Columbus International Children's Choir

About

Columbus International Children's Choir welcomes children ages 4-18 of all skill levels from Central Ohio communities. Singing in the choir helps children learn to read and understand music, develop confidence to perform on stage, make new friends. We teach students to sing like professionals and offer the opportunity to perform in top national and international venues.



Columbus International Children's Choir won the World Choir Games. The choir performed in The White House for President Obama and First Lady., in Carnegie Hall, St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican, on the Great Wall of China. The choir performed in Twisted 2 in the Ohio Theatre with BalletMet, Columbus Symphony and Opera Columbus. Our singers performed in leading roles with Columbus Children's Theatre, Opera Project Columbus, and in school musicals. They won numerous awards in singing competitions including the major national competition The American Prize.

Testimonials

"The Columbus International Children’s Choir is a comprehensive organization that provides first-rate choral education for participants from elementary age through high school youth. They develop musical skills through a wide variety of music, build community, and have wonderful travel experiences that help them grow as musicians and humans. They sing with commitment and joy!"
- Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt
Interim Executive Director
American Choral Directors Association

"I'm a big fan of CICC. Tatiana Kats and her colleagues provide superb musicianship and a love of kids. What could be better? I always love hearing the choirs (plural) and featuring them on Classical 101s Music in Mid Ohio! Rock on!"
- Christopher Purdy
Broadcast Manager
WOSU Public Media/Classical 101

"I was a member of the Columbus International Children's Choir and it is an experience I will never forget. From competing in the World Choir Games to performing around the world in some of the most iconic artistic hubs, Tatiana Kats and the other teachers provided a wonderful serious yet greatly enjoyable experience to each of us. I developed greatly as a singer and I learned to love art in a way that I did not think was possible. I would recommend this experience to anyone interested in developing as an artist or in immersing yourself with talented teachers and kids that love art."
- Niki Grotewold
CICC Alumnus


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Choirs

Creative Notes and Sunny Smiles Grades PreK-2

The youngest children start singing in Creative Notes Choir and in Sunny Smiles Choir (Russian-speaking kids). These children begin learning the basics of choral singing, explore their singing voices and gain confidence singing alone and with others. They learn breathing techniques, proper singing posture, and how to follow a conductor.

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Rainbow of Voices Grades 2-5

Rainbow of Voices is a choir for advanced beginners. This ensemble is for children who are already comfortable with their singing voices and want to increase their musical knowledge. These children build their music reading skills and develop healthy singing habits. They learn proper breathing techniques, singing posture and tone production and develop basic musical artistry using dynamics and articulation. This group focuses on building a beautiful unison sound and begins developing part-singing skills. This choir sings in a variety of languages. The Rainbow of Voices Choir performs in at least two concerts per year.

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Cantiamo Grades 4-8

Cantiamo is an intermediate choir. Singers become comfortable using their singing voices and singing in parts. They also learn healthy vocal technique, sight-reading skills, and musicianship skills. The Cantiamo Choir members have an opportunity to travel and meet with other choirs in a yearly tour.

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Vocalise Grades 8-12

Vocalise is an advanced, select choir. Only the finest singers are admitted to this group. This group performs the most advanced repertoire and demonstrates outstanding music abilities and responsible behavior. The Vocalise Choir travels on yearly national and international concert tours.

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Cardinals (Boys choir) Grades 9-12

Cardinals is the newest choir formed in the fall 2018. It is a Boys Choir under the direction of Miljan Krunic. It consists of boys grade 4-12 and it features large variety of singing styles and songs. In this choir boys learn how to blend well with each other’s voices that range from bass to boys soprano.

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Viva Voce Grades 9-12

Viva Voce is a four part high school age choir. It features students conductors who get the chance to learn how to conduct a choir, how to choose right song for the ensemble and how to teach the song to the singers. Viva Voce usually perform extra concerts and events around the Columbus area.

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Staff

Tatiana Kats

Tatiana Kats - Founder, Director, Conductor

Tatiana is the founder and director of Columbus International Children's Choir, Columbus Music and Art Academy, and Central Ohio Singing Competition. She is the conductor of Vocalise and Concordia choirs. Tatiana also serves as R&R Committee Chair for Ohio Choral Directors Association and runs a piano studio in Dublin, Ohio. Tatiana received Music Educator Award from Columbus Symphony Orchestra. She won the 3rd place in the Chorus Conductors category of The American Prize. She was recognized by National Music Certificate Program as "Founding Teacher ... instrumental in establishing a national standard for developing musicians in the United States of America." In 2023 Tatiana received Steinway Top Teacher Award. Her students won numerous awards at CMTA and OMTA competitions. Tatiana earned a Master of Arts degree in choral conducting and a Master of Music degree in piano pedagogy from The Ohio State University where she studied under Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt and Mr. James Gallagher. Before coming to the United States, she worked as a director of a music school and a conductor of youth and mixed choirs in Moscow, Russia.

Kara Johansen

Kara Johansen - Conductor of Creative Notes and Rainbow of Voices Choirs

Kara Johansen is currently in her twelfth year of teaching general music at Worthington Hills Elementary School. Kara previously taught vocal music for four years at Dublin Karrer Middle School. She has earned dual degrees of Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelor of Music Education from The Ohio State University, and received her Master of Music Education degree from Kent State University. Kara directs several student performances at Worthington Hills, including chorus, Orff presentations, and a Music Theater International musical production. Kara works to engage her students in active music making, creative composition, and immersive musical experiences in her daily instruction. Kara lives in Worthington, Ohio with her husband Mike and her two children Elise and Jonah.
Roksalana Justice

Roksalana Justice - Conductor of Creative Notes and Rainbow of Voices Choirs

Roksalana Justice received her Bachelors of Music in Music Education from Capital University in 2023. Her passion in choral music began at Columbus International Children’s a choir which she graduated from in 2019. At the moment, she teaches at South Bloomfield Elementary K-5 in the Teays Valley District. Aside from the public school work, Roksalana continues to run her own voice and piano studio as well that she has had since 2016. She wants to continue her education and receive her masters degree in special education to combine her passion and create an inclusive learning environment for her students.
Miljan Krunic

Miljan Krunic - Conductor of Cantiamo, Viva Voce, and Cardinals Choir

Miljan Krunic, a graduate of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria, studied classical voice under Univ.Prof. Mag.art. Dr.phil. (University Professor, Magister of Arts, Doctoral in Philosophy) Ulf Bästlein, receiving vocal performance instruction from Stacey Bartsch and Julius Drake. Miljan has been fortunate to take part in numerous master courses taught by world renown artists such as Robert Holl, Rudolf Jansen, Emma Kirkby and many more. His collegiate repertoire includes L’enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel), Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nikolai), Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (Donizetti), King Arthur (Purcell), and Asteroid 62 (Kourliandski). Miljan has over ten years of professional experience as a choral singer, including performing with the company of Opera House Graz, mixed choir “Unser Klangraum” in Austria, and mixed youth choir “luventus Cantat” in Serbia. He is a trained, classical singer in the Bel Canto technique, which he teaches to his students.
Sarah Milo

Sarah Khatcherian Milo - Assistant Conductor of Vocