2024 Participating Groups
 | | Echo A Cappella
We are a semi-professional a cappella group here in New York City that pulls together singers from multiple different walks of life. Although we all have our day jobs, our love of music brought us together and Echo was formed.
Aside from working in a range of different fields, we also travel around the NYC metropolitan area performing a cappella covers of yesterday and today's hits.Members: Abigail Clarke, Sam Gambardella, Renae Raymond, Julia Biedry, Allie Torres, Gina Amsellem, Ryan McCann, Jaryd Frankel, Andrew Nietes, Kyle Garcia, David York, David Van Dongen, Justin Heim
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Flex Pitch
FLEX PITCH is an a cappella group based out of NYC. Originally formed as a virtual acapella group during the pandemic, they have sung in numerous different styles of music including jazz, R&B, and pop. After coming in second at the New York Harmony Sweepstakes FLEX PITCH is ready to take on the live stage with their high energy and creativity! Members: Will Farnham , Julian James, Chelsea Melnick, Gabrielle Piacentile, Winston Yang
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 | | Full Score
Meet Full Score, the dynamic post-collegiate a cappella team that is striking chords in the heart of New York City. Hailing from diverse universities across the city, our talented members unite their voices to create mesmerizing acapella renditions spanning pop, R&B, and jazz. Each year, we hit the stage at various a cappella festivals and competitions, showcasing our passion for competitive innovation in acapella. But we don't stop there Full Score hosts electrifying shows every year, captivating audiences with our soulful arrangements and energetic performances. Full Score aims to inspire our audiences by delivering creative and dynamic performances that innovate the competitive a cappella scene.Members: Tasnim Ahmed, Oz McClamrock, Herman Lin, Sarvesh Shivnauth, Kristoff Modeste, Valentina Gomez, Liezl Gamboa, Michelle Moe, Julia Hayden, Christy Do
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Mezzo A Cappella
Established in 2015, Mezzo is a all-female a cappella group that has been performing all over the tri-state area. They pride themselves on cool arrangements of contemporary tunes, as well as reinventions of classic hits. To learn more about Mezzo, check out their website at www.mezzonyc.com or follow them on social media @mezzonyc!Members: Jenn Rodriguez, Amanda Lim, Sophia Brooks, Briana Hall, Bree Lalor, Reynetta Sampson
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 | | Six13
Juxtaposing the traditional and the contemporary, New York City's Six13 is bringing an unprecedented style and energy to Jewish music with nothing but the power of the human voice.
You may have seen them online, where they've garnered over 15 million views on YouTube and Facebook; in national media outlets like The Today Show, The View, CBS, CNN or Huffington Post; or on Bruno Mars' Facebook page (he liked their Passover version of his song so much, he posted it there himself). They've also performed at the White House for a private audience of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Six13 is anchored by a strong Jewish identity, fueled by soulful harmonies, intricate arrangements and their signature dynamic, full-band-like sound, and driven by a mission to connect Jews around the world with their heritage through music.Members: Michael Boxer, Craig Resmovits, Mordy Weinstein, Josh Sauer, Lior Melnick, Aaron Kohl
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Sri Chinmoy Centre Choir
Students of Sri Chinmoy who perform Sri Chinmoy’s songs, with vocal arrangements by Paree Atkin. The songs themselves are spiritual in nature, very soulful and haunting, sometimes powerful, sometimes playful. Sri Chinmoy composed over 22,000 songs in his lifetime (1931-2007), both in his native language Bengali and English, and we are devoted to keeping his astounding and breathtaking legacy alive. Members: Paree Atkin, Kanala Bolvanska, Chataki Zimmerman, Tarika Hawkes, Tirtha Voelckner, Agnikana Senkyrova, Keertivati Senkyrova, Sudhira Hay, Aruna Pohland, Nilasha Broughton, Ankurika Hammerl, Eshana Gadanski
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 | | Tizmoret
Founded in 1996, Tizmoret is Queens College Hillel s professional Jewish a cappella group. They draw singers from colleges throughout the New York City area and have taken Jewish collegiate a cappella to the next level, with a robust repertoire of classic Jewish melodies, American pop music, contemporary Israeli tunes, and everything in between. By performing at countless temples, synagogues, and bar- and bat-mitzvahs, annually touring the east coast, with eight full-length albums, two EPs and a growing list of accolades, they have garnered national acclaim as one of the best Jewish singing groups in the country.Members: Rena Angel, Talia Leifer, Chanah Rosenberg, Shira Simchon, Rebecca Nason, Tali Isaacs, Daniel Henkin, Eli Deutsch, Noam Weinstock, Tsvi Benschar, Eitan Davidovics, Itai Segev, Fanni Tabori, Lisa Klein, Jake Benyowitz
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Vocalight
Vocalight is a five-member professional a cappella group that brings a unique and modern twist to the world of a cappella music. With our seamless harmonies and dynamic arrangements, we create an unforgettable musical experience for all audiences. Members: Natalie DiPietro, Cara DiPietro, Sydney Korpusik, Joel Korpusik, Sammy Villalva
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 | | West Side 5
West Side 5, an award-winning vocal jazz ensemble based in New York City, is known for its refined sound and sophisticated approach to jazz. Inspired by greats like Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, and The Real Group, WS5 has crafted its own unique sound, characterized by highly original arrangements, complex harmonies, and outstanding musicianship.
