2025 ICHSA Northeast Quarterfinal @ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Friday, January 23rd, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

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

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@varsityvocals

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

The 18 Wheelers is the select a cappella group from The Wheeler School in Providence. They enjoy sharing their love of music with the greater community and singing to raise awareness for various nonprofit organizations across the Northeast. Over the years, The 18s have garnered national recognition by winning tracks on BOHSA and the Contemporary A Cappella Society’s (CASA) acclaimed SING compilations, which mostly features collegiate and professional groups. Their albums have also won Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) in the categories of Best High School Album, Best High School Song, Best High School Arranger, and Best High School Soloist. Above all, The 18 Wheelers take pride in spreading joy as they connect with audiences across the East Coast.

Bear Necessities is the select a cappella group from Vestal High School in Central New York. Founded in 2011, the group has been featured on BOHSA and placed 2nd at ICHSA Semifinals. After a long hiatus, the group is so excited to return to the ICHSA stage to watch great performances from other groups and to sing their hearts out.

Founded in 2024, Encore secured 1st place at their ICHSA Northeast Quarterfinal in 2025. Caelum Gadway was awarded Outstanding Soloist for his performance of “Creep” by Radiohead. On February 28th, Encore received a Proclamation by the City of Plattsburgh Mayor Wendell Hughes, as well as a Citation from New York State Assemblyman Billy Jones at Plattsburgh City Hall in honor of their achievements. Encore’s first music video was released in July 2025 and has since been watched more than 30,000 times. Encore is under the direction of Mr. Cody Hampton.

Fermata Nowhere is a co-educational a cappella ensemble from Stafford Middle School. Founded in 2017, Fermata Nowhere includes singers from ages 11 to 14 and meets to rehearse several times each week. They have performed in the ICHSA every year since 2020. According to student president, Kayln Kivlehan, "this group is about making beautiful music and creating meaningful, lifelong relationships with the people in the group."

For Good Measure is the a cappella group from Mohonasen High School in Schenectady, N.Y. They have been performing at local school and community events since 2012. The group’s 16 members are highly involved in their high school music department, which includes many instrumental ensembles, choirs, and the theatre program. This is For Good Measure’s 10th year competing in the ICHSA and they look forward to another great experience this season!

Founded in 2022, Revolution’s mission is to transform the mindset of Springfield’s youth, one concert at a time. Each spring, members are chosen through a highly competitive audition process, representing the top high school singers in their city. This ensemble proudly showcases the extraordinary musical talent within Springfield Public Schools, while celebrating the diversity and richness of their community. Revolution’s award-winning performances feature multiple languages, which fosters connection, belonging, and unity among audiences. The group seeks to inspire, uplift, and empower the next generation through the universal language of music. Revolution performs across the Northeast in concert halls, on college campuses, and at a cappella competitions, including the ICHSA. In 2025, the group placed 3rd at their Quarterfinal and earned the award for Outstanding Choreography. That same year, Revolution was honored to open for the legendary Grammy-winning group TAKE 6, while select members also opened for Grammy-winning trumpet master, Arturo Sandoval.

The Stissingers hail from the humble hills of Pine Plains, where the wi-fi is weak but the harmonies are strong. Fueled by local coffee and small-town pride, they turn every performance into a front-porch singalong (minus the porch, plus a lot more flair). Whether crooning in a school auditorium or echoing across open fields, The Stissingers are here to prove that great music can bloom anywhere, even between a cornfield and a cow pasture.

This is Valley Voices’ first time on the ICHSA stage! They are so excited to be here and can't wait for their time onstage. This auditioned group is honored to represent AuSable Valley Central School. After participating in one of the virtual competitions several years back, Valley Voices is ecstatic to make their live ICHSA debut today!

South Glens Falls High School’s Vocal Point is a curricular group from upstate New York. In recent years, they have performed as the opening act for The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, Foreigner at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and William Shatner and Ben Folds at the Kennedy Center. You can find their two most recent EPs, one fifteen and Elevator Pitch, on all major streaming platforms. Be sure to follow them on Instagram, Tik Tok, and Facebook @sgfvocalpoint.

GUEST PERFORMER

Duly Noted is RPI's premier (and only) lower-voices a cappella group. Now old enough to drive, the group has been singing, semicircling, and barely competing since 2008. Duly Noted would like to thank Varsity Vocals for hosting such a wonderful event and for inviting them to share their music with you. They hope you enjoy their set!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Holden Maiorana is the Director of Choirs at Spackenkill High School in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where he founded the school's first a cappella group, Spackappella. He holds music education degrees from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam (B.M.) and Ithaca College (M.M.). He is the former music director of The Potsdam Pitches, a 2018 ICCA Finalist. Domestically, Holden and his groups have performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Beacon Theatre on Broadway. He has also conducted abroad in France, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Holden is a frequent music director and accompanist in the Hudson Valley and regularly presents topics in music education research at regional, state, and national conferences.

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!

Rebecca Williamson is a clinician, vocalist, and arranger from Sterling, Va. She graduated with distinction from Duke University, where she studied classical voice and opera under Dr. Elizabeth Linnartz and Dr. David Heid, respectively. During her time at Duke, she served for two years as president of Out of the Blue, the university’s oldest and most award-winning treble a cappella ensemble, and contributed extensively to the group’s arranging and audio production efforts. She has served as Competition Coordinator for CASA's SoJam Festival and is currently Varsity Vocals' ICCA Northeast Producer, following two years as Assistant Producer for the ICHSA and ICCA South regions. Rebecca resides in Norwalk, Conn. with her three cats and enjoys performing the national anthem at local sporting events.

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 Duly Noted, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the EMPAC; 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 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!

VIEW ALBUMS

#ICHSA