The exciting all-ages competition from Varsity Vocals is back for a second year with dozens of groups seeking a spot at the finals at Carnegie Hall for top honors and the coveted $25,000 prize. The first of four live Semifinal rounds will be this Saturday, June 30, at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College in New York City, featuring nine East Coast groups.

The winner will automatically earn a spot in the finals on September 22 and the second- and third-place groups will be eligible to compete in the wild-card round for a second chance at finals. 

These winners will join VoCollective (International Region Champion), Legacy (2018 ICHSA Champion), and The SoCal VoCals (2018 ICCA Champion).

The lineup includes a lot of longtime community favorites, in both recognized and new ensembles, as well as some new faces. 

Meet your competitors:

Clear Harmonies
Gaithersburg, MD

Known for a cappella production, education, and management of groups like Snowday and Euphonism, Clear Harmonies brings together a collaboration of six D.C.-area groups for a showcase of the star power their performers usually provide for custom events and corporate clients.  

Concrete
New York, NY

This award-winning sextet is versatile, singing everything from pop to doo-wop, frequently providing custom entertainment throughout NYC. Founded in 2015, Concrete leads the charge in the growth of the Contemporary A Cappella League and features alumni of several prominent collegiate groups.

Ember
Baltimore, MD

A new seven-piece vocal band is filling a gap in the Baltimore a cappella scene, bringing progressive music to a growing and vibrant art scene. Comprised of members from several high profile collegiate a cappella groups, they have made big strides in their short time together. 

Euphonic
Potomac, MD

A brand new semi-professional presence in Maryland, this group bonded at Camp A Cappella and pulls from Rather Be Giraffes, Towson Trills, The Songburghs, One Note Stand, Original Blend, and The Wootton Acabellas. Their pop cover set promises to be high-energy and beatbox-heavy, showcasing some excellent young community talent.

In Full Colour
Waterloo, ON

Less than a year old, this group out of the University of Waterloo came out swinging with an ICCA Quarterfinal win and a second-place finish at ICCA Central Semifinals. 

Round Midnight
Philadelphia, PA

A top ten BHS International quartet, ’Round Midnight is a decade’s long ambassador for barbershop music. A previous winner and Audience Favorite of NY Harmony Sweepstakes and an Arts Envoy group for the U.S. State Department, they’ve put their music and educational skills to work across North America and Europe.

Satellite Lane
Plainview, NY

Coming off a strong showing at New York Harmony Sweepstakes with a performance that earned them runner-up and audience favorite, Satellite Lane is a Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL) group comprised of almost entirely of music teachers. The group’s focus on a cappella education and penchant for theatrical sets meaning the audience is guaranteed full entertainment value from their sure-to-be clever presentation.

Stiletta
New York, NY

This fearless sextet out of NYC was crowned the 2016 National Champions at Harmony Sweepstakes, dazzling audiences with strong pop covers, award-winning dance beats by MCBeats, and full hip-hop choreography and taking home every award of the night. Missing the finals by the smallest margins in last year’s Open semifinal, the audience can expect a strong showing by these seasoned performers and competitors.

The Unknown Element
New York, NY

Five members of the 2018 Midwest Quarterfinal Champions, The Hibernotes of Missouri State University had come together to “take risks and push boundaries.” Having only met three times prior to this performance, they rely on video rehearsals to bridge the distance between members in New York and Alberta, Canada.

The groups’ fates will be decided by four top names in the a cappella community: 

Candice Helfand-Rogers
A standout vocalist with Deep Treble and ShockWave (Rutgers University), Helfand-Rogers helped form the NYC-based group Restated (formerly The Red States). Still an active performer with Restated, Broadway Inspirational Voices, Ghostlight and other ensembles, her award-winning voice can be heard in"Pitch Perfect" and "Pitch Perfect 2."

Kari Francis
Deke Sharon dubbed her “the next generation of a cappella specialist” and Francis lives up to the name with her work as a vocalist, composer, educator, and vocal percussionist. Sharing the stage with Taylor Swift and Imogen Heap, as well as appearing on Season 3 of “The Sing-Off” with Kinfolk 9, Francis currently directs “The Art of A Cappella” at CUNY Hunter College and is a frequent lecturer and clinician.

Alexander Koutzoukis
An alumnus of the infamous Beelzebubs and co-owner of Plaid Productions, Koutzoukis has compiled a long list of awards and high-profile mixing credits. In addition to wizardry in the studio, he is also the Executive Producer of Boston Sings and lends his graphic design talents to all of CASA events.

Warren Bloom 

A frequent judge for ICCA and ICHSA since 2002, Bloom directed and performed with The Hyannis Sound, Invisible Men, Doo*Wa*Zoo, University of Miami’s Jazz Vocal 2 (and Brandeis University’s Spur of the Moment. He’s also worked in arranging and live sound production for some of the finest a cappella groups and productions in NYC. Currently a general music teacher in Brooklyn, Bloom has also worked as a composer/lyricist, musical director, and band/orchestra director.

Tickets for this incredible night of a cappella are available through Varsity Vocals.