Our Mission

The National Children's Chorus transforms

the lives of young people, empowering them

to effectively lead society toward the ideals of

artistic excellence, cultural openness, and

social diversity.

Senior Division at New York's Lincoln Center

The GRAMMY® Award-winning National Children’s Chorus, under the leadership of Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer and Associate Artistic Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone, has quickly become one of the world’s leading children’s choirs. Among the most exciting and fastest-growing music institutions for youth in the nation, the chorus provides its unparalleled training to more than 1,400 students, comprising 40 choirs based in the chapter cities of Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, Boston and Chicago. The NCC’s groundbreaking Season 2025/26, entitled Firefly, focuses on the impact of the chorus’ artistry, featuring an array of stunning repertoire that demonstrates the organization’s firm commitment to new music, world culture, and extraordinary collaborations.

View Our Season

Our Vision

A world where choral music powerfully nourishes awareness of our most important human values.

Performing locally and abroad, the National Children’s Chorus is one of few youth arts organizations in America to have its concert series presented at professional music halls, working with some of the finest conductors, composers and orchestras. Their Billboard-charting holiday album, Illumine, was recorded in London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra during their tour of the United Kingdom.

Recent venues include Royce Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; as well as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, sharing the stage and studio with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, American Youth Symphony, VOCES8, Washington Bach Consort and New York City Master Chorale, among others.

Meet our collaborators

All-city event at Alice Tully Hall, NY

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Recent venues include Royce Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; as well as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, sharing the stage and studio with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, American Youth Symphony, VOCES8, Washington Bach Consort and New York City Master Chorale, among others.

Meet our collaborators

Education

Our Unique Methodology

Students of the National Children’s Chorus are represented by more than 350 schools throughout its cities and meet weekly for rehearsal and musicianship study. The extensive curriculum includes college-level conducting, composition, music theory, sight-singing in the Kodály Method, and voice training in the bel canto style. Through a holistic approach to cultivating the unique potential within each child, graduates from the program are regularly accepted at top conservatories, colleges and universities.

Scholars (college-prep ensemble) in Los Angeles

Each summer, Senior Division ensembles of the National Children’s Chorus travel internationally, expanding the students’ cultural awareness and worldly experience. Since 2015, the children have performed throughout the U.K. at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, St. John’s Smith Square in London, Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, and the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff; the Great Wall of China in Beijing and the Ancient City Wall in Xi’an, China; St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, and St. Cecilia’s Music Conservatory in Rome, Italy; the Berlin Wall in Germany and Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, as well as sites in Prague, Czech Republic and Budapest, Hungary; the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Mapo Art Center in Seoul, South Korea, and in Japan, Kyoto Concert Hall and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall; the Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, and other sites in Spain and Portugal; Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, Oseana Art Centre in Bergen, Norway, and the Oslo Opera House; and in Australia, the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Town Hall and Melbourne's The Edge.

The National Children’s Chorus also hosts an annual
summer Opera Academy. The initiative, designed to engage young singers in the art of opera, serves to promote the creation of new operatic works written specifically for young voices.

Learn more about the curriculum

Timeline

Our Special History

1904

Father William Finn Founds the Paulist Choristers of Chicago

Father William Finn (1881-1961) founds the Paulist Choristers of Chicago, an a capella, treble choir for boys (ages 5–13) at Old St. Mary’s. Father Finn was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 7, 1881. He graduated from Boston Latin School, the New England Conservatory of Music, and Saint Charles College in Maryland prior to entering the Paulist community. He temporarily left his theological studies to direct the parish music program when the choir was organized in 1904. He then returned and was professed on June 11, 1905. He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 9, 1906. Upon ordination in 1906, Father Finn’s first assignment was to be choral director in Chicago.

1912

The Paulist Choristers Sing at the Vatican

The Paulist Choristers sing at the Vatican for Pope Pius X on their first European Tour, and is awarded the prize in the Division of Honor in the International Competition in Paris. Pope Pius X gave Father Finn the title, “magister cantorum” (master musician).

1918

The Paulist Choristers' Debut in New York City

Father Finn establishes the first Catholic Choir School in New York at Libby Castle, bringing several of his exceptional singers with him from Chicago, and founds the Paulist Choristers of New York at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan, where the current NCC rehearsed for many years starting in 2011. Leroy Wetzel takes over the Chicago group.

1925

Metropolitan Opera House & Recording Projects

The New York ensemble begins to perform on the WLWL radio station, and also on the NBC radio show, “The Catholic Hour.” The choir also gives frequent concerts at the Metropolitan Opera House. In addition to performances, each ensemble maintains separate recording projects with Columbia Records and Victor Records.

1929

Father Finn & the Silver Jubilee

The New York ensemble, under the direction of Father Finn performs at the Metropolitan Opera House for their Silver Jubilee Concert. The program included Gregorian chant, a Palestrina Mass setting, and other works by Handel, Eccard, Gibbons and Byrd.

1940

William Finn Steps Down

William Finn begins to lose his hearing and retires from leading the New York group. In his autobiography that he later publishes, he writes, “music is the most powerful spiritual instrumentality by which human beings can be moved.” He then spent three years at Old Saint Mary’s parish in Chicago from 1942 to 1945 during his retirement before returning to New York for the rest of his life.

1965

Father Eugene O'Malley Retires

O’Malley retires after 39 years with the Paulist Chorsiters of Chicago after the directives of the Second Vatican Council went into effect, leading to an end of the Chicago-based group. This directive moved the church’s liturgy from Latin to English text. The music that the Paulist choir sang was music composed in Latin by great composers of past centuries.

1977

The Paulist Choristers Take on Los Angeles

Despite the reformation in Catholic liturgy, Sister Stella Maria Enright (1933-2017) and Jon Wattenberger (1948-1992), a pupil of Father Finn’s teachings, found the Paulist Choristers of California at St. Paul the Apostle Church and School in Westwood, Los Angeles. The ensemble quickly gains international fame through recordings and performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Joffrey Ballet, in addition to multiple television and movie appearances and international tours to London, Oxford, Venice, Florence, Salzburg, and Paris.

1992

Dana Marsh Steps up in California

Dana Marsh, a highly-acclaimed early music scholar, takes helm of the California group after Wattenberger’s untimely death. Dana now serves as director of the Historical Performance Institute and chair of the Early Music Department at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and in 2018, Marsh was appointed artistic director of the Washington Bach Consort, recognized as one of the nation’s leading period instrument and vocal ensembles specializing in the performance of the complete instrumental and vocal works of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries.

2002

The Paulist Choristers Sing at the Hollywood Bowl

The Paulist Choristers are invited to sing music from The Lord of the Rings with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro John Mauceri. For the first time in Paulist history, girls are inducted into the organization, marking the first-ever co-ed appearance for the group.

2005

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Paulist Choristers of California complete their first season with new Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer, ending with a sublime concert performance at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Los Angeles, featuring Mozart’s Requiem and Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna with full orchestra. Choral icon Paul Salamunovich, as well as Mr. Lauridsen and current Los Angeles Master Chorale Artistic Director Grant Gershon all are in attendance on this day. The Paulist Choristers also are featured on national television as part of the musical act for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.

2009

First Concert as the National Children's Chorus

The NCC launches a new educational curriculum for its students that includes music theory, Kodaly Musicianship study and private voice. The group performs its very first concert under its new brand name in June—Mozart’s re-orchestration of Handel’s Messiah—to a standing ovation at the newly built Broad Stage in Santa Monica. The group also appears on Paramount Picture’s feature film Imagine That, starring Eddie Murphy.

2011

The NCC Opens in New York City

After a successful concert in New York by the Los Angeles group the previous year, the National Children’s Chorus opens its second chapter in New York City, holding its first rehearsal with only 4 students. The Church of St. Paul the Apostle serves as the New York home-base for the new group just as they did for the Paulist Choristers in 1918.

2013

The NCC Moves into Schoenberg Hall at UCLA

The NCC moves into Schoenberg Hall at UCLA as its LA membership tops 250, and creates an educational alliance with the UCLA School of Music. During this year of bicoastal growth, acclaimed soprano Lisa Vroman joins the Honorary Board of the NCC, and the organization hold its first fundraising gala in New York at the Harry F. Sinclair House on the Upper East Side, a historical property now home to the Ukrainian Institute of America.

2015

Debut at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York & First International Tour

The NCC makes its debut at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center with the Yale University Orchestra, and later in the summer performs Carmina Burana with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. The NCC also travels to England, with performances in Oxford and London as part of its first international tour.