The group formed in the summer of 2009, bringing together five old college friends on the west side of Manhattan. They immediately garnered acclaim, winning the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes while being voted Audience Favorite and winning Best Arrangement for "Pure Imagination". They went on to be featured artists at the SingStrong A Cappella Festival, and have performed alongside groups including Blue Jupiter, Streetcorner Symphony, and The Bobs, as well as for Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion in New York.Members: Aubrey Johnson, Katie Seiler, Tomas Cruz, Eric Hughes, Dylan Pramuk
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Your Emcee for the Evening 
Diana Preisler
Diana Preisler’s career in a cappella began as the female lead singer, and band manager of Broadway Records recording artist, Blue Jupiter. She is a featured soloists on Blue Jupiter's newest album, Twisted Broadway Vol. 1. Blue Jupiter has performed at performing arts centers, colleges, festivals, and corporate events around the world. Blue Jupiter won the Oreo “Milk’s Favorite Jingle” contest, hosted by famed American Idol Judge Randy Jackson, and has performed with iconic performers like The Roots, Livingston Taylor, and The Persuasions. Companies like: Disney, ABC Family, the Food Network, Honda, NOKIA, Nickelodeon, and Hermes have featured Blue Jupiter at their corporate events. You may have seen Blue Jupiter on Oprah, the Huff Post, headlining at theatres around the globe, cruise ships and casinos, including over 200 shows at the Sands Casino in Macau, China.
Diana’s work as an a cappella performance coach and mentor caught the attention of Lifetime TV in 2014. Soon after, Diana helped create and star in the Lifetime original a cappella series, "Pitch Slapped.” This competition docu-series featured Diana working with high school students through 10 weeks of competition. “Pitch Slapped" continues to air on Lifetime in countries across the world.
Before Diana began her career as an a cappella singer, she graced the theatrical stage on multiple national Broadway tours such as “Fiddler on the Roof” and “A Christams Carol.” Regional roles across the US include Eva Peron in "Evita", Ado Annie in "Oklahoma", Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”, Linda in “Blood Brothers” and Shelley in "Bat Boy, The Musical.” As a Nationally televised voice-over artist, you’ve heard Diana as the voice of MTV, Nickelodeon, Behr Paint, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Herbal Essences, Priceline, Planter’s (with Robert Downy Jr), Fisher Price, HGTV, VH1, or Bank of America (to name just a few.) |
2024 Judges
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Jonathan Minkoff
Jonathan Minkoff is the Founder and Executive Producer for the Public Charity, SingStrong (SingStrong.org) and its International A cappella Festivals in NY, DC and Chicago. He performs world-wide and on TV with the award-winning a cappella quartet, Blue Jupiter. Minkoff holds a Bachelors in Music Ed. from Northwestern U., a certificate in voice study from the Boston U. Tanglewood Institute, and a JD from Boston U. School of Law. Minkoff won the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes 1st place and audience favorite and the Chicago & National Sweeps' "Best Original Composition" and "Best Arrangement Awards", shared a "WAMMY" nomination for "Best Album", a CARA nomination for "Best Jazz Album" and a WAMMY win for "Best A cappella Album". Most recently, Minkoff coached Stiletta, the current National Harmony Sweeps champions, and the only group to ever win every possible award at nationals. He has over 300 published a cappella reviews at RARB.org and his articles at ACAPPELLA101.com have thousands of views monthly. After teaching, performing, emceeing and judging at over 40 a cappella festivals worldwide, Minkoff now coaches, composes, records and produces for various a cappella groups in his New York City recording studio. |
Debbi Burdett
As a director, performing artist, and professional consultant through her company, DB Creative Consulting, Debbi Burdett recently completed a marketing and website design for NOT YOUR TIME, a short film featured a numerous film festivals, and a similar project with A JOURNEY TO JOY, a CD of spiritually engaging songs. Her directorial credits include - The Dysfuncational Pianist; Three Guys, Three Girls, and A Diva; Take Five; and Take Five More and numerous cabaret and nightclub acts. She has been the director of The WestSide Youth Choir, which was heard in the feature film HOUSEHOLD SAINTS. She has been featured in numerous musicals and plays, most notably as Cleo in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, the Soprano in Terrance McNally's PRELUDES, Ruth in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE and Katisha in THE MIKADO. Additionally, Debbi is very proud to have coached NY Harmony Sweeps competitors, Dobsonfly, and Stay Tuned, who placed 3rd at the 1999 competition. Her company plans and consults for weddings and corporate events and Debbi has performed to wildly enthusiastic crowds in her one woman show throughout the United States. Her work continues to be a dedication to her late husband David Schaefer and to Bob and Eugene: "They continue to teach me all I know." |
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Julie Seda
