April 10–11, 2026

Plymouth United Church of Christ, Des Moines, IA

Two days of music. One unforgettable experience.

Every year, singers from across Iowa come together for an exciting two-day celebration of music, learning, and community. An internationally known choral composer joins us, leading rehearsals and conducting our festival concerts.

Festival Concerts

Friday, April 10 at 4pm
High School Mixed Voice Choirs

Saturday, April 11 at 7pm
Treble Choir (Grades 4–8)

Want your singer to be part of the action? Here's how to get involved:

Who Can Participate?

Individual Singers (Grades 4–8)

• Open to singers with unchanged (treble) voices

• Rehearsal on Saturday, April 11

• Perform 2 pieces in the mass choir

• $20 per singer

About Andy Beck

Andy Beck is Director of Choral Publications at Alfred Music and a prolific composer and arranger with more than 450 choral works, vocal resources, and children’s musicals currently in print. His music is performed by singers worldwide, and he is a highly sought-after guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician for music educators and students across the United States and beyond.

Career Highlights

• Over 450 choral works in print

• Frequent guest conductor and clinician nationwide

• Commissioned composer and guest conductor for honor choirs of all ages, including all-state groups throughout the Southeast

• Alfred Music studio singer since 1992

Education & Background

A fine tenor, Andy enjoys performing in and directing musical theatre and singing with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Ithaca College and a Master’s degree in Music Education from Northwest Missouri State University. Mr. Beck is fully committed to arts education, music literacy, and choral artistry—values reflected not only in his own writing, but also in the high-quality publications available through the Alfred Music catalog he curates.

A Legacy of Excellence

The Meet the Composer Festival has been bringing world-class choral artists to Iowa since 2008. We are proud to have welcomed so many talented composers and conductors over the years:

• Jim Papoulis (2008)

• Stephen Hatfield (2009)

• Mark Sirett (2010)

• Z. Randall Stroope (2011)

• Paul Caldwell & Sean Ivory (2012)

• Jay Broeker (2014)

• Dr. Rollo Dilworth (2015)

• Andrea Ramsey (2016)

• Ken Berg (2017)

• Elaine Hagenberg (2018)

• Jacob Narverud (2019)

• Tom Shelton (2022)

• Laura Farnell (2023)

• Victor C. Johnson (2024)

• LeeAnn Starkey (2025)

We look forward to adding many more names to this list in the years to come!