OCDA HS Honor Choir

OCDA High School Honor Choir

The High School Honor Choir will take place as a one-day event on Monday, June 15, 2026 on the campus of Upper Arlington High School and conclude with an evening performance.

Dr. Matthew Swope, Director of Choral Activities and an Assistant Professor of Music at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University, will be this year's clinician. High School students from around the state are invited to audition to be a part of this event. Interested students should fill out the audition form.

All audition information and instructions can be found in the form below. Upon acceptance, students are sent digital copies of music and practice tracks to aid in their preparation for the event.

All audition submissions are due by May 4, 2026. Auditions will be reviewed and students will be notified of their acceptance by May 11, 2026. After audition results are made public, accepted students will have until May 18, 2026 to submit payment and formally register for the event.

Audition & Registration Information

Audition Requirments

Class of 2026 graduates ARE eligible to participate!

- - ALL applicants are required to submit an AUDIO recording of My Country Tis' of Thee as part of a voice placement test.
  - Applicants who HAVE participated in an honor choir within the past year OR have completed a Class A or B vocal solo, with a superior rating at OMEA Solo & Ensemble, should only submit a recording of My Country Tis' of Thee as part of a voice placement test. The sheet music and accompaniment track can be found here.
  - Applicants who have NOT participated in an honor choir within the past year, in addition to submitting My Country Tis' of Thee, must also submit an excerpt of singing the audition excerpt of Dixit Dominus, in addition to submitting My Country Tis' of Thee. This year's excerpt is m. 104-125 from Dixit Dominus. The sheet music and practice tracks can be found here. Applicants may use the tracks provided in their audition recordings.
    - Please note: Tenor/Bass entrance is m. 104, while Soprano/Alto entrance is m. 109. The practice tracks start at m. 104 for ALL voices.
  - Fill out the audition form below to be considered for the 2026 OCDA High School Summer Honor Choir!

Further audition information is laid out in the Audition Form.

All auditions are due by 5/4/2026

HS Honor Choir Clinician

Matthew Swope is the Director of Choral Activities and an Assistant Professor of Music at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University. Dr. Swope has also taught at the University of Cincinnati and Rollins College. For 14 years, he served as the Performing Arts Department Chair and Director of Choral Activities at Winter Park High School (FL).

Dr. Swope embraces a diverse array of musical styles and is equally at home in the choral, contemporary a cappella, and musical theatre repertoires. Ensembles under his direction have performed for state and regional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, Florida Music Education Association, International Championship of High School A Cappella Finals, and the National A Cappella Convention. Dr. Swope currently serves as the ACDA Midwestern Region R&R Co-Chair for Contemporary/Commercial Choirs and the Ohio Choral Directors Association Northeast Region Chair.

He earned a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting with a cognate in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In addition, he received his M.M. in Voice Performance & Pedagogy and B.A. degrees in Music and Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies from Penn State University.

Deadlines & Fees

Audition Materials Released - Thursday, January 29, 2026

Application Deadline - Monday, May 4th, 2026

Acceptance Notification - Monday, May 11th, 2026

Registration Deadline - Monday, May 18th, 2026

Registration Fee - $85 (includes lunch/dinner, t-shirt, music, and free evening concert)

Rehearsal Tracks

Coming Soon