Columbus Children’s Choir announces Andrea Ramsey as guest clinician for its 6th Annual Children’s Choral Festival. “We are so excited to welcome Andrea this year. She is a wonderful composer and pedagogue,” said artistic director Jeanne Wohlgamuth. Ramsey is well known in the world of choral composition, specifically for children’s voices. Before leaping into full time composing and guest conducting, Andrea held positions in music education and conducting at The Ohio State University and the University of Colorado, respectively. With more than 100 works to her credit, Ramsey enjoys regular opportunities to conduct all-state and divisional level honor choirs, festival events at Carnegie Hall, and serves as a principal conductor for the Pacific International Young Women’s Choral Festival in Eugene, Oregon.
The festival, to be held on February 9th and 10th, includes an evening workshop geared toward music educators, conductors, and preservice music teachers. It’s a part of Wohlgamuth’s vision for Columbus Children’s Choir. “We want to be a resource to teachers. Music teachers are our boots on the ground and they deserve our support.”
The main portion of the festival on February 10th, is a workshop for middle and elementary school aged children followed by a concert presenting their work. Middle school students work with Ramsey, while elementary school students enjoy a day with Columbus Children’s Choir director, Molly Rule. The participants come from all over the state for a full day of fun and engaging rehearsals. Wohlgamuth joked, “The pizza lunch and T-shirts are pretty popular, but they really do learn so much in just one day.”
For information about how to register singers for the Choral Festival, visit https://columbuschildrenschoir.org/singer-register/ or contact managing director Kerry Haberkern at kerry@columbuschildrenschoir.org