Summer Conference Retreat
June 28 – 30, 2026
Peru State College
REGISTER HERE
CLICK HERE FOR CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
SUMMER HONOR CHOIRS
NCDA All-State Concert Choir
All State Concert Choir
Registration fee if accepted – $275 – ALL INCLUSIVE (non-refundable)
(lodging, meals, sheet music)
NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN THROUGH APRIL 30.
Nomination Form: HERE
2026 Summer All State Concert Choir Description
OPEN to all 2025-26 high school students
Join high school singers from around the state in an intensive honor choir experience. Students will be immersed in diverse repertoire, expert instruction, and high-level artistry in a beautiful setting on the campus of Peru State College.
2026 All State Concert Choir Clinician – Dr. Elise Hepworth
June 27-28, 2026
Dr. Elise Hepworth is Dean of the College of Arts, Communication and Social Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville, MO) and a recognized leader in music education and vocal pedagogy. A Northwest alumna, she holds degrees from Northwest Missouri State University, the UMKC Conservatory of Music, the University of Mississippi, and the New Zealand School of Music, with national certifications in Kodály and Orff Schulwerk pedagogies.
Her teaching and research focus on vocal habilitation, rural and novice learner development, and innovative approaches to music pedagogy. Prior to her current role, Dr. Hepworth served as Vice Provost at Missouri Western State University, Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Missouri Western State University, and Associate Professor of Choral and Vocal Music at Wayne State College. An active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, Dr. Hepworth continues to engage deeply with the choral community, connecting administrative leadership with artistry and empowering the next generation of music educators and performers through thoughtful, evidence-based practice.
NCDA Middle Level Honor Choir
June 27-28, 2026
Middle Level Honor Choir Requirements
NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN THROUGH APRIL 1
Nomination Form: HERE
Registration fee if accepted – $200 – ALL INCLUSIVE (non-refundable)
(lodging, meals, sheet music)
Middle Level Honor Choir Description
OPEN to all students entering grades 7-9.
Join singers from around the state in an exciting honor choir experience! Students will be immersed in diverse repertoire, expert instruction, and high-level artistry in a beautiful setting on the campus of Peru State College.
2026 Middle Level Honor Choir Clinician – Linda Metzger Johnson
LINDA JOHNSON
Linda Johnson taught vocal music 7-12 for twenty-two years at Adams Central Jr.-Sr. High School in Hastings. She directed all high school vocal music activities, including Varsity Choir, 9/10 Choir, Madrigal, 9/10 Select Choir, and the spring musical.
She also directed the South Central Nebraska Children’s Chorale for 26 years. The idea for the Chorale grew out of her Master of Arts in Teaching presentation, and was in residence at Hastings College providing musical learning opportunities for children in fourth grade through eighth grade throughout south central Nebraska.
Linda currently serves as director of the Youth Choir (grades 6-12) at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings. She has been a clinician for NCDA’s “Sing Around Nebraska” elementary choral festivals, the Heartland Middle Level choral clinic, and the Meridian Middle Level Choral Festival. In the spring of 2012, Linda was recognized by the Hastings Symphony Orchestra as the “Arts Educator of the Year.” In 2009, Walmart honored her as the area “2008 Teacher of the Year.” In the spring of 2015, she was honored by Adams Central Jr. Sr. High School as “Teacher of the Year”. And in the fall of 2022, Linda was inducted into the Hastings College Fine Arts Hall of Fame.
She is excited to share her passion for middle level choral music with the 2026 NCDA Middle Level Honor Choir students, educators, and families!