2017

Tri-city Performances at Lincoln Center & the Vatican

With nearly 700 members, the NCC performs Songs of Love at Carnegie Hall in New York and Royce Hall in Los Angeles. The third international tour takes the chorus to Italy, including special performances at the high altar at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and the Santa Cecelia Music Conservatory in Rome. The year ends with the NCC’s first tri-city event at Lincoln Center, as well as debut performances with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

2019

10th Anniversary Season & San Francisco Chapter

The NCC celebrates its 10th anniversary Starlight season with the opening of its fourth chapter city of San Francisco, based at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and with performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic of Mahler 8, in addition to an all-city event in the hall with a world premiere by Nico Muhly. Other projects include a collaboration with composer Meredith Monk, an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange, a performance at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in DC, and opening for internationally-renowned singer songwriter, John Legend. The season ends with performances of Nebula at Royce Hall and Carnegie Hall. The chorus travels across the Pacific for its fifth international tour to Japan and Korea, with a landmark performance at the Korean Demilitarized Zone with the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra.

2021

Austin Chapter & Launch of Opera Program

The NCC made significant strides with a return to in-person and hybrid rehearsals. The NCC expanded its footprint by establishing a new chapter in Austin, Texas, the live music capital of the world. A notable highlight was the inauguration of the Vail Opera Camp (now National Youth Opera Academy), underscoring the NCC’s adaptability and unwavering commitment to nurturing young talent. The program featured a memorable filmed rendition of the moving youth opera Brundibár.

2023

War Requiem, UK Tour & Holiday Album

The NCC delivered a stunning tribute to the victims of the war in Ukraine at Walt Disney Concert Hall with a collaborative performance of Britten’s War Requiem with the American Youth Symphony, presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The Resounding Voices season came to a close with the NCC achieving a historic milestone at their debut all-city concert at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. Nearly 500 NCC students and family members embarked on the organization’s 7th international tour to the United Kingdom, where they performed alongside renowned vocal ensemble VOCES8 and recorded at the esteemed AIR and Abbey Road Studios. As the Vail Opera Camp marked its third annual summer gathering, it enchanted audiences with a mesmerizing performance of The Tinker of Tivoli, all while undergoing an exciting transformation into the National Youth Opera Academy, symbolizing a new chapter of artistic growth and innovation. The NCC also released its Billboard-charting debut holiday album Illumine, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, and appeared on NBC’s The Today Show.

1910

The Chorus Gains National Repute

The chorus gains national attention by being awarded the first prize in the division of Boy Choirs at the National Contest in Philadelphia. In recognition of his musical achievements, Father Finn was awarded an LLD degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1914 and Palms of the French Academy in 1912.

1917

The First Tour

The chorus tours the United States and Canada for 6 months during World War I to raise money for French refugee relief efforts, singing 238 concerts in 113 cities. Student, Eugene O’Malley was a part of this tour who would then go on to lead the group 10 years later.

1924

The Boarding School Closes

The boarding choir school closes due to financial struggles, but the choir remains strong as Finn recruits local boys from all parts of New York City. The Paulist General Chapter also thanks Father Finn “for untiring zeal, earnestness and devotion to the cause of sacred music and for the prestige that has accrued to the Paulist Fathers by his musical work during the last twenty years in Chicago and New York.”

1928

New Leadership with Father Eugene O'Malley

Father Eugene O’Malley, an original Chicago Paulist chorister in 1912, succeeds Leroy Wetzel as director of the Chicago ensemble. Under his leadership the choir once again travels across the country, and performs at the White House. Father O’Malley was famously considered the inspiration for the character of the same name portrayed by Bing Crosby in the movies ”Going My Way” and ”The Bells of St. Mary’s”.

1935

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

The group performs for President Roosevelt’s Birthday Party in Chicago.

1943

Jospeh Robert Foley Becomes New Director

Joseph Robert Foley takes helm of the New York chorus. Unlike O’Malley in Chicago, Foley keeps the New York choristers in Manhattan, making occasional appearances at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

1973

Joseph Robert Foley Retires

Foley retires after 30 years as director of the New York Paulist Choristers, marking the end of the New York boy’s ensemble.

1990

The Paulist Choristers & the Joffrey Ballet

As the choir begins to garner more visibility and prestige in Los Angeles, the Paulist Choristers join the Joffrey Ballet for six performances of Trinity at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and record the music of Danny Elfman in Tim Burton’s film Edward Scissorhands.

2001

Sir Martin Neary Leads Chorus

Marsh leaves the group to move to Oxford, and conductor and organist Sir Martin Neary takes over. Neary is known for being Music Director at Westminster Abbey from 1988-1998, which included directing the music for the funeral service of Diana, Princess of Wales.

2004

Luke McEndarfer Appointed Artistic Director

Luke McEndarfer, current NCC Artistic Director & CEO, is appointed the California Paulist Choristers’ fourth Artistic Director.

2008

The Paulist Choristers Changes Name to National Children's Chorus

Luke McEndarfer and Cristina Demiany found the National Children’s Chorus in Los Angeles, transforming the famed Paulist Choristers of California into a brand new cultural identity that reflects the organization’s key focal points of music education and social inclusivity. The name is also carefully chosen with the vision to expand the chorus’ mission into other key cities.

2010

The NCC at the Broad Stage

The NCC completes its first concert series at the beautiful Broad Stage in Santa Monica, California, and performs at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York (the founding church of the New York Paulist Choristers), introducing Manhattan to the chorus.

2012

Performances with Lisa Vroman on Both Coasts

Growing past 100 members in NY within one year of opening, the NCC performs sold-out concerts with Broadway Star Lisa Vroman. Ms. Vroman is best know for playing the lead role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway for several years, and now serves on the NCC’s honorary board.

2014

The NCC Introduces New Chapter in the Nation's Capital

The NCC takes a giant leap and opens its third chapter city in the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C., as its national membership grows to 500 students. National City Christian Church at Thomas Circle opens its doors and the organization’s stellar educational experiences begin to touch the lives of a brand new community. During this groundbreaking year, the NCC also makes special appearances at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, and sings the music from Frozen for the Oscars on the E! Network.

2016

The NCC Reaches 600 Members & Travels to China

The NCC grows to 600 members and performs the Los Angeles premiere of Tan Dun’s Symphony 1997 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and led by Grammy-winning conductor David Alan Miller. Soon thereafter, the NCC receives a $1 Million gift from an anonymous donor, the largest single gift on record given to a children’s chorus. In July, students embark on their second international tour to Hong Kong and mainland China, performing for members of the Chinese government at the Great Wall in Beijing and the Ancient City Wall in Xi’an.

2018

CNN Live Broadcast, Kennedy Center Debut & European Tour

The NCC rings in the New Year with a live performance on CNN, followed by a debut at the Kennedy Center in DC. National membership grows past 700, and the season ends with Prism at Carnegie Hall and Royce Hall. The fourth international tour showcases the Building Bridges project in Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. The chorus celebrates the holidays with Celestial Voices at Carnegie Hall and Bel Air Church, with a special performance of Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols.

2020

Resiliency

Despite the unprecedented nature of 2020, the NCC remained committed to delivering a high standard of music education to its members as the Evolución season continued. This commitment prompted the creation of the NCC’s Online Conservatory and the introduction of virtual summer camp programs. The exceptional resilience and dedication of both our students and staff enabled the NCC to host virtual celebrity masterclasses and performances, including a state-of-the-art virtual choir music video series.

2022

GRAMMY® Award & Dallas and Boston Chapters

The NCC continued its Legacy season with a remarkable GRAMMY® Award win for Best Choral Performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. A triumphant all-city return to stage took place at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, followed by an enchanting international tour to Spain and Portugal, including appearances at iconic venues such as La Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The Vail Opera Camp shone with a staged performance of The Odyssey and the official album release of the NCC’s youth opera recording of Brundibár. The NCC also launched two exciting new chapter cities in Dallas and Boston.

2024

Chicago Chapter, Luke McEndarfer Celebrates 20 Years & Scandinavian Tour

In 2024, we proudly celebrated two milestones: Luke McEndarfer’s remarkable 20 years as Artistic Director and the proud return to Chicago, 120 years after our inception as the Paulist Choristers, to open our 8th chapter city in Evanston. We came together to celebrate at Carnegie Hall with Radiant Harmony, embarked on our 8th annual International Tour to Denmark and Norway which culminated in a memorable performance at the Oslo Opera House with composer Ola Gjeilo. Students also performed Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Washington Bach Consort and made the NCC’s debut at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. The NCC also sang on Aaron Lazar’s star-studded GRAMMY®-nominated album Impossible Dream and returned to NBC’s Today Show to perform holiday favorites. The winter season concluded with the all-city concert Stella Angeli in Los Angeles, where students from across the country performed at Saint Paul the Apostle.

Upcoming Events

Winter Showcase

The Light Within

Taking Flight

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