Bella Voce is an auditioned treble ensemble consisting of 60 undergraduate students of all majors across the campus of Oregon State University. This choir frequently performs throughout the northwest United States and has been featured at a previous ISME conference in Brazil, as well as at the National ACDA Conference in 2021. Under the direction of Dr. Sandra Babb, OSU Bella Voce strives to perform music written by under-represented composers and to give a platform for current music education majors to grow their own praxis with teaching and conducting opportunities from within the choir.

VOICES 21C – André de Quadros (artistic director)

Through poetry, spoken word, song, and the body, VOICES 21C presents WALLS COME TUMBLIN’ DOWN, a powerful program centered on sanctuary. The ensemble tells stories forged in conditions of threat and care, safety and exile, stories arising from lived experiences of surveillance, displacement, and containment. Working across artistic forms, VOICES 21C cultivates spaces where voice, breath, and movement function not only as expression, but as acts of witnessing, refusal, and collective resistance.

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VOICES 21C is a Boston-based vocal ensemble dedicated to social justice, human rights, and artistic innovation. Through choral music, spoken word, movement, and interdisciplinary performance, the ensemble explores issues of race, incarceration, migration, war, and belonging. In France, Israel/Palestine, Mexico, and Sri Lanka, VOICES 21C collaborates with marginalized communities, creating performances that foster dialogue, witness, and collective action. Its work positions music not only as artistic expression, but also as a powerful tool for healing, resistance, and social transformation.

Sirius Piano Duo, formed by Pei-Chen Chen and Mengjie Xiong, brings together Canadian and Chinese musical perspectives through collaborative performance. Known for their versatility, they present repertoire ranging from classical works to innovative cross-genre arrangements. The duo has received the Orford Music Scholarship and has appeared at major events, including the NCKP Opening Concert and University of Toronto New Music Festival, and at international conferences such as CFMTA and APPC.

Julio Lemos is a virtuoso 7-string guitarist specializing in Brazilian instrumental music, blending classical guitar technique with influences from Villa-Lobos, Radamés Gnattali, and the choro and samba traditions, inspired by Dino 7 Cordas, Rafael Rabelo, Baden Powell, and Marco Pereira. A professor at the Federal University of Goiás since 2010, he holds a doctorate in music and has recorded with renowned artists like Hermeto Pascoal and Carlos Malta. His international career includes tours and workshops across Europe, the U.S., and China.

Nyx Duo (Colleen White, flute and Amy Guffey, clarinet) is a dynamic American chamber ensemble dedicated to performing and commissioning innovative works for flute and clarinet. They have been a featured chamber ensemble at international music festivals in Nebraska, Mississippi, and Kansas. Nyx Duo is delighted to be joined by Brazilian collaborative pianist Amanda Kohn for their ISME’s 2026 World Conference performance, featuring works by composers Grace Baugher-Dunlap, Ellen Ruth Harrison, and Amanda Harberg.

Founded in October 2017 as a nonprofit initiative of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, the Children’s Choir provides a professional platform for singers aged 5–17. The choir has won top honors at international competitions, including Grand Prix at the 2025 WYCF World Youth Choir Festival, and performs regularly with leading orchestras and opera houses.

Shesh Besh - The Arab-Jewish Ensemble under the auspices of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
 

Shesh Besh - the Arab-Jewish Ensemble, founded in 2000, brings together musicians of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra with the finest musicians from the Arab community in northern Israel.

Their onstage presence and musicianship reflect their belief that the Music-Language relationship can bind hearts and build bridges between people. Musically, The ensemble creates a unique multi-cultural environment, playing music of the Middle-East, Western classical music and original compositions.