LSYC HISTORY
Since 1992, Lake Superior Youth Chorus (LSYC) has been providing exceptional choral music training for the youth of the Twin Ports area. Previously, sponsored by Hermantown Community Education, the Lake Superior Youth Chorus was established in 1992 as the Hermantown Youth Chorus. In 1998, the name was changed to better reflect the many communities served by the organization. In 2005, LSYC was incorporated as a non-profit organization.
LSYC has five resident choirs (Cadenza, Choristers, Concert Choir, Camerata, and Cantemus) and several outreach programs for students in grades K-11 from the greater Duluth area.
Performance opportunities for singers are many and varied, including three major concerts and other performances scheduled as opportunities arise. LSYC has performed on The Morning Program of Minnesota Public Radio and at state and regional conventions of the Music Educators National Conference. LSYC has collaborated with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, University of Minnesota Duluth Opera Studio and Vocal Jazz, Northland Opera Theater, Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Arrowhead Chorale, University of Wisconsin Superior Concert Choir, StrikePoint handbell ensemble, and children's choirs from the US and Canada.
In 2007, LSYC was selected to receive the Silver Touchstone Award presented by the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation for the opera collaboration featuring Angela Keeton of the Minnesota Opera. More recently, the LSYC has collaborated annually with a variety of professional artists who have brought Renaissance, opera, gospel, jazz, Latin American, Broadway, African, and Irish music to the Twin Ports. In both 2014 and 2015, LSYC was honored to showcase its young choral artists in Minnesota Public Radio's outdoor choral festival Harmony in the Park. In 2018 and 2023, Cantemus was invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota’s State Conference.