” — 10:30 a.m.
  • Sheldon “Impact” — 11:10 a.m.
  • Okoboji “Boji Voices” — 12:15 p.m.
  • Sheldon “Vocal Fusion” — 12:55 p.m.
  • Iowa Valley “Valley Voices” — 1:45 p.m.
  • Thomas Jefferson “Edition” — 2:40 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 28 — Show Choirs & Jazz Choirs

Performances (Auditorium)

  • ELC “Momentum” — 8:00 a.m.
  • Spirit Lake “Music Factory” — 8:40 a.m.
  • Emmetsburg “High Voltage” — 9:20 a.m.
  • Carroll “Swingsations” — 10:00 a.m.
  • Emmetsburg MS “Evolution” — 10:40 a.m.
  • Le Mars “Red, Black, and Blues” — 11:45 a.m.
  • Carroll Jazz Choir — 12:25 p.m.
  • Emmetsburg “5 Island Jazz” — 1:05 p.m.
  • Spirit Lake “Lake Effect” — 1:45 p.m.
  • ELC Jazz Choir — 2:25 p.m.
  • MVAOCOU Tune Squad — 3:05 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 29 — Jazz Choirs

Performances (Auditorium)

  • Spencer “Chromatic Jazz”— 8:00 a.m.
  • Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Jazz — 8:40 a.m.
  • Sibley-Ochetedan “Night Sounds” — 9:20 a.m.
  • Humboldt Vocal Jazz” — 10:00 a.m.
  • Clear Lake “Wavelegnth” – 10:40 a.m.
  • Rock Valley “Rocktavo” — 11:20 a.m.
  • Spencer “Piece of Jazz”— 12:15 p.m.
  • Cherokee Washinton Jazz Choir — 12:55 p.m.
  • Sotrm Lake “Evergreen”— 1:35 p.m.
  • West Lyon Wildcat Vocal Jazz — 2:15 p.m.
  • Algona Bishop Garrigan — 2:55 p.m.
  • Thomas Jefferson Vocal Jazz — 3:35 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to visit the Iowa Lakes Music Department Facebook page for the most up-to-date schedule, as last-minute changes may occur.

For additional information, contact Brett Fuelberth, vocal music professor, at 712-362-7963 or bfuelberth@iowalakes.edu.

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