The Athena Festival offers a remarkable platform for ensembles and performers to showcase their best work

The Festival provides a unique combination of the Nashville recording experience, concert performance, songwriting showcase, and educational exploration of American music. This extraordinary event allows premier High School choirs to live out the dreams of recording and performing artists.

Here's a glimpse of what The Athena Festival entails:

Recording in a world-class Nashville recording studio

Each ensemble will have the opportunity to record one of their concert selections in a one-hour session on Friday. Three recordings of the same performance will be captured, and the director will choose the best one to submit for adjudication towards The Athena Prize and included on an internationally released recording through Panathenaic Records.

Performing at The Athena Festival

On Saturday, each ensemble will perform three unaccompanied selections (not to exceed a total of 12 minutes) as part of The Athena Festival concert to be adjudicated toward The Athena Prize. This captivating performance takes place at the Nashville Parthenon, an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The venue's 5-7 second reverberation provides an ideal acoustic environment for unaccompanied singing. Choirs will also have the opportunity to hear other invited choirs performing in the Festival.

Showcasing emerging songwriters and performers

As part of the Friday evening Songwriter Round, each ensemble will sponsor a songwriter (or group) from their school in the performance of an original song. This special event celebrates and immerses participants in the creative  talents represented at The Athena Festival and awards $1000 for the winning song.

Learning about America's musical legacy

Each ensemble will tour and perform at the interactive National Museum of African American Music, where they will sing a set of African American spirituals to be adjudicated toward The Athena Prize. Along the way, choirs may embark on a tour of Nashville, visiting legendary locations that have earned the city its nicknames "The Athens of the South" and "Music City USA."

$498

per choral singer

Pricing is based upon a choir of 30  or more singers.

$150 per chaperone. Each ensemble receives two complimentary packages for the director plus one.

Festival Pricing

What’s included?

  • 1 hour choral ensemble recording session at Ocean Way Nashville Recording Studio. Submission of the recorded performance towards The Athena Prize.

  • 1 hour choral clinic to enhance the refinement of the Festival performances

  • Songwriter Round dinner Friday night,  and Saturday lunch (2 meals)

  • Admission and guided tour of the National Museum of African American Music, including an African American spiritual performance at the Museum

  • The Athena Festival Parthenon Performance with concert and museum admission

  • Attendance to the vibrant Masquerade Ball at the Parthenon following the Festival Performance (sponsored by Nashville area colleges and universities)

  • All admission and performance license fees

  • High quality digital audio (WAV) of your studio recording

  • High quality digital video (MP4) of your Parthenon performance

  • Inclusion on a full-length album recording and international release on popular platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music

  • Video compilation of The Athena Festival experience

Pricing Available for Optional Offerings

  • Physical CD copies of The Athena Festival recording available

  • An assortment of souvenirs including T-shirts and other Festival merchandise

  • Concessions at the Songwriter Round and Parthenon Masquerade Ball

  • Additional tours or concerts before or after The Athena Festival for an extended musical journey

Start Your Choir’s Audition

The Athena Festival stands as a unique choral event globally, intertwining musical recording, performance, songwriting showcase, and musical scholarship into a singular Festival experience for High School choirs. It provides premier choirs with the opportunity to showcase their finest work in Nashville, where it can be recorded, performed, and acknowledged.

Unable to travel during our Festival? Please inquire with us about planning a custom tour for your choir!