2025 ICHSA West Quarterfinal @ Fairfield Downtown Theatre

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 WEST QUARTERFINAL

Fairfield Downtown Theatre
Friday, February 6th, 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

Amplify is the mixed-voice a cappella ensemble of Rise Up Children's Choir, representing singers from ages 13 to 18. Amplify has a global audience with millions of streams of their music and videos across multiple social media and streaming platforms. With over 300K subscribers to their YouTube channel, they are the recipients of the coveted Silver Play Button Award. Amplify is featured on numerous BOHSA albums and placed 1st in their 2024 ICHSA West Quarterfinal, sweeping the Outstanding Soloist awards at both the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds. The group has been recognized for their achievements and excellence by the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA), Utah Music Video Awards, and KPOP Chart. Their music directors are David Allen and Abi Urton.

The hOWLers is a mixed-gender a cappella group from The Athenian School. They specialize in eating yummy food, laughing and singing together, and spreading joy with their voices.

MST Music Academy's MYST A Cappella is a determined group, fired up for their fourth ICHSA season. They were honored to reach 3rd place at ICHSA West Semifinals for the last two consecutive years and performed as the deliberation group for ICCA West Quarterfinals at the Fox Theater. More than anything, MYST loves to tell a beautiful story through music.

Performing their first ICHSA set, Pack Attack is San Ramon Valley High School's extracurricular vocal group. These singers meet at lunchtime and evening rehearsals and have built a repertoire of jazz and pop selections.

The Polyphonics - Berkeley Youth Choir is a new a cappella group, sponsored by The San Francisco Early Music Society! They are excited to make their ICHSA debut this season.

Established in 2015, Pinewood Take Note is a contemporary a cappella group from Pinewood School Upper Campus in sunny Los Altos Hills, Calif. Directed by Katie Linza, this group loves singing all kinds of music, but has a special affinity for jazz-influenced reimaginings of current pop hits and classic standards. They have been fortunate to work with some incredible artists in the jazz and a cappella sphere, including säje, Amanda Taylor, Ben Bram, Alvin Chea (of Take 6), Accent, and Lisa Forkish. Take Note is always excited to expand their musical horizons and learn from others. Check out their recordings on Spotify and Apple Music!

Treble with Angels is Aragon High School’s gender-inclusive treble voice a cappella group. Hailing from a public school in San Mateo, the group is entirely led, arranged, and choreographed by high school students. Treble with Angels was founded in fall 2013 after a group of female singers realized the school was lacking a cappella opportunities for female voices. In the years since, the group has competed in six ICHSA seasons and performed in various community events, including walks for mental health, public library events, and cafe gigs. This year, the group is graciously sponsored by the Rotary Club of Foster City. They strive to promote female empowerment and express emotions through their music. Although pop music is their specialty, Treble with Angels performs a wide range of musical genres, from jazz to alternative to indie. All 11 group members love what they do and cannot wait to share their hard work onstage tonight. Enjoy the show!

GUEST PERFORMER

The Lounge Lizards began in 1995 with a group of friends living in the Tercero dorms at UC Davis. As the oldest a cappella group at Davis, Lizards can often be found performing at on-campus and local events, most notably at their annual spring concert, No Instruments Attached. The Lizards are five-time ICCA Semifinalists, most recently taking 1st place at their 2025 ICCA West Quarterfinal and taking 2nd at West Semifinals that season. The Lizards are proud to bring their award-winning a cappella to competition and beyond.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Samuel Dantowitz (he/him) is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he sang with Pitch Slapped (two-time ICCA Champion), Upper Structure (two-time ICCA Runner-Up), and award-winning vocal jazz group, Point of Departure. His work on “She Used to Be Mine” with Upper Structure earned him several Outstanding Soloist awards and can be heard on Varsity Vocals’ 2018 BOCA compilation album, enjoying nearly 700 thousand streams on Spotify and a nod from songwriter and ICCA alum Sara Bareilles. In film and TV, Samuel was fortunate to work on the 2022 Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Lifetime’s “Pitch Slapped.” His quartet, Mixed & Mastered, was an inaugural mixed competitor at the International Varsity Barbershop Harmony Society Contest. Samuel currently serves year-round on staff at A Cappella Academy. Outside of music environments, Samuel still finds a way to burst into song at his 9-5, where he’s the current “Amazon’s Got Talent” National Champion.

Emily Drum (she/her) is a singer, arranger, composer, vocal producer, songwriter, and educator based in San Francisco. She is a sought-after choral composer and arranger, commissioned by high school ensembles, top collegiate a cappella groups, and semi-professional choirs across the country and globe. Her self-published arrangements have been performed in over 50 countries across six continents. Emily is also a vocal coach, producer, and member of the award-winning treble vocal quartet, Red Letter Daze. Her countless contributions to vocal projects have earned her 37 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nominations and wins.

Amabel Loh is a UC Davis graduate and alumna of Lounge Lizards A Cappella. She competed in four ICCA seasons, reaching Semifinals three times. She served as music director in her senior year, sharing an Outstanding Arrangement award with her assistant music director for their ICCA set. That same season, the group achieved its highest ICCA placement in UC Davis a cappella history. Over her years with The Lounge Lizards, she choreographed three ICCA sets, playing an important role in shaping the group’s creative direction. Amabel has also served as a vocal coach and music director for a community theatre company. She’s excited to support the next generation of a cappella performers as a judge.

Richman Neumann has been directing, arranging, and performing a cappella for nearly two decades. A classically trained pianist, Richman currently directs and performs as vocal percussionist in the award-winning Bay Area group, Side Note. He has directed or helped form eight other a cappella groups since 2008 and wrote more than 200 arrangements. As a competitior in the ICCA and Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals, Richman earned awards for Outstanding Arrangement, Outstanding Choreography, Audience Favorite, and Best Original Song. In addition to being a Varsity Vocals judge, Richman continues to give back to the a cappella community by leading arrangement and vocal percussion seminars at events all over the country. He lives in Albany, Calif. with his wife and two boys, and has never had coffee (or popcorn!) in his entire life.

Hannah Robrecht, a versatile and accomplished classical vocalist, embarked on her musical journey as a member of the Contra Costa Children's Choir from 1997 to 2003. Hannah was a part of their level five elite choir and select a cappella group invited as guest performers at the IACC in 2003 held at UCLA. Hannah's involvement in the Bay Area's vibrant performing arts scene extended beyond the choir as she participated in various plays and musicals with organizations such as Contra Costa Musical Theater, Balasco, and Contra Costa Children's Choir. Her commitment to music led her to regional and national competitions in classical and musical theatre, culminating in an invitation to represent the United States at the 2003 World Championships of Performing Arts. Excited to be performing on a global stage, she brought home a gold medal for opera, a silver for musical theatre, and a bronze for gospel. Hannah was a vocal performance major at the University of Oregon for three years and studied under the guidance of Eric Mentzel and Sharon Paul. She was also a member of University of Oregon's premier treble a cappella group, Divisi. Post-college, she continued to contribute her talents to the musical community by singing with Cantare Con Vivo and is currently a first soprano with the San Ramon Valley Chorale. Currently residing in Pleasant Hill with her family, Hannah has found a harmonious balance between her musical pursuits and a successful career in marketing and communications.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank tonight's emcee, Kaleb Soto; sound engineer, Greg St. Germain; our guest performance group, The Lounge Lizards, our host group, MYST A Cappella (especially their director, Casey Ellis); our volunteers, and all the staff we've partnered with from the Downtown Theatre; 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 West 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