2026 ICCA Southwest Semifinal @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

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 SOUTHWEST SEMIFINAL

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Sunday, March 15th, 2026

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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 Axecidentals is an all-treble a cappella group from Northern Arizona University. Established in 2013, they have been rocking that black and gold for a decade now! They sing music from various artists, ranging from Radiohead to Little Mix to Billie Eilish. A gender-inclusive group, The Axecidentals cater to all voices on the treble clef. As one of the premier groups on campus, they represent the NAU School of Music’s high standards, while including members from all majors and career paths. Some former group members have gone on to develop their own groups, such as Red Letter Daze, Side Note, and Unaccompanied, who you can find on Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok! They regularly tour high schools in the Southwest area, including Arizona, Nevada, California, and Utah, for outreach to spread the love of the a cappella community! You can find the Axecidentals' latest EP on Spotify and Apple Music, titled Room to Breathe. They hope to record much more music in the future! The Axecidentals are proud to represent treble singers in Flagstaff and hope to keep the tradition of an empowered music-making community alive.

Boots & Cats is the premier all-treble a cappella ensemble at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. An entirely student-led group, Boots & Cats members range from freshmen through seniors and come from all majors across campus. The group enjoys singing a wide range of genres and artists and loves performing throughout their school and local community. The Cats are motivated by a strong love for one another and by the unifying power of music.

The Canyon Crescendos is Grand Canyon University’s premier competitive a cappella team. Founded in 2021, The Canyon Crescendos has since doubled in size, rebuilt from the challenges of the pandemic, and emerged as a powerhouse group of 18 vocalists, united by a passion for music. Every voice in the group brings something special, creating a vibrant community in which diversity, creativity, and connection take center stage. This year, they’re turning up the volume by exploring fresh genres, bold arrangements, and crowd-favorite hits alongside timeless classics. Last year’s ICCA experience lit a fire under the group, pushing them to up their game and dream even bigger. From campus events and GCU games to local venues, like Desert Ridge Marketplace and Beatitudes Campus, The Canyon Crescendos are passionate about sharing their music wherever they go. They believe that every performance is an opportunity to inspire, connect, and celebrate the power of the human voice. Their mission is to create a space that empowers each member to grow as a musician and person. Through powerful harmonies and heartfelt storytelling, The Canyon Crescendos aim to create unforgettable memories and they’re so excited to bring you along for the ride.

Morse Coda A Cappella is an all-inclusive a cappella group at the University of California, Irvine. This group of passionate musicians represent various academic backgrounds, but all of them share a love for a cappella. Morse Coda thrives on collaboration and innovation, blending contemporary choral, pop, jazz, and R&B music in their arrangements and compositions. They are thrilled to return to the ICCA stage and share incredible stories through song!

Nu Aria is an all-gender pop a cappella group, formed in fall 2022 at Mt. San Antonio College. With roots reaching back to the all-male award-winning ensemble, Fermata Nowhere (2009 ICCA Champion), they are proud to come from a junior community college that welcomes a diverse group of singers with varying ages, backgrounds, and educational goals. United by a shared love for music and performing, this group offers an opportunity for students to create lasting memories and find family at a two-year college. After Nu Aria formed in 2022, they competed every ICCA season since, earning recognition at Quarterfinals with special awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Outstanding Soloist in 2023, and Outstanding Arrangement in 2025. As they continue to up their game with original arrangements and expressive choreography, Nu Aria is eager to bring their sound and energy to the 2026 ICCA season and beyond.

The Red Keys is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s newest all-gender a cappella group, founded in 2017. They’re dedicated to high-level musicianship and spreading their passion for the arts with their community. The group includes members from diverse majors, backgrounds, and experience levels, all united through a shared love of music. They sing a wide range of musical genres, with an emphasis on pop, jazz, and R&B. The Red Keys frequently perform at campus events, community gigs, and collaborative shows with other a cappella groups. Group members arrange most of The Red Keys’ music, often experimenting with new ideas that keep the group’s sound evolving. The Red Keys have competed in the ICCA since 2019, earning their highest score to date at Midwest Quarterfinals in 2021, with a 3rd-place finish and an Outstanding Vocal Percussion award for group member Joey Carabello. They have professionally recorded and released music since 2020. Their latest project, eclipse., is a collection of the group’s 2024 ICCA set, along with an additional song for their ICCA storyline. The Red Keys continue to grow each year in their sound and energy, fueled by the belief that everyone deserves access to music.

