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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 
Saturday, January 24th, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

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

varsityvocals

@varsityvocals

Follow us @varsityvocals on Facebook and Instagram, and join the conversation using #ICCA

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

A Sharp Arrangement is SUNY Potsdam’s only all-treble a cappella group. Originally formed as a barbershop group in spring 1994, they have since evolved into the energetic all-treble a cappella group they are today. They rehearse a variety of musical genres, host annual invitational concerts, perform at campus events, and record EPs and albums for release on streaming services. The group also promotes music education in schools through performances and workshops across New York state. Along with regular performances and workshops, A Sharp Arrangement is also an award-winning ICCA competitor. Some of their recent accomplishments include advancing to Semifinals in 2019 and 2020, earning an Outstanding Vocal Percussion award in 2021, and an Outstanding Choreography award in 2022. 

Duly Noted, established at UMass Amherst, is ecstatic to be returning to the ICCA stage after eight years! Since their last time competing, they have performed at the Massachusetts State House, toured across the Northeast, and recorded two studio albums. Today, Duly brings a collection of songs that reflect the cycle of losing oneself in a relationship and finding oneself again after emotional turbulence. Whether through escape, reflection, or confrontation, these songs echo a core human experience: the struggle to feel seen and whole in the midst of love and insecurity. 

Pitch Please is UAlbany’s premier co-ed a cappella group. This group of music lovers believes in pushing boundaries, while keeping the joy of music present in everything they do. Throughout the year, they perform across campus and the Capital Region, build connections through collaboration and hosting events, and challenge themselves on the competitive stage. Pitch Please is excited to bring their sound, style, and story to this year’s ICCA. 

The Potsdam Pitches is one of SUNY Potsdam’s mixed a cappella groups. Founded in 2007 by a dedicated group of students, The Pitches have advanced to six ICCA Central Semifinals! They strive to share their love for a cappella every day! 

The Potsdam Pointercounts is SUNY Potsdam's premier all-basso a cappella group, with voice types ranging from tenor to bass! They dedicate themselves to educating students of all ages about a cappella music and bringing love for the arts into schools. The Pointercounts perform a variety of musical styles to creatively engage students and adults through educational workshops and performances. A cappella music holds historical and cultural significance and The Pointercounts strive to share one of the oldest forms of choral singing with students. The Potsdam Pointercounts aim to create an atmosphere that facilitates students’ ability to create and enjoy music. 

Founded in 1997, The Rusty Pipes is an all-gender, SATB a cappella group hailing from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Driven by a collective passion for high-spirited performance, The Rusty Pipes strive for vibrant and highly emotive performances. From pop to punk to jazz, The Rusty Pipes sing a variety of genres. The Pipes perform their original arrangements at events on campus, throughout the Capital region, and across the Northeast! They have also released several albums and EPs on Spotify, including their most recent EP, aether, which was released in June 2025. The Pipes are tight-knit offtsage as well and pride themselves on their dedication to the group. The Rusty Pipes last graced the ICCA stage at the 2025 ICCA Central Quarterfinals and they’re absolutely ecstatic to return for the 2026 season. 

S#arp Attitude is UMass Amherst’s only all-treble a cappella group. Founded in 2011 from casual beginnings, S#arp Attitude has since grown into a powerhouse ensemble known for its empowering, soulful sound, bold silver image, and dynamic repertoire. The group performs throughout the Hampshire Valley, fostering strong connections with the Western Massachusetts a cappella community and supporting local causes through charity events. They were featured on “Sing It On,” an a cappella reality series produced by John Legend, which chronicled their journey through the 2016 ICCA. After a brief hiatus, S#arp Attitude is returning to the competitive stage in 2026, marking their first ICCA appearance in a decade. S#arp Attitude’s vibrant alumni network bridges generations, cultivating a sisterhood that uplifts and inspires. The group has released two studio albums on Spotify and Apple Music, one of which earned a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) for Best Female Collegiate Album. S#arp Attitude aims to empower dynamic women and nonbinary people by creating meaningful music together in a supportive space. 

The Sexy Pitches is a collaborative a cappella group from the State University at New Paltz. Returning to the ICCA stage after a three-year hiatus, The Pitches are back with determination and grit. After months of tireless planning, arranging, choreographing, and realizing that none of them have done cardio since coming to college, their music directors have built a completely self-arranged set from the ground up. Through its songs, The Pitches will depict obsession, passion, fixation, and self-discovery, exploring how obsession can drive, consume, and ultimately transform. The Pitches are thrilled to share their hard work and hope that by the end, you too will become OBSESSED with The Sexy Pitches. 

