2026 ICHSA Great Lakes Quarterfinal @ Port Washington High School

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

ICHSA GREAT LAKES QUARTERFINAL

Port Washington High School
Saturday, February 21st, 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 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.

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.

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

Colla Voce is a student-run, all-voice a cappella group from Madison West High School. Formed in 2018, Colla Voce means “with the voice” in Italian, highlighting the group’s mission right in its name. They pride themselves on arranging and choreographing their own competition sets. The group advanced to the 2024 ICHSA Great Lakes Semifinals and won both Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Arrangement at their 2025 Quarterfinal. Throughout the year, some of their favorite traditions are marching in the homecoming parade and caroling around downtown Madison during the Christmas season. Recently, Colla Voce has focused on raising funds to purchase their first set of wireless microphones, and reached their funding goal in fall 2025 with generous support from the community, their principal, Mr. Kigeya, and the dedicated help of choir director, Mr. Cao. Group alumni have gone on to join groups such as Fundamentally Sound at UW Madison, The Sirens at USC, and Impromptu A Cappella at UW Eau Claire, and many others are pursuing music degrees, choir direction, and songwriting at schools across the country.

CYC Out is a contemporary a cappella group from the Clinton Junior Senior High School located in south central Wisconsin. Founded 12 years ago, the group meets four to five times a week to rehearse, make music, and have fun. Composed of 17 amazing students from a small agricultural community, CYC Out blends harmonies and choreography to bring a fantastic show to every audience. Group members design all of their choreography, arrange their music, and support one another to be their best selves. They hope you enjoy the show and go CYC Out!

FOCUS is the extracurricular a cappella group at Port Washington High School. Founded in 2015 under the name Armonia, this group began as an additional opportunity for students to explore a cappella and develop their talents. Since then, FOCUS has evolved into a competitive group that performs outside of school and even releases recorded work, even though the group is primarily formed of underclassmen. Now in its 10th year of existence, FOCUS remains dedicated to creating a musical foundation to help members learn and grow.

When you see pink, you think Genesis A Cappella! This all-treble a cappella group at Brookfield East High School loves rocking their pink outfits and white heels onstage at the CHSA. The group is great at singing (fantastic, some would say) and even better at potlucks! From pumpkin muffins to fresh fruit, they excel at hosting pre-competition carbo crams. They love to hang out during morning rehearsals and outside of them, too! A cappella runs through their veins, so don't forget to stand up and shout when Genesis takes you to the moon!

Good Old A Cappella is one of three a cappella groups at Beaver Dam High School. Their choir department is celebrating their 100th season this year. This group has taken many forms over those 100 years, singing primarily madrigals in the 60s and 70s, performing as a swing choir in the 80s and 90s, and finding its way in the contemporary a cappella scene today. GOA is presenting an entirely student-arranged and choreographed set for the fourth straight year.

Graftonics is the competitive a cappella ensemble proudly representing Grafton High School. Fully inclusive of all genders and voice parts, this group unites a diverse set of voices to create music at the highest level. This ensemble is dedicated to developing high-caliber musicianship. Graftonics members seek out complex arrangements and rigorous performance opportunities, constantly challenging themselves to elevate their craft, both technically and creatively. Also a close-knit family, the singers of Graftonics share a passion for performance and genuinely enjoy being together, even when rehearsals start bright and early at 6:45 in the morning!

Resolve is a mixed-voice contemporary a cappella group from Niles West High School in Skokie, Ill. Composed of 18 student musicians, the group performs a wide range of music spanning multiple genres, blending playful energy with rich harmonies. Founded 2023, Resolve has earned recognition on both regional and national stages, including winning 1st place at the 2024 ICHSA Great Lakes Semifinal and representing the region at Finals in New York City as the Great Lakes Champion. They were featured on BOHSA 2025 and have released music on all major streaming platforms. Resolve is grateful for their community’s support and looks forward to sharing their music with tonight’s audience.

SolTown A Cappella, from Germantown High School (a.k.a. G-Town!) is back for another year! Named after "sol" in the solfege scale, the dominant pitch and a dominant presence, SolTown brings a commanding energy to their performances. The group has been performing in ICHSA and around the Germantown community for five years and is excited to continue.

The Treblesome Teens is a mixed a cappella group from Hortonville High School. Ranging from freshmen to seniors, the group includes a wide range of vocalists, who meet several times a week to work on their vocals, blend, and choreography. They choose and arrange their own music, usually selecting from their favorite pop songs. From choosing and arranging their music to running auditions, the group is entirely student-led. The Treblesome Teens have been competing in the ICHSA for seven years, but have been a group for nine years, performing at concerts throughout the year at their high school.

Unaccompanied Minors is a co-ed student-led a cappella group. They meet before school at 7 a.m. several times a week and on weekends for boot camps. The group functions as a second family for its members and they have developed a special bond through making music together. Outside of rehearsal, they enjoy going out for food and taking trips to the beach. The Unaccompanied Minors are super competitive and prepared to compete in ICHSA for their ninth consecutive year!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Hannah Divin (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, where she earned her bachelor's degree in choral music education and was a member of Impromptu A Cappella. She served as music director for two years, leading the group to compete in ICCA and Port Washington’s Acapocalypse Festival. She now works as a general music and choir teacher for Blair-Taylor School District in Blair, Wis.

Benjamin Lebovitz is a musician and educator based in Madison, Wis. They're thrilled to be returning for this year's competition season, having served as a Varsity Vocals judge since 2018. A current Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, they are a national board-certified teacher (NBCT) in music and previously directed collegiate and high school ensembles in southern Arizona. While teaching, Ben served on the board of the Arizona Choral Directors Association, chairing contemporary a cappella repertoire and activities across the state. Ben previously served as a nominator and judge for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) and is looking forward to a great show.

Michael Severino (he/him/his) began his a cappella journey at Illinois State University as music director and choreographer of The Clef Hangers, leading the group to consistent top placements at ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinals and three consecutive Semifinals appearances, also earning personal awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Choreography. He currently serves as education coordinator for the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF), organizing workshops and collaborating with educators nationwide. Michael also clinics a cappella groups throughout the region and is an active judge for the CARAs, A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs), ICCA, and ICHSA. In addition, he helps organize nationwide educational events through Cut Off Studios and has previously supported ICHSA competitions as a Production Assistant for Varsity Vocals. Alongside his work in education, adjudication, and event management, Michael is an active performer, arranger, and choreographer for the semi-professional group, Outbound A Cappella, in the Chicago suburbs.

Walter Smart is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin Parkside, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in contemporary commercial music, voice emphasis. He is passionate about being versatile in all types of musical genres and was involved in his university’s chorale, chamber, and a cappella ensembles. Aside from performing, he has arranged over 30 pieces of vocal music for collegiate a cappella groups and finds joy in exploring the more emotional aspects of music. His technical prowess and exemplary leadership have elevated performances to new heights. Beyond his achievements, Walter’s humility and team-oriented approach have earned him admiration among his university peers and faculty. As Walter prepares to embark on the next chapter of his journey, he remains committed to nurturing the talents of future musicians.

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 two finishing groups at this event will advance to the 2026 ICHSA Great Lakes 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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