Trillium A Cappella is an award-winning, student-led ensemble based in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. The group’s 10 members represent various backgrounds and have built a familal and creative environment together. Since its creation in 2022, Trillium has had many opportunities to perform both locally and out of state. In addition to outreach events and numerous performances at local care homes, they have already made a name for themselves in the competitive a cappella scene. Some of their most notable performances include their VoiceJam 2023 and 2024 sets, where they placed 2nd and won Outstanding Choreography both years, and their 2024 ICCA debut, where they advanced to the Semifinals in Arizona. Beyond live performances, Trillium has also begun making their mark in the studio. They released their debut single, "Bet U Wanna," in 2023, to all major platforms, and their first EP is set for release this year. Looking ahead, the group is excited to continue growing through competitions, community performances, and new projects. Follow their journey on Instagram at @trillium.aca. This is their second ICCA appearance and they can’t wait to see where it takes them!

Founded in 1996, The Tritones is UCSD’s premier co-ed a cappella group! The Tritones represent a diverse collection of the UCSD student body, some bringing years of vocal training to the group, others guided solely by their talent. They foster a creatively empowering environment where group members can find respite from the arduous life of university. The Tritones have won the Los Angeles A cappella Festival (LAAF), advanced as far as the ICCA Semifinals, and shared the stage with renowned artists, such as Taylor Swift and Imogen Heap.

Founded in 1994 at UC Irvine, Uniting Voices is committed to creating opportunities for their community to experience music. They have performed on the stages of the ICCA, the LAAF, and many UCI events. As four-time ICCA Southwest Semifinalists, Uniting Voices is excited to get back into the action after a year off!

Baylor VirtuOSO is the premier contemporary vocal ensemble of Baylor University, showcasing the dynamic intersection of jazz, pop, and a cappella artistry. Under the direction of Professor Reginal Wright, VirtuOSO explores a wide range of vocal styles, from swinging jazz standards and soulful gospel to fresh arrangements of today’s chart-topping hits. Rooted in the tradition of vocal excellence, the ensemble emphasizes musicianship, creativity, and collaboration. Members of VirtuOSO are selected through competitive auditions and represent some of Baylor’s most versatile and skilled student musicians. In addition to their strong voice, each singer contributes their dedication to crafting a unified, expressive sound. VirtuOSO performs regularly on campus and in the Waco community, engaging audiences through innovative performances that blend sophisticated harmonies with rhythmic vitality and emotional depth. The group also maintains an active digital presence, producing creative social media content and video projects that share their music with a broader audience. Whether performing classic arrangements inspired by groups like New York Voices and Take 6, or original reimaginings of modern favorites, Baylor VirtuOSO embodies the spirit of excellence, artistry, and joy that defines Baylor’s School of Music.