Stay Tuned is one of SUNY Potsdam's all-gender a cappella groups. They are a close-knit family of music lovers, bringing their take on a cappella music to the public. This group was formed in October 2012 by SUNY Potsdam students who sought to bring together musicians on campus. Stay Tuned aims to redefine a cappella music through their original arrangements, broad repertoire (including many genres that aren't largely represented), and unique flavor of a cappella. In 2023, they placed 3rd at Quarterfinals and won the award for Outstanding Arrangement.

Established in 2017, Viridescent is University of Vermont’s newest and first-ever competitive a cappella group! They are excited to represent UVM in their fourth consecutive ICCA showing. They aim to create excellent musical projects while spending time with the people they love. The official music video of their 2025 ICCA set can be found on YouTube and their sixth studio release, DIVINITY, is available on all streaming platforms! They are proud to share that all arrangements on that record, as well as the recording and production, were completed in-group. For easy access to these projects and to stay up to date with all things Viridescent, follow them on Instagram @uvmviridescent. They are beyond thrilled to be here today and want to thank their supporters and Varsity Vocals for making this possible!

GUEST PERFORMER

The Rensselyrics is RPI's oldest all-gender a cappella group. Since its founding in 1991, they have been self-arranged and are now fully self-produced, leading the recording, mixing, and mastering of their own albums. Each semester, they perform at RPI events, locally in the Capital Region, and at regional competitions. When they aren't performing, you can find the 'Lyrics hanging out at Jacob Alejandro, playing board games, and exploring upstate New York! Find their newest album, Eclipse, on all streaming platforms and stay tuned for their upcoming album, Vertigo! Follow @TheRensselyrics on social media to stay up to date on performances!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Don Ferlazzo was a member of Ithacappella, Ithaca College's all-male a cappella group, from 2002 to 2005. During that time, he served as a soloist, arranger, skit-writer and vice president of the group. Since his college days, Don has performed in several Upstate New York a cappella groups, including Jazzhands, Dorothy Mantooth and The Saints, and currently the Noise of Summer (a Capital Region-based co-ed group that performs during the summer months). Don was inducted into the Ithacappella Hall of Fame in 2022 and has led workshops for the Tune Up A Cappella festival in South Glens Falls. In addition to a cappella music, Don co-wrote an original musical produced locally in 2002 and produced an original pop/rock album in 2017. His debut solo album was followed by several singles, the latest of which earned him a spot as a Finalist for the 2022 Capital Region Music Video of the Year award. Don lives in Halfmoon with his wife, two young sons, and the family dog, Butters.

An instrumentalist for most of his early life, Chris Hoffman found his calling in vocal music as a member and eventual president of Hofstra University’s Sigma’cappella. After bringing the group to ICCA Semifinals twice in its first three years of competition and earning individual awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Vocal Percussion on the way, Chris went on to coach and arrange for various college and high school groups in the area. He's also performed with groups like Satellite Lane, competing in tournaments such as the Aca Open and the Harmony Sweepstakes. Chris enjoys helping students reach their potential and find their voice, both as the ICHSA Northeast producer and as an admissions counselor for the University of Minnesota.

Michaela Robertson is a music educator and soprano based in upstate New York. She is the music teacher for kindergarden through sixth grade students and choir director for fifth and sixth grade students in the Hadley-Luzerne Central School District. Michaela holds a Master of Music Education from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music Education from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. An active performer, she sings with Garden Sound and the Hudson River Chorale and maintains a schedule as a freelance soprano. Michaela is excited to bring her background in choral pedagogy to tonight's show!

Kevin Trapasso has spent the last 17 years involved in Varsity Vocals programs. While majoring in choral music education at Arizona State University, he helped found the school’s first all-male a cappella group, created an annual statewide a cappella festival, and eventually led this group to a Quarterfinal win in his senior year. Since then, he earned a master’s degree in choral conducting and has taught secondary, collegiate, and professional vocal ensembles around Florida and New York. He is so pleased to judge the very competition that helped him grow tremendously as a musician and educator and looks forward to a great night of music!

Arvin Zabalerio is a vocal percussionist and musician who loves a cappella to his core! He has competed in the ICCA with both Rutgers' Casual Harmony and The OrphanSporks from 2011 to 2015. During his tenure in collegiate a cappella, Arvin garnered multiple ICCA awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion and advanced to Semifinals numerous times. Arvin is currently the ICCA Central Producer and has been with Varsity Vocals since 2017. Prior to becoming a producer, he was in the inaugural class for Varsity Vocals' Production Assistant Program and was fortunate enough to shadow in the ICCA and ICHSA Mid-Atlantic regions. When Arvin is not producing ICCA shows, he is a Senior Manager of Supply Chain with PepsiCo and enjoys soaking up all the beautiful things New York City has to offer.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank The Rensselyrics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, our wonderful deliberation act, and the EMPAC team for working so diligently to make the event happen; 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 Northeast 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!

#ICCA