MYAC’S CHORAL PROGRAM
The MYAC Choral Program is for passionate students who want the best vocal preparation possible and who wish to be exposed to the finest choral literature.
The MYAC Choral Program includes Maestros, and auditioned ensembles Voices Rising and VocalPoint.
Students are exposed to a wide variety of choral literature ranging from classical to jazz and gospel to world musics. Singers also have opportunities to collaborate in performances with MYAC orchestras and jazz ensembles.
Maestros
Conducted by Meghan Mullins, Maestros provides a nurturing environment that fosters creative growth and musical development for 1st-4th grade students. Through singing activities and various children's choir repertoire, students will begin learning how to read music and develop healthy singing techniques.
Students also learn how to perform in a group setting and experience the joy and camaraderie of participating in a choral ensemble.
Maestros rehearses on Sundays from 1:00 - 1:45pm.
Register for the 2026-2027 season here.
Kindergartners are accepted on a per case basis - email mya@mya.org if your kindergartner would like to join us!
Voices Rising
Conducted by Diego Pinto, the talented members of Voices Rising will build musicianship and vocal skills in a nurturing and professional environment by continually seeking excellence in music of diverse styles. Voices Rising accepts unchanged voices beginning in the 5th grade through 8th grade.
This joyous group has taken the stage around the world, most notably at the Symphony Center with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, International tours to China and Korea, the United Nations, and the Festival of Lights in Bulgaria.
Voices Rising rehearses on Sundays from 1:00 - 2:45pm.
VocalPoint
Conducted by Diego Pinto, VocalPoint is a high school chamber choir for high school vocalists.
VocalPoint focuses on a wide range of vocal styles from Classical to Jazz to Broadway, providing performance and growth opportunities for high-school level students.
VocalPoint rehearses on Sundays from 3:30 - 5:30pm.
Meet MYAC’s Choral Faculty
Dr. Diego Pinto is the director of Voices Rising and VocalPoint at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. He currently serves as Lecturer in Music Education at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, where he teaches choral and general music methods, world music pedagogy, and inclusive music education.
Dr. Pinto earned his PhD in Music Education from Northwestern University, his Master's in Music Education from Louisiana State University, and his Bachelor of Music Education from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Prior to his work in higher education, he spent several years directing choral ensembles at K–12 public schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where his choirs consistently earned high ratings at festivals, his singers were selected to honor choirs at state, regional, and national levels, and he prepared students for performance at Carnegie Hall. He is also an active clinician and has presented at conferences for music educators and music researchers in the U.S. and Brazil.
An active singer, Dr. Pinto is a member of the music ministry at Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, his work as a conductor, singer, and researcher is rooted in a deep commitment to diverse music cultures and the development of young singers..
Ms. Meghan Mullins is the director for Maestros at MYAC. Meghan holds a Bachelor's Degree in music education from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL. Meghan works as the beginning orchestra teacher for North Shore District 112 in Highland Park, IL. In her position, Meghan serves 4th and 5th grade students at 5 different schools in the Highwood and Highland Park areas. She has experience teaching K-5 general music, guitar, and concert band in the Minneapolis/St. Paul school districts. She has also worked with Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival in Valparaiso, IN, the Jack Benny Center and Waukegan Symphony Orchestra in Waukegan, IL, and taught vocal and general music to high schoolers in Angoulême, France. Meghan's primary instruments are cello and piano, but she enjoys playing percussion, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, and singing in choir. Meghan is from Libertyville, IL and is an alumni of the MYAC orchestra program (2013-2017).