Excited for this weekend’s 15th Annual Choral Festival, junior Katie Levendusky is ready to perform in Audacious, UW-Eau Claire’s Chamber Choir and Women’s Concert Chorale – three of the featured groups at the festival.

“I’m excited for a whole weekend of singing,” Levendusky said. “Because that is what I love to do.”

The university will host the two-day event which is divided into three main concerts, kicking off with A Cappella Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m., Friday in the Schofield Auditorium. Also featured at the event are Fifth Element, Girls Night Out, Innocent Men and Impromptu.

The festival is part of the Clearwater Choral Festival, said Gary Schwartzhoff, director of choral activities. Schwartzhoff came to Eau Claire in 1991 and has directed each choral festival since.

The Eau Claire Concert Choir and Festival Honor Choir are among the ensembles that will perform at Saturday’s concerts.

Schwartzhoff and Alan Rieck direct the university’s choral groups, including Women’s Concert Chorale, Concert Choir and the Singing Statesmen, he said.

“All of the groups are very different,” senior Alex Krukowski said.

Krukowski is a member and music director for Fifth Element and will be performing in his third A Cappella Extravaganza. This year the group will present “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts; “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder and “I Can Live with That,” the group’s trademark song, by Go Fish.

Two concerts will be held on Saturday in Gantner Concert Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center at 1:15 and 7 p.m. Joining the Eau Claire collegiate groups will be the Rice Lake High School Junior Choir, under the direction of Tony Matusewic, as well as about 140 students from 30 different high schools throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota, Schwartzhoff said.

“Part of the reason why Choral Fest exists is to give prospective students a chance to see why UW-Eau Claire is known as Wisconsin’s singing university,” Levendusky said. “Students should come to this event because it’s a unique opportunity to see all the choral groups perform within one weekend.”

High school seniors will audition for scholarships Saturday morning and winners will be announced later that day. The $750 scholarships will go toward an education at Eau Claire.

Schwartzhoff said he and the students are looking forward to a weekend of a good mix of musical talent. It is a night to provide an opportunity for all of the ensembles to perform and also to give prospective Eau Claire student vocalists as much experience as possible.

“This is a good opportunity for UWEC to showcase what we really have to offer.”