What is the All-City Choral Festival?

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Hosted by the Huntsville Choral Directors Association (HCDA), the All-City Choral Festival was founded in 1966 to promote excellence in choral singing for students in the Huntsville City Schools System.  In the past 50+ years, the HCDA has served countless students through this signature event.

The All-City Choral Festival is held each year to promote collaboration between choral programs in the Huntsville City School System for students in grades 6-12.  The festival also provides an excellent opportunity for students to study under the baton of distinguished choral clinicians.

Awards are presented to students who participate in the festival for 6 or 7 years.  The accompanying "Outstanding Choral Student" auditions provide incentives and reward excellence and exceptionalism for students in the 8th & 12th grades who plan to continue music studies as they transition into the next educational level.

Meet the 2025 Clinicians

Dr. Jason Max Ferdinand

The University of Maryland
​Director of Choral Activities

SATB Choir & Middle School Mixed Choir​
Jason Max Ferdinand serves as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Maryland, College Park.  He assumed the role in the Fall of 2022.  He is very humbled to be standing on the shoulders of his mentor, Edward Maclary, who has guided the choral program for 20+ years.
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Jason Max Ferdinand, Professor – Conductor – Composer – Speaker, is the founding artistic director of The Jason Max Ferdinand Singers: An Ensemble of Exceptional Talents, and was the director of choral activities, chair of the music department and a full professor at Oakwood University, where he conducted the Aeolians of Oakwood University. He is a published author and composer with GIA Publications, featuring the book, Teaching with Heart: Tools for Addressing Societal Challenges Through Music, and The Jason Max Ferdinand Choral Series (Walton Music). 

A native of Trinidad & Tobago, Ferdinand received his Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Oakwood College (now Oakwood University), his Master of Arts in Choral Conducting from Morgan State University and his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Maryland.

Mrs. Joy Xu

Graduate Teaching Assistant
​Auburn University

SSA Choir & 6th Grade Choir
Joy Xu has been calling Auburn home since 2008. She is currently pursuing her graduate degree in music education (chorus conducting) and serves as a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Music. She received her bachelor's degree in music education, with specialization in both voice and piano, from Capital Normal University in Beijing China.

Prior to relocating to Auburn, she was a music teacher, chorus director, and national-award-winning vocal soloist in Beijing. She started her undergraduate study in vocal performance at Auburn University in 2011 and received her Bachelor of Music (BM) degree with honor (Cum Laude) in 2016.

​Since fall 2018, she has been studying for her second BM degree from Auburn with a specialization in piano performance. In addition to performing as a pianist, or vocal soloist at various local and regional venues, Xu also runs a private music studio. Her voice and piano students have won numerous awards at competitions and auditions since 2016.

Get in touch with us...

web

www.huntsvillecityschools.org
​www.allcitychoir.com

phone

256.428.6800
256.428.8355

address

200 White Street
​Huntsville, AL 35801
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