ABERDEEN Northern State University will welcome 111 of the states top young vocalists to campus for the 51st annual South Dakota High School Honor Choir performance, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, on stage at the Jewett Theater in the Johnson Fine Arts Center.
This marks the sixth time Northern has hosted the event since 2000 and the 12th time overall.
The 2025 choir will be conducted by Chris Maunu, a Northern State University alumnus and the Artistic Director of Pacific Youth Choir. Maunu, a four-time GRAMMY Museum Music Educator of the Year finalist, was previously director of choirs at Arvada West High School in Colorado for 17 years. In 2018, he was honored with Northerns Distinguished Alumni Award and delivered the universitys commencement address. He remains in high demand as a clinician and recently conducted the 2025 National Grade 11-12 Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass Honor Choir at the National American Choral Directors Association Conference in Dallas, Texas.
Students were selected for the state Honor Choir through a competitive audition process that included performance, sight singing and music theory evaluations. This years singers represent communities across South Dakota, from eastern South Dakotas Elk Point to Spearfish in the west, and from northern South Dakotas Milbank to Tripp in the South. Area schools with students in the choir include Aberdeen Central, Hoven, Huron, James Valley Christian and Miller.
Local Honor Choir participants include:
James Valley Christian High School:
Lorena Blom (director of vocal music)
Belle Niederbaumer (Soprano I)
Huron High School:
Tabitha Unruh (choir director)
Jonah Beck (Tenor II)
Cooper Bischoff (Tenor I)
Miller High School:
Cleo Kleinsasser (K-12 and vocal music teacher)
Isaiah Gortmaker (Tenor I)
Tickets for the July 25th performance are $10 and will be available for purchase at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the Northern State University School of Fine Arts at 605-626-2497.
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