A high note for Golden Valley: Choir earns State Festival invitation

The Golden Valley High School Concert Choir was recently accepted into the California Music Education Association (CMEA) State Choral Festival, which will be held in April of 2027 in Riverside. It’s the first time the school’s choir has been accepted. The festival showcases some of the best choirs in California who have received Unanimous Superior at festivals.

 

“This recognition represents so much more than being selected for a festival,” said Stephan Diaz, GVHS Choral Director. “It reflects the hard work, dedication, and growth of our students over the years, as well as the commitment to building a strong choral program at Golden Valley High School.”

 

The opportunity comes just three years after the choir had just six students when Diaz started. The choir had no performance dresses, music folders and did not consistently attend festivals. 

 

“Today, we have grown to nearly 40 students, attend approximately six festivals a year, perform three concerts annually, and have the opportunity to work with esteemed college professors who come to our campus each semester to clinic our students,” Diaz said.

 

The Golden Valley concert choir received its first-ever Unanimous Superior rating this past spring. The rating means the choir received the highest possible rating from all three adjudicators. After receiving the rating, Golden Valley applied for the CMEA State Festival. The application included 15 minutes of contrasting music along with writing a paragraph about the program and its uniqueness to Golden Valley’s area and students.

 

“For our students to have the opportunity to perform alongside some of the best choirs in the state is incredibly rewarding, and I could not be prouder of how far they have come,” Diaz said.

 

The Golden Valley concert choir performance on Wednesday at Fresno City College. They will next perform at Golden Valley on December 4. On March 4 they will be at CSU Stanislaus. Golden Valley will also be hosting a CMEA Choir Festival on March 12 where other choir programs will be coming to Golden Valley to try to receive their rating for the CMEA State Festival.

 

“I would like to thank all of my former and current students for helping me build this program up and believing in me to help lead it,” Diaz added. “In addition, I would like to thank all of our counselors, staff, and administration for their support throughout these years. In a time where choral music education is diminishing in surrounding areas, it is thriving and excelling here at GVHS.”

 

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.