- Set to share the stage alongside Grammy and BBC Music Award–winning choirs 

The Incheon City Chorale (ICC; Artistic Director Yoon Eui-joong) has achieved the distinction of being selected as an invited choir for the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the world’s largest choral event.

With this invitation, ICC will perform at the 2027 ACDA National Convention scheduled to take place from March 7 to 10, 2027 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Launched in 1959, the ACDA National Convention is a globally renowned choral festival and the largest event of its kind, drawing more than 10,000 choral conductors and musicians from around the world. The biennial convention selects most participating choirs through auditions, with only three ensembles chosen as “Invited Choirs.” In 2027, ICC will share the stage with some of the world’s leading choral groups including Grammy Award–winning choir (2015) Conspirare and BBC Music Award winner (2012, 2016) and Gramophone Award nominee (2013) Tenebrae.

Professor Pearl Shangkuan, incoming president of the American Choral Directors Association who served as ICC guest conductor in June 2025, previously praised the ensemble. “The Incheon City Chorale not only possesses powerful sound and diverse tonal colors but also demonstrates remarkable flexibility in conveying human emotion,” she said at the time, signaling the possibility of this invitation.

In particular, the ACDA stage is of special significance to ICC. The choir delivered the final invited performance at the ACDA 50th Anniversary Conference in Oklahoma City in 2009 under the artistic direction of Yoon Hak-won, receiving approximately 20 minutes of standing ovation and enthusiastic applause. Such performance continues to be remembered among ACDA officials as an impressive example, and this latest invitation marks the choir’s return after approximately 18 years. It is expected to serve as an opportunity to showcase once again the global stature of Korean choral music across generations.

“It is a great honor to stand once again on the ACDA stage, carrying forward the legacy of Korean choral music built by Director Yoon Hak-won together with ICC. We will prepare with utmost dedication to live up to our reputation and demonstrate the depth and potential of Korean choral music on the world stage,” Artistic Director Yoon Eui-joong said.

Having designated 2026 as an intensive preparation period for the ACDA Convention, ICC plans to include creative choral works by Korean composers in all of its regular concert programs. The choir will conduct a nationwide tour beginning with its regular concert in February including performances at major venues such as Lotte Concert Hall in October, gradually refining the repertoire to be presented on the international stage.

This invitation to the ACDA National Convention signifies global recognition of ICC’s artistic excellence while also proving the competitive edge of Incheon’s regional cultural arts and creative achievements of Korean choral music.