Eighty-three students from the Ankeny Community School District were selected to participate in the 39th Annual Opus Honor Choir Festival in Ames, Iowa. This is the highest number of students chosen from any school district in the state for the event, which is organized by the Iowa Choral Directors Association.
The festival took place on November 20, 2025, at Stephens Auditorium and included students from grades six through nine. More than 3,000 students across Iowa were nominated by their directors for 180 spots in each of the four Opus Honor Choirs.
Selection was based on an audition process, with judges evaluating recorded performances submitted by nominees. Choir directors from Parkview, Prairie Ridge, Northview, and Southview schools, including Emma Feldhans, Karlee Nelson, Ryan Orme, Misty Renze, Emily Franks, Samantha Thomas, Jill Bjorklund, and Nick Oswald, helped prepare the students for their auditions…