The annual Idaho State University Invitational Choral Festival, a long-standing tradition since 1986, is set to take place on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Stephens Performing Arts Center.

This year's festival promises to be an exceptional event as it welcomes the esteemed Raymond Wise as the guest conductor. Raymond Wise, a highly accomplished musician, composer, conductor and educator, brings his expertise in gospel music to this year's festival. With a prolific career that has seen him perform at renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Wise has also served as a church minister of music for over 50 years and has been the musical director for numerous choirs and productions. He is the founder and president of Raise Productions, a gospel music production company, and has established "The Center For The Gospel Arts" to provide educational training for gospel artists and the community. Currently a professor in the African American African Diaspora Studies Department at Indiana University, Wise instructs courses in African American music and serves as the associate director of the African American Arts Institute.

The festival will feature several choirs singing Wise's own arrangements and compositions, offering attendees a unique and memorable musical experience. In addition to the concert on Saturday, invited choirs will have the opportunity to work individually with Wise and voice faculty from ISU's Department of Music on Friday, further enriching their musical education and performance skills.

ISU choir director, Jeffrey Francom, expressed his excitement about this year's festival, stating: "For 39 years, ISU has brought distinguished guest conductors to campus to inspire students from Southeastern Idaho. This year, nearly 500 high school, college and community singers will be joined in Jensen Hall by Raymond Wise, a renowned specialist in gospel music. This promises to be a concert that everyone will remember."

The ISU Invitational Choral Festival has a rich history of notable guest conductors, including Weston Noble, Andre Thomas, Craig Jessop, Rollo Dilworth, Eph Ehly, Sydney Guillaume and more. Wise's participation in this year's festival continues the tradition of bringing exceptional talent to inspire and elevate the musical experiences of all participants and attendees.

Tickets to the concert may be purchased at the ISU Stephens Box Office or by calling 208-282-3595.