GUEST PERFORMER

Gold Dust Avenue is Chaparral High School’s top-tier vocal group, student-led by singers who are also members of Chaparral’s Advanced Vocal Ensemble Honors program. They love to sing original pieces and covers, focusing on a cappella arrangements with vocal percussion. This auditioned group performs the national anthem for home varsity sports and local spring training games. In addition to performances, concerts, and local events, GDA has earned Superior ratings in the jazz category in Northern Arizona University’s Jazz/Madrigal Festival in both 2025 and 2026. They also created a set with original arrangements and choreography for the international a cappella competition, SingStrong New York, in 2024, 2025, and 2026. GDA participated in the 2023 ICHSA, earning 3rd place in their Southwest Quarterfinal, along with an Outstanding Arrangement award. Most recently, GDA earned a Best Arrangement award and a Judges' Choice award for choreography at the 2026 SingStrong New York competition.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Dr. Sammy Brauer is a conductor, private voice teacher, professional soprano, and director of choirs at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. Sammy is the music director for Chaparral’s large musical theatre shows and teaches classes of choirs, piano, and musical theatre. Sammy served on the board of the Arizona Choral Directors Association. There, she published many choral reviews in the ACDA journal and promoted ACDA’s summer conference workshops at Mesa Community College. She is a member of the American Music Educator’s Association and an on-call adjudicator for festivals and workshops. Her current work at Chaparral includes being the sponsor and director of Chaparral High School’s vocal group, Gold Dust Avenue. This touring group was featured by SUSD’s governing board for two consecutive years for their achievements in competitions. GDA singers learn advanced vocal harmony and choreography and compete across the country, from Texas to New York. Sammy is the Chaparral Honors choir director and enjoys working with the auditioned talented singers. Prior to her work in public school education, she was an associate professor at the community college level. She was director of the Scottsdale Master Chorale, a touring group that performed large works in France, Austria, and Italy.

Courtney Evans (she/her) is a singer, pianist, music educator, and choreographer based in Phoenix. She is thrilled to be returning for this year’s competition season, having served as a Varsity Vocals judge since 2019. Courtney is a member of the Grammy-winning Phoenix Chorale, an accompanist and music literacy instructor with the Phoenix Children’s Chorus, and the assistant music director at Peace Lutheran Church in Peoria. She previously served as the choir director and piano teacher at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe before moving into higher education as an academic advisor at Arizona State University. In addition to her strong classical choral roots, Courtney is a founding member of the a cappella group, Unaccompanied, an award-winning semi-professional group. Unaccompanied was formerly a competitive collegiate group from Northern Arizona University and has since recorded professionally and performed for festivals across the country, including Las Vegas Acapalooza, Ad Astra Music Festival in Kansas, and the Western Region American Choral Directors Association conference. She has also performed alongside New York Voices and M-Pact, and sung back-up for Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli on their recent U.S. tours. Courtney graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in choral music education from Northern Arizona University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership.

A.J. Lepore holds Bachelor of Music degrees from the Chapman University Conservatory of Music and has built a multifaceted career as a music educator, sound engineer, producer, and arranger. He spent a decade as a choral educator, working with students to develop strong vocal technique, musicianship, and ensemble skills.

Jordan Murillo is a bass baritone with extensive musical experience in both a cappella and opera. He is a University of Arizona graduate, where he directed and arranged for Amplified, leading the group to an ICCA Quarterfinal win, a 3rd place Semifinal showing, and winning an invidual award for Outstanding Vocal Percussion. Jordan also attended the Taos Opera Institute in Taos, N.M., where he studied with Mary Jane Johnson, Stanford Olsen, and James Patrick Raftery. He is currently a teacher with The Inner Voice Studio in in Tucson, Ariz., sharing new and creative stylistic approaches to contemporary singing, as well as vocal percussion. Eager to create impactful performances that enrich communities, Jordan has been described as having a “...controlled and effortless singing style [that] gives the performance an acoustic feel that’s simply impressive.” He is excited to contribute to the a cappella community as a Varsity Vocals judge!

Nason Werth has been known to travel the country for a good a cappella show, and currently resides in Phoenix. Originally from the great state of Michigan, Nason studied vocal performance at Michigan State University, where he served as music director and bass with MSU’s first co-ed a cappella group and ICCA fixture, Capital Green. He gained broad ensemble experience as a student with the university chorale, chamber choir, jazz octet, and section leader in the Okemos Presbyterian Church. Nason relocated to the Mid-Atlantic after college and has performed with the Handel Choir of Baltimore and the Bach in Baltimore ensembles. He currently serves as a nominator and judge for the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs) and Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) and is looking forward to a great show!

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank 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 placing group at this event will advance to the 2026 ICCA Finals .

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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