Page 46 - CJMay2026

Submission Guidelines for Performing Choirs - 2027 National Conference pg 6

IV. Screening Process

1. All auditions are “blind”; that is, the Adjudication Committee will not know the identity of the choir or conductor, with
the exception of show choirs and contemporary a cappella groups who may be recognizable in videos. There are two
levels of screening:
1. An initial screening level at which finalists will be selected, and

2. A final screening level at which only those recommended from the first screening will be considered.

2. Level 1: Led by the national R&R chair, an Adjudication Committee will be formed in each R&R area. The committee
will consist of no fewer than seven members selected from the following: national R&R chair of the area, national &
region R&R coordinator of the area, current and/or former region R&R chairs, choral directors who have previously
presented at an ACDA region or national conference, past region presidents, past national officers, National Standing
Committee members and others appointed by the national R&R chair to ensure a diverse evaluation committee.

3. Level 2: The National Conference Committee will review the top 10 submissions in each R&R area, unless fewer than
ten are submitted in that area, in which case all submissions will be reviewed by the National Conference Committee.
Every effort will be made to represent a broad range of interest sessions for each R&R area.

4. No person submitting performance audition materials for the 2027 National Conference may serve on an Adjudica-
tion Committee. The online submission process automatically tabulates responses from adjudicators and generates a
list indicating the collective top ten submissions in ranked order, plus five alternates.

5. The National Conference Committee will hear the top 10 submissions in each R&R area, unless fewer than ten are sub-
mitted in that area, in which case all submissions will be heard by the National Conference Committee. Final decisions
for accepted performing choirs will be made by the National Conference Committee.

6. Every effort will be made to represent a broad range of excellent performing ensembles from each R&R area and ACDA
region.

7. The rubric showing the performance criteria and rating scales that will be used by the adjudicators, along with all the
information included here, is available at acda.org.

V. Schedule of Dates and Application Link

• Application portal opens: February 2026

• April 15, 2026: Audition application, uploads, and payment completed by 11:59 pm CST
• Help desk support is available until 5:00 CST on April 15, 2026. After that time, no support will be provided, even if
technical issues are encountered. Applicants are encouraged to plan ahead to ensure they can complete the submis-
sion process. Late submissions will not be accepted for any reason.

• By June 15, 2026: National auditions review completed
• By June 29, 2026: Applicants notified of results

Application now available through the online platform at acda.org.

44 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2026 Volume 66 Number 8