2025 ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal @ Drexel University

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 30th season! After more than a quarter century of presenting the best student groups on the stage and in the studio, our enthusiasm for the art of a cappella is greater than ever.

Our tournaments have grown from a handful of events to the massive showcase they are today, currently featuring more than 730 groups and around 12,000 singers at over 85 events across North America and the United Kingdom.

Our original tournament inspired the hit movie, "Pitch Perfect," based on the nonfiction book documenting the true story of rival groups competing in our very own ICCA. The "Pitch Perfect" franchise remains the highest-grossing cinematic musical series of all time.

Despite the incredible growth and mainstream popularity we’ve enjoyed, our focus remains sharply on the promotion and development of the talent that crosses our stage. We believe competition fosters growth, as groups work together toward a specific goal and cultivate lifelong skills and relationships.

We provide insightful feedback from our highly qualified judges, but more importantly, our singers get to connect with a larger audience from across the country, learning from their peers and finding inspiration from other groups.

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 30 years ago and can’t wait to see how our 2026 competitors continue to push the envelope. Committed to promoting our singers and energized by the incredible music they create, we look forward to another memorable season. Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

ICCA MID-ATLANTIC QUARTERFINAL

Drexel University
Saturday, February 14th, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

We're talking about this event, and all of our events around the world!

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ABOUT VARSITY VOCALS

Since 1996, we have encouraged students worldwide to sing a cappella throughout their lives. Our programs include both the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA). We also annually produce The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA) compilation albums.

Our a cappella competitions give top-notch a cappella groups the opportunity to showcase their talents for an international audience and to take home valuable feedback from our qualified judges. This year, competing groups will appear in venues all around the world, offering their energetic musical performances for your enjoyment.

The college tournament, now in it's 30th year, takes place from January through April in nine regions across the country and around the world. Each region holds four or five Quarterfinals, and the top groups from each Quarterfinal advance to the Semifinal. The winning group at each Semifinal is named Regional Champion and advances to the ICCA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 25th.

The high school tournament is now in its 21st year. The winners of each of seven Semifinal rounds will advance to the ICHSA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Friday, April 24th.

For a full tournament schedule, visit us at www.varsityvocals.com/events

ABOUT TONIGHT'S SHOW

The performance order was determined by random draw this afternoon and will be announced from stage.

Tonight’s performers will be evaluated on elements of their vocal and visual performance, which carry numerical weight. The highest and lowest score from the individual judges will be dropped for each group. Our judges may recognize exceptional performances with special awards as they see fit.

There will be a 15-minute intermission. After the final group has performed, a guest performer will entertain you while the scores are tabulated.

Because each group only has 10 minutes to perform, we ask you to keep your applause to an enthusiastic minimum between songs. Please feel welcome to applaud as much as you want after each group has finished its set.

Videotaping and non-flash photography for personal use is permitted during the concert, so long as you do not disrupt our performers or other patrons. Due to licensing regulations, we do not provide a video or audio recording of this performance.

TONIGHT'S COMPETITORS

The Drexel Cleftomaniacs is an all-gender a cappella group, established in 2012. The group features Drexel University undergraduate students who have a passion for singing and creating music. They aim to provide a welcoming environment for students to produce quality a cappella music, while fostering a diverse and tight-knit family. The group supports each member’s individual musical development, elevating the performance of the group as a whole. Last ICCA season, The Cleftos won the Outstanding Arrangement award and placed 3rd in their 2025 Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal.

Faux Paz is one of UMD's a cappella groups, performing mainly R&B and pop arrangements. The group took 1st place at the 2021 ICCA Finals and more recently won their 2025 Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal. Nowadays, Faux Paz travels to perform at nearby schools, continues to compete, and is in the process of recording another album to be released on all streaming platforms.

LiaChorus is a gender-inclusive, contemporary, and competitive a cappella group, dedicated to bringing high-level performances to the Temple and Philadelphia community. LiaChorus prides itself on its unique blend, musical versatility, and competitive history. They have competed in the ICCA four times, advancing to Semifinals in 2019 and 2020, and earning the title of Quarterfinal Champions in 2022.

The Muses, from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, is the first HBCU a cappella group in history to compete in the ICCA. Founded in 2023, The Muses usher in a new era of artistry and culture, blending traditional a cappella styles with the heritage and spirit of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and celebrating BIPOC diversity. Known for their dynamic arrangements, compelling storytelling, and powerful stage presence, The Muses fuse R&B, pop, and soul to create emotionally charged performances. Their music resonates with audiences and highlight the importance of representing the underrepresented.

