Welcome, New Members! 2025/26 Season

Fall 2025

After another fantastic audition season, we are so excited to welcome 3 new members to the 18th Street Singers!

Welcome to Emefa Agawu (Alto), Olivia Harpster (Alto), and Jonah Berthelsen (Bass)! From Chicago to Princeton to Northfield, they each bring a unique story, vibrant energy, and love for music that perfectly harmonizes with our choir’s spirit.

2025/26 Auditions are now CLOSED!

July 2025

Thank you for your interest in the 18th Street Singers! Auditions closed at 8pm ET Saturday, July 19th and our judging panel is hard at work reviewing submissions. The auditions team will get back to everyone with callback decisions as soon as possible.

If you have questions , email us at auditions@18thstreetsingers.com.

Thanks!

Synthesis: A 20th Anniversary Celebration

June 2025

In every breath and chord, we are reminded that the songs we sing are possible because we are not alone—that our music, like our lives, is made whole by one another. Over the past two decades, we’ve championed emerging voices, spotlighted under-heard stories, and helped usher new music into the world. Synthesis, our 20th Anniversary spring concert, is not only a retrospective of where we’ve been, but a reaching outward—and inward—toward the music we are still becoming.

Join us on Friday, June 13th (7:30 PM in-person & livestream) and Saturday, June 14th (4:30 PM in-person only) at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church (new location!) in Washington, DC to honor the voices we’ve uplifted, the music we’ve built together, and what we owe each other.

Concert Program

Spring 2025

Since 2004, the 18th Street Singers have thrived as a part of Washington, DC’s vibrant performing arts community. As an all-volunteer group and registered nonprofit organization, we owe our success to the support of our community.

This season we are celebrating our 20th anniversary. Taking pride in how far we have come, and looking forward to the future, we have set our eyes on some big goals to mark this milestone. Consider:

Setting up a monthly tax-deductible donation to carry your support through the coming year

Visiting our 20th anniversary page to learn more about this season's goals

No gift is too small to make an impact--your tax-deductible donation will help us commission new pieces, support up and coming composers, fund each season's music, and to underwrite the student tickets that are always free for our concert.

Will you make a donation to the 18th Street Singers to keep the next 20 years just as strong?

“Great music does indeed have a future, as long as enthusiastic young people take time out of their lives to perform it for pure pleasure. ”

— Charles Downey, Washington Classical Review

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LISTEN

The world premiere of "Messa" by Magnús Ragnarsson

Performed by the 18th Street Singers in Winter’s Night on January 27 & 28, 2024

Our YouTube Channel

FOLLOW

Finally made it through sight reading “Can You Hear Me?” By @musicmanchoi and we can already tell this is going to be a devastatingly beautiful end. Chills already and we’ve only just begun! #18thstsingers #dcchoir #dcmusic #undiscoveredcountry #mondaymusic #behindthescenes

Meet our newest bass, Jonah! 🎤 He hails from Northfield, Minnesota and came to the DMV for grad school in Baltimore. He found 18SS through social media and was drawn to its fun, eclectic vibe. Jonah loves the color blue, autumn air, and a good ICEE at the movie theater. 🎞️ His favorite book is Population 485 by Michael Perry, and his favorite film is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. When he’s not singing, you’ll find him on the disc golf course. 🌍 Favorite place visited? Florence, Italy. Fun fact: his hometown celebrates defeating Jesse James every year! #MeetJonah #Bass #18thstsinger #NewChoirMember

Getting our basso profundo going for today’s rehearsal sneak peek. This is going to be so epic, y’all. When was the last time you heard a true bass 2 solo? Mark your calendars for the winter concert! #18thstsingers #dcchoir #dcmusic #undiscoveredcountry #bassoprofundo

🎶 Meet our newest choir member, Olivia! 🎤 She brings her curious and joyful spirit to our alto section. Hailing from Chicago, IL, Olivia found 18SS after moving to the DMV in search of a musical home that values both versatility and community. She’s a fan of olive green, summer sunshine, anything with rice, and root beer. Her favorite book is Pride and Prejudice, and she loves Schitt’s Creek for its wit and heart. When she’s not singing, you’ll find her running or reading—or maybe on her honeymoon in Italy and Spain! 🇮🇹🇪🇸 Fun fact: Italian was her first language! #MeetOlivia #NewChoirMember #18thstsinger #AwesomeAltos

SUPPORT

We are an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) and aim to make our concerts as accessible and inexpensive as possible, which is only possible thanks to the generous support of our community. Join us!

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