Julie Seda was the inaugural recipient of “Best Solo Award” at the NY Harmony Sweeps in 2009, in addition to her 3rd place group win. Her award-winning 50s Doo Wop group, Classic Sounds, was also inducted into the East Coast Music Hall of Fame in 2019. She and her group are the only two-time winners of the “Richard Nader Acappella Competition” at the Izod Center. They’re also the only artists to win the SingStrong ACA Idol competition in both DC and Chicago, including earning the Audience Favorite Award at both festivals. Julie has emceed the Aarhus Vocal Music Festival (AAVF), and was the original bass member of Stiletta, who went on to be the 2016 National Harmony Sweeps champions. Julie has shared the stage with Jay Siegel’s Tokens, Kenny Vance and the Planotones, The Duprees, and countless other 50s legends. She has also headlined performances across the country, including Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, and Hard Rock Atlantic City. She now serves on the Board of Directors for SingStrong, a public charity dedicated to a cappella music and the arts, that has helped donate over $100,000 to fund Alzheimer’s research since 2009. Julie has started several a cappella groups at multiple high schools in the Bronx, NY, and has coached numerous high school and college groups.
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Mark Paul
Mark Paul is an accomplished a cappella performer, music director, vocal coach, and lifelong musician. A 45-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), he's currently the bass of the a cappella barbershop group The Square Route, specializing in digging out old, forgotten barbershop songs and re-introducing those harmonies to both young and old alike. The Square Route holds a quartet championship in the BHS US & Canada Northeastern District. Formerly the bass singer of a top-20 international-level a cappella barbershop quartet, Reveille; they regularly entertained audiences across the United States and internationally. Reveille holds a quartet championship in the BHS six-state Mid- Atlantic District. Mark served for seventeen years in top musical leadership positions for gold and silver medal internationally competitive BHS choruses, and was the front-line musical director of a BHS District level chorus. He performed in a cool a cappella documentary film about barbershop singing and is on two music albums. An a cappella vocal coach for 39 years, Mark works with individuals and groups of all sizes and has served as faculty on several exciting a cappella music education programs, both domestically and abroad. Whatever level the individual/group is at, he elevates them, instilling higher levels of awareness, alignment, confidence, commitment and fun. Mark is an Executive Leadership Development Coach and a Reiki Master. Mark's favorite downtime activities are surffishing, photography and camping. |
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Judith Clurman
Judith Clurman is the musical director for Essential Voices USA and teaches voice at The Manhattan School of Music. She previously directed The New York Concert Singers. She has worked with many of the world’s finest symphonies at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and has commissioned and conducted new works by over seventy composers, ranging from works by Milton Babbitt, Jennifer Higdon, and Pierre Jalbert to Marvin Hamlisch, Jason Robert Brown, and Stephen Schwartz. She has received two Emmy nominations and conducted Tania Léon’s music on the Grammy and Latin Grammy nominated CD, In Motion. Judith was Director of Choral Activities at The Juilliard School from 1989-2007 and was the vocal specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts/Columbia University Institute of Classical Music. Judith edits two choral series for Hal Leonard. Her own music and arrangements have been performed by major symphony orchestras and choruses. Judith is a graduate of The Juilliard School. |
 
Complete list of 2024 participants
Interested
in
Performing?
We are always seeking groups who would like to participate
in our events.
Groups of any style are welcome, but you must have between
3 and 12 members. We have a rule book which explains many of the
details of the event, which you can see by clicking here. All groups must audition in
order to compete. Generally this is done by sending a current tape
and photo, although live auditions are sometimes arranged. The
purpose of the audition is to make sure the group is appropriate for
the Festival and to help the Director determine the performance
order. If a group has competed previously, the audition process may
be waived.
How to enter
Please send music and photos to the
regional director :
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Colette Thompson (New York)
Colette Thompson has directed or performed in over eleven vocal ensembles, with her group, Stay Tuned, placing 3rd in the 1998 New York Regional of the Harmony Sweepstakes; Colette has performed/recorded with Lukas Foss, Leonard Bernstein, Jesse Norman, Peter, Paul & Mary, and James Levine A billboard-ranked singer/songwriter, she has also managed several events, including, Christmas at NYU, Complex at the Duplex, and An Evening with The Real Group at NYC's Symphony Space. With performances televised via major news programs including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, and NY1, she is a promoter, producer, adjudicator and an ambassador of vocal music worldwide.
128 Fort Greene Place, Suite 1B, Brooklyn, NY 11217
917-442-2011
colette.thompson (at) mac.com
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