Hailing from Temple University, Owlcappella focuses on R&B, jazz, and soul music. In their most recent ICCA showing, they won their 2023 ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal, also taking special awards for Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Arrangement. Owlcappella spends their free time bonding, playing gigs, and performing around campus. They are super excited to be back and can’t wait to share their 2026 ICCA set.

The Penny Loafers, often known as "Loaf," is the University of Pennsylvania's all-gender indie-pop a cappella group. They were founded in 1986, which means they're excited to celebrate their 40th anniversary this spring! Though they got their start singing "oldies" from the 50s and 60s, they currently focus on introducing audiences to lesser known songs and revisiting their favorite pop hits. They began competing in the ICCA in 2024 and advanced to Semifinals in their first year. Over the years, Loaf has become known for their dynamic arrangements and witty, bread-themed show titles. They've produced albums, opened for touring artists, performed internationally, and hosted invitational shows to bring groups together from different universities. While their style has evolved, their mission remains to use their music to connect with audiences. They're thrilled to be back at the ICCA and are so grateful for the opportunity to perform together.

Pitch, Please is Temple University’s queer advocacy a cappella group! Their diverse roster of music focuses on queer themes and songs by members of the LGBTQ+ community. From pop to rock to R&B, Pitch, Please’s repertoire covers artists of all backgrounds. Founded in 2014, Pitch, Please has been a safe space for members of the queer community on Temple’s campus for the past 11 years. Repping their lavender and rainbow pins, they focus on spreading awareness and representation through singing and community outreach. They are so excited to be back for the 2026 ICCA season!

Founded in 1995, Georgtown Superfood has become the standard for inventive a cappella. By revamping old classics and creating unique arrangements of songs not often heard a cappella, Superfood leaves no room to doubt its creative musicality. With a repertoire that includes Rihanna, Hozier, Fleetwood Mac, Earth Wind and Fire, and Stevie Wonder, the group embraces a range of genres, entertaining audiences from every background.

The Supernovas is Villanova’s oldest all-gender a cappella group. The group members come from a wide variety of undergraduate majors, including engineering, nursing, finance and more, but share a dedication to music. They love arranging, recording, and performing their own music together and you can find their latest work by searching “The Supernovas” wherever you stream music. They are proud that their performance of “California,” originally by Chappell Roan, was honored on Varsity Vocals’ 2025 BOCA album. In the past, The Supernovas have performed at benefit concerts, toured the Northeast with other a cappella groups, and represented their school across the country. In 2022, The Supernovas made Villanova history by earning the title of Mid-Atlantic Champions and advancing to ICCA Finals in New York City. Tonight, The Supernovas are proud to take the stage for their 12th ICCA season!

Formed in January 2001, The TrebleMakers is currently the only high-voice a cappella group at Drexel. The group hosts concerts with guest groups once per academic term and performs at other concerts, both on and off campus and even out of state. With a repertoire featuring indie, pop, and classic rock, the group strives to create a unique sound and redefine the concept of female a cappella. They previously took 3rd place at their 2019 ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal and won two special awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion. The TrebleMakers are excited to continue upping their game at the ICCA and share their voices with the a cappella community.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

A lifelong singer, Abby Armstrong was bitten by the a cappella bug in high school in 2006 and has been performing with and leading a cappella groups ever since. Abby is a proud alumna of The Brandeis Starving Artists, with whom she competed in three ICCA seasons, making it to the 2010 ICCA Northeast Semifinals as a featured soloist. Although she is unable to apply her musical theatre vocal training directly to her career in the corporate world, Abby is thrilled to have found post-collegiate a cappella groups to call home. Abby currently serves as president of The Graduates in Philadelphia (@thegraduatesphilly), where she sings as a mezzo, does vocal percussion, and arranges.

Gavin Jacobson is a singer, vocal arranger, songwriter, and, most importantly, a cappella fanatic, hailing from Baltimore! He began his vocal journey young, creating one-man arrangements on his iPad, and was eventually accepted into a performing arts high school, where he found a safe haven in choir. After discovering his passion for singing in seven different choirs and exploring versatility within choral music, Gavin attended Towson University and helped found their award-winning mixed competitive a cappella group, Off Track! With Off Track, Gavin served as an arranger, assistant music director, and PR chair, helping lead the group to ICCA Semifinals three times, and all the way to Finals in 2025, picking up an Outstanding Soloist award along the way. Currently, Gavin works on music production, mentors groups in the Mid-Atlantic region, and arranges for a cappella groups all over the country!

Abbie Jin is a Philadelphia-based singer, award-winning arranger, director, and educator. She began her musical training in classical piano and choral performance and joined Enharmonics A Cappella at the University of Arizona in 2021. As music director, she arranged, produced, and helped choreograph multiple competitive ICCA sets, including the group's 2024 ICCA Southwest Quarterfinal performance, which won Outstanding Choreography. Her arrangements have since earned Enharmonics a placement on Varsity Vocals' 2025 BOCA compilation album, as well as the first Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nomination and win in the group's history. Throughout college, Abbie worked to bring music education to children in foster care and remains passionate about making music accessible to underserved communities. She continues to share her love for a cappella music as a singer and arranger with Project Philly, a local nonprofit dedicated to a cappella education and performance. Performing on the ICCA stage sparked her lifelong love for the art form and Abbie is excited to help make others' "Pitch Perfect" dreams come true!

Andrew Litwin began singing a cappella at age 16 with the professional Jewish a cappella group, Kol Zimra, and hasn't looked back since. During his four years at Brandeis University, he sang with the co-ed group, Starving Artists, and was their musical director for three years. He led his group to ICCA Semifinals and received the award for Outstanding Vocal Percussion. After college, he continued his musical career by joining and directing the Boston-based group, Common Sound. He sang with them until his acceptance into medical school at New York Medical College, where he music-directed the a cappella group there. After that, he took a hiatus to complete his training in General and Trauma Surgery. He now lives in Princeton with his wife, dog, and two daughters, and has returned to the a cappella world as a member of the Princeton-based a cappella group, Jersey Transit.

Luke Wroblewski has been performing and directing a cappella music for more than a decade. Luke works at Governor Livingston High School and Columbia Middle School in the Berkeley Heights school district, where he teaches choir and music theory and leads extracurricular ensembles, including GLissando, GL’s premier a cappella group. In high school, Luke was a member of Soulfege A Cappella, a student-led group from Millburn High School. He then attended Westminster Choir College, where he joined The Deaftones, the only competing group on campus. As music director and lead arranger of both his high school and college groups, Luke has placed highly at a cappella competitions around the region, including ICCA, ICHSA, and SingStrong N.Y., and won individual awards for Outstanding Arrangement. Luke has spent time with post-collegiate a cappella groups around the area and is excited for the continued growth of the New Jersey a cappella community. As an a cappella coach, Luke has coached various ensembles on competition sets, arranging, and performing. Luke is experienced in arranging, vocal percussion, live audio production, vocal improvisation, and more.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank our guest performers, 8 to the Bar and Dhvani; Youngmoo Kim, Vice Provost; Alex McKay
Cameron Moy; our judges, hosts, competitors, volunteers, partners, and producers; and you, the audience, for supporting Varsity Vocals programming.

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

Elise Hackl-Blumstein
ICHSA Director
PA/MA Program Coordinator

Dave Rabizadeh
ICCA Director

Emily Sucher
Director of Publications

Lucy Jacobs
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA West

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
Senior Producer, ICCA South

Arvin Zabalerio
Senior Producer, ICCA Central

Gemma Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Rebecca Williamson
Producer, ICCA Northeast

Adam McNeil
Producer, ICHSA Great Lakes

Valentyna Simon
Producer, ICHSA West

Ben Garza
Producer, ICHSA Southwest

Bryce McCracken
Associate Producer, ICCA Central

Angelina Corbin
Associate Producer
ICCA & ICHSA South

Sara Yood
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA Finals

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
Senior Producer, ICCA Great Lakes

Andrew Poole
Director of Digital Media

Charlotte Taylor
Marketing & Social Strategy

Holli Kitching
Senior Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

Leah Alrutz
Senior Producer, ICCA Midwest

Alaina Wegner
Producer, ICCA Southwest

Christopher Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Jillian Kimberlin
Senior Producer, ICHSA Mid-Atlantic

Christopher Hoffman
Producer, ICHSA Northeast

Jake Yoakum
Producer, ICHSA West

Nicole Palmetto
Associate Producer, ICCA Northeast

Tyandria Jaaber
Associate Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

McKinley Thoreson
Associate Producer
ICHSA Great Lakes

OUR TEAM

We have an amazing team of people who work tirelessly to make our programs so valuable for our singers and audiences alike — and they all do it while holding down full-time day jobs, too!

The top two placing groups at this event will advance to the 2026 ICCA Mid-Atlantic Semifinal .

BRING THE HARMONY HOME

Find your favorite groups on The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA), available for purchase on Apple Music and Amazon Music!

VIEW ALBUMS

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