The Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir celebrates 40 years.
Written by Kianna Price Marshall. Photo Courtesy of Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir / Photo Above: Choristers performed during the 2026 Spring Concert. The organization offers four progressive choirs for children ages 6 to 18.
For four decades, one of the Roanoke Valley’s greatest cultural treasures has been quietly transforming lives through music. While the Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages—including Carnegie Hall, Washington National Cathedral, and England’s historic cathedrals—its greatest achievement has never been measured by applause.
It has been measured by people.
As the choir celebrates its 40th anniversary, it also celebrates thousands of young lives transformed through music, friendship, leadership, and a shared pursuit of excellence.
Founded in 1987 by Artistic Director Kimberly Ruse Davidson, the choir began with a simple but powerful vision: to help children discover the beauty of exceptional music while developing healthy vocal technique and a lifelong love of singing.
Forty years later, that dream has touched an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 young people across the Roanoke Valley.
Today, the organization serves approximately 150 children representing more than 65 schools throughout the region. Choristers, ranging in age from 6 to 18, participate in four progressive choirs. Together, these programs provide far more than vocal instruction—they cultivate confidence, discipline, teamwork, and character.
The choir’s musical accomplishments place it among the nation’s premier youth choral organizations. It has performed twice at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, where singers sung before Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The choir has been invited to sing at Canada’s Parliament on Canada Day as the only American choir. It has earned five solo appearances at Carnegie Hall after being selected as a top choir at national festivals and has performed at four prestigious American Choral Directors Association conferences—an honor reserved for only a select few choirs nationwide. International performances at Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals in England, and appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies further reflect a remarkable tradition of artistic excellence.
But ask Davidson what makes the choir extraordinary, accolades are not where she begins.
Instead, she points to the close-knit community the choir has created.
Nearly 100 parent volunteers serve across 22 committees, creating a welcoming environment where every child is encouraged, challenged, and supported. That investment from families has helped build a culture unlike any other.
Festival directors from around the country consistently notice something else as well—the remarkable bond between Davidson and her singers. It is a relationship built on trust and admiration, one that audiences can feel long before the first note is sung.
Parents witness the transformation firsthand. Stephanie Dubyk, whose three children have participated in the choir, has watched her youngest son flourish.
“I’ve really seen him come out of his shell,” she said. “His confidence, musicality, and the empowerment of being part of a group have grown tremendously.”
Those friendships are strengthened by a philosophy that reaches well beyond music.
Leadership is woven into every rehearsal and performance. Older choristers mentor younger singers during retreats, help solve problems during rehearsals, and take responsibility for cleaning rehearsal spaces afterward. Davidson believes leadership begins with humility—that the best leaders make sure they leave every place better than they found it.
She also teaches children to notice the quiet opportunities for kindness: picking up someone’s dropped music, offering encouragement to a nervous classmate, or simply making sure no one feels left out. Those seemingly simple moments become lessons in empathy, responsibility, and leadership.
Choir member Sophia Gonzales described it simply: “What I love most about the choir are my amazing friends, the lovely choir trips, and the beautiful music we get to sing together.”
After 40 years, the Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir has become far more than an internationally recognized choral organization. It is a place where children discover beauty, build confidence, embrace discipline, practice kindness, and grow into compassionate leaders.
Its legacy is heard not only in breathtaking music, but in thousands of lives forever changed.
That may be the choir’s finest harmony of all.
The Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir 40th Annual Holiday concert is December 12, 2026. For more details, visit childrenschoir.com.
The story above first appeared in our September/October 2026 issue.
