History of the Festival

Since the mid-twentieth century, there has been a tremendous proliferation of children’s choirs all over the world. For the past 30 years, the singers of Piedmont Choirs have been singing, competing, and becoming friends with children of the world through their extensive touring in Europe, Asia, Central America, the Baltic States, and Russia. They have been welcomed into concert halls, communities, and homes. They have stayed with families in different countries, and have learned to appreciate the hospitality of different cultures. Often, these opportunities have occurred during international festivals which brought multiple choirs together. This direct participation in the lives of people all over the world has given the children a sense of themselves as citizens of the world and it has given them points of comparison by which they can reach a deeper understanding of their own communities and culture. 

Realizing the richness this international experience offered, and recognizing that there were no similar events in the United States, in 1991, the Piedmont Choirs founded The Golden Gate International Children’s Choral Festival, the first international children’s choral festival in the United States.

View Past Festival Choirs and Adjudicators