American Choral Directors Association Partner to Bring 2012 World Choir Games to the United States

The American Choral Directors Association has partnered with Interkultur, headquartered in Germany and with branch offices in China, Russia, Philippines and Austria, to plan and organize the 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati USA. This announcement was made by the Governor of Ohio and the Mayor of Cincinnati at Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, to a crowd of several hundred people on June 18, 2009. Representatives of ACDA as well as Interkultur were on hand for the official announcement. Dr. Tim Sharp, Executive Director of ACDA, said, "To adapt the words of architect Louis Kahn, choral music ‘begins with the immeasurable, moves through the measurable, and returns to the immeasurable.’ One aspect of this ‘immeasurable’ is the beauty, peace, harmony, and common human spirit possible through choral music. A way we measure those ideals is our connection with the world choral community. Our collaboration toward the 2012 World Choir Games moves us closer to achieving this ideal." Founded in 1959, ACDA is a nonprofit music-education organization whose central purpose is to promote excellence in choral music through performance, composition, publication, research, and teaching. In addition, ACDA strives through arts advocacy to elevate choral music's position in American society.  ACDA membership consists of choral directors who represent more than one million singers across the United States. Its members teach choral music in public and private schools — kindergarten through senior high school — and at the college and university levels. They conduct a variety of choral groups, including boychoirs, children's choirs, men's and women's choruses, junior and senior high school choirs, college and university choruses, ethnic choirs, vocal-jazz ensembles, and symphony choruses. They also conduct choirs in their communities and places of worship. Membership is established by submitting a membership application and annual dues.  ACDA’s collaboration with Interkultur and the advancement of the World Choir Games addresses one of the ACDA’s four 21st century initiatives--to become fully engaged in world choral initiatives.  ACDA is a founding member of the International Federation for Choral Music and remains an active leader in this world choral organization. With this new partnership with Interkultur toward the World Choir Games, the ACDA will help its members connect with the world in the experience of choral performance.