Brockton, Framingham, and South Shore high schools to participate in inaugural HHYC Chorale Festival, including a performance with H+H at Symphony Hall
BOSTON | The Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses (HHYC) will host its inaugural Chorale Festival in February, designed to enrich choral music education in Massachusetts public high schools. The HHYC Chorale Festival program will provide in-school instruction, master classes, professional development, and two professional concert experiences for high school singers and choral music educators from Brockton High School, Framingham High School, and Silver Lake Regional High School serving the South Shore communities of Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax. The program will be offered at no cost to the participating schools or students thanks to the generosity of H+H donors.
“H+H is thrilled to continue our commitment to music education with support for choral programs and music educators at the high school level, especially at a time when resources and opportunities for the arts are increasingly limited in public schools,“ said JongHun Kim, Director of Learning Programs for the Handel and Haydn Society.
“This is not your average music class,” continued Kim. “As specialists in historically informed performance, H+H brings the music of old composers to life in a way that feels fresh, exciting, and relevant. This is exactly what we hope the students will experience.”
On February 10, 2026, Chorale Festival participants will come together at the new Josiah Quincy Upper School facility for a full day of learning and collaborative music making led by Anthony Trecek-King, Resident Conductor of the H+H Chorus. Students will explore music by Baroque and Classical composers Handel, Vivaldi, and Mozart, and learn about the historically informed performance techniques used by H+H to recreate the sound heard by audiences in these composers’ day. The Chorale Festival day will culminate in an evening performance accompanied by members of the H+H Orchestra playing on period instruments. HHYC Chorale Festival participants will also perform with the H+H Orchestra to open H+H’s Handel’s Water Music concerts at Symphony Hall on April 10 + 12, 2026.
Ethan Lobenstine is music director at Framingham High School where 45 students participate in the chorus and after school a cappella group. Framingham’s choral program is small for a school of over 2,500 students, but growing. Many in the program are first year students and most are new to four-part choral singing.
“The Chorale Festival is an opportunity unlike anything my students have had before,” said Lobenstine. “It will be the first time my students perform with a professional orchestra at a major venue outside Framingham. I’m especially excited for my students to feel the power and sense of immersion that comes with singing in a large group. Experiences like the Chorale Festival are rare, and formative for young people who haven’t had the chance to be part of music-making on a higher level.”
About HHYC
In addition to the new Chorale Festival, HHYC offers eight ensembles welcoming singers ages 7-18 with experience and ability ranging from “Happy Birthday” to aspiring professional musicians. HHYC singers explore a dynamic repertoire of music spanning continents and centuries through large- and small-group instruction, weekly musicianship classes, and collaborations with professional ensembles including H+H. New for the 2025-26 Season, HHYC’s Opera Scene Program is a unique offering for advanced singers to study opera technique and performance.
In partnership with Boston-based musician Thea Hopkins, this season all HHYC ensembles are studying the musical traditions of the Wampanoag people, indigenous to Southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. Hopkins, who describes her music style as “Red Roots Americana,” is a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe of Martha’s Vineyard and a graduate of Berklee College of Music.
“Working with Thea offers an exceptional opportunity for our singers and faculty to learn about, connect with, and highlight the cultural heritage of Massachusetts during the 250th anniversary year of the United States,” said JongHun Kim.
In its 31 years, HHYC has grown from a handful of dedicated young people to eight choruses welcoming more than 150 singers each semester. World-class faculty partner with these young artists to create a rigorous yet welcoming environment for musical and personal growth—a place for everyone to find their voice. Singers treat H+H audiences to inspiring (and impressive) performances throughout each subscription season—often joined by the H+H Orchestra and Chorus—recently appearing at Symphony Hall in Handel’s Messiah conducted by Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen.
Some HHYC alumni excel in leading conservatory programs and perform with major ensembles, supported in part by an HHYC scholarship. Others help the H+H community grow by sharing their passion for music with the people they love. All of them remain part of the H+H family. In these ways, and so many more, HHYC is essential to H+H’s work to fulfill its mission to inspire the intellect, elevate the soul, and connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.
The H+H Youth Choruses are a component of the Karen S. & George D. Levy Learning and Education Program.