2025 ICHSA Southwest Quarterfinal @ Rockwall Performing Arts Center

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 SOUTHWEST QUARTERFINAL

Rockwall Performing Arts Center
Saturday, February 7th, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

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

varsityvocals

@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

A-Side hails from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas. Over the years, A-Side has enjoyed numerous successes at ICHSA, Acatex, VoiceJam, and the National A Cappella Convention (NACC). In addition, A-Side’s first-ever single was chosen for BOHSA 2025. More than just a group, A-Side is a musical family built on dedication, laughter, and a shared passion for making music that connects people. Whether belting out upbeat crowd-pleasers or delivering emotional ballads, A-Side strives to emphasize the value of every voice.

Founded in 2020 at Rockwall Heath High School, Beyond is a treble a cappella group looking forward to another competition season. Over the past few years, they have performed at ICHSA and Acatex and won Outstanding Choreography at last year’s ICHSA Southwest Quarterfinal! Their recorded tracks are available on all major streaming platforms and they were proud to earn a spot on the 2023 BOHSA album. Now in their sixth year, Beyond is more passionate than ever about pushing boundaries and elevating their sound.

Infiniti is the mixed a cappella ensemble from Rockwall-Heath High School. Since forming in 2018, they’ve been part of the growing Texas a cappella community, performing at festivals and competitions, including ICHSA and Acatex. Infiniti has had the opportunity to perform on the ICHSA Finals stage in New York City, most recently earning 3rd place at Finals in 2025. They have also been featured on prestigious compilation albums, such as BOHSA and Voices Only. Infiniti thrives on positive energy and embraces any opportunity to share their love of a cappella with others.

Innovation is the official a cappella group of Reedy High School in Frisco, Texas! This is their second year performing and competing. Last year, Innovation had many opportunities to perform within their community, singing for audiences at the Minor League Rough Riders Baseball Game and at the International Dyslexia Gala in Dallas. Innovation made their competitive debut with showings at both Acatex and ICHSA, ultimately placing 4th in ICHSA Southwest Quarterfinals. They are so excited to continue growing this season, making music and memories together.

Lowkey is the inaugural tenor-bass a cappella group from Rockwall Heath High School, bringing a fresh sound to the North Texas a cappella scene. Committed to showcasing their unique blend of voices, Lowkey is eager to compete in events like Acatex and ICHSA, all while building their local presence with community performances. With a passion for music and a drive to establish their artistic identity, Lowkey is excited to make their mark and connect with audiences. Stay tuned for their journey as they embrace the world of a cappella!

Rockwall High School's Sting was formed in 2018 as an all-treble a cappella ensemble, placing 2nd at Sing! Texas that same year. In their very first ICHSA showing, Sting placed 3rd at the 2021 ICHSA Finals for their performance of “Denim Jacket" by Sammy Rae. The following year, Sting was the top-ranked all-treble ensemble in the 2022 ICHSA season, reaching 2nd place in the Wild Card round. Their Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-nominated debut album, Coronation, is available on all major streaming platforms, with tracks featured on Voices Only and BOHSA. They are currently recording their third album and look forward to its release later this year!

Vox Cor is a mixed a cappella group from Rudder High School in Bryan, Texas, that derives its name from the Latin words for voice and heart. Vox Cor has had the pleasure of performing at ICHSA Quarterfinals and Semifinals, the Texas Vocal Arts Convention, AcaTex, and the NACC in Memphis and Orlando. Several Vox members were also selected to perform in the inaugural Contemporary A Cappella Honor Choir at the Southwest ACDA Convention in Denver. This dynamic group of singers considers music their common ground and the heartbeat they share. Many voices, one heart: this is Vox Cor.

Founded in 2015, Walk the Line attended ICHSA Finals in 2017, 2022, 2024, and 2025, placing 2nd in 2022 and 4th in 2024. They have recorded and released four albums, all of which earned featured tracks placed on Varsity Vocals’ BOHSA albums, as well as three Voices Only compilations. After seven previous nominations, they won a CARA in 2022 for Best High School EP and another in 2024 for Best High School Song. In 2023, Walk the Line was featured as the first-ever contemporary a cappella group to perform at TMEA, hoping to encourage music educators all over Texas to form a cappella groups on their campuses. They love getting to perform live with their friends and meet new groups at festivals and competitions.

GUEST PERFORMER

Syncopation is the premier contemporary a cappella group from Plano West Senior High School. They were finalists at AcaTex in 2022, and ICHSA Semifinalists in 2023 and 2025. Individual members have earned ICHSA awards for Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussion, and their single, “New,” is featured on the 2024 BOHSA album. Syncopation is student-driven, led by student directors and choreographers, with many members going on to perform in ICCA groups. Syncopation combines creativity, leadership, and musical excellence, and embraces being part of the a cappella community.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Destinee Feliciano began her a cappella journey in DeKalb High School's mixed a cappella group Enharmonic Fusion, with whom she had the privilege of competing in ICHSA all four years, advancing to Finals in 2015, 2016, and 2017. After high school, she joined UIUC's No Comment and served as co-music director, arranging 12 songs for the group. Her music was included in their appearances at ICCA, taking the group to 1st place finishes and Semifinal appearances each time they competed. Destinee has a degree in music education from the University of Illinois and now is a music educator at Garden Hills Academy in Central Illinois.

Adrian Fernandez is a Bolivian-American violinist with a sweet spot for singing. After singing in choir and musicals, he joined his high school’s student-run a cappella group, Out of The Blue. He matriculated to Chapman University, where he received a B.M. in violin performance and joined the award-winning a cappella group, The ChapTones, serving as assistant music director and music director during his tenure. Highlights with The ChapTones include leading the group to multiple placements at ICCA Semifinals, performing with and for Billie Eilish, Chance the Rapper, Dan + Shay, John Legend, Finneas, and Reba McEntire, and traveling to perform around the West Coast. Adrian is currently working toward a Master of Music at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and teaches private lessons.

Raised in Houston, Texas, Adonijah Mpinga is an aspiring educator with a strong background in a cappella. He has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Mississippi State, where he was the baritone section leader and a student conductor for State Singers, as well as the music director for TrebullDawgs A Cappella for three years. He arranged multiple songs for TrebullDawgs, including two ICCA sets, one of which led the group to the 2025 ICCA South Semifinals. He has also collaborated with Pitchmen alumni, Wilson Smith and Sean Murphy, on demos, arrangements, clinics, and more.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank tonight's deliberation group, Syncopation; 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 three finishing groups at this event will advance to the 2026 ICHSA Southwest 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