VCSU Music Hosting Concerts During Viking Voice Festival

VALLEY CITY (VCSU) – The Valley City State University Music Department will host two public concerts February 27-28 as part of the Viking Voice Festival, a two‑day event welcoming select vocalists from area high schools.

Festival participants will take part in masterclasses, individual lessons and solo performance coaching with guest clinicians. All participants will perform at the concluding Festival Concert, which will include group pieces and featured soloists and ensembles.

All events will be held at VCSU’s Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts. The concerts are free and open to the public at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3:00 p.m. Saturday.

The Viking Voice Festival also includes a free public seminar put on by guest clinician Dr. Diane White-Clayton, a music faculty from UCLA. The seminar is titled “Spiritual and Gospel Choral Techniques” and takes place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts. It is free and open to the public. Affectionately known as Dr. Dee, White-Clayton holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in music composition from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She travels extensively as an artist, conductor and clinician, and her choral compositions have been performed across the globe.

Two of White-Clayton’s works will be featured in Friday’s concert, which includes performances by the VCSU Concert Choir, VCSU Opera Ensemble, Jamestown Community Women’s Choir, and soloists Heather Hjelle, Dr. Stephen Cunningham, and Heather Aune.

The Festival concludes Saturday with a 3 p.m. performance showcasing the Viking Voice Festival Choir. In addition to full‑ensemble pieces, several participating students will present solo selections.

For those unable to attend in person, both concerts will be live streamed on the VCSU Music YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@valleycitystateuniversitym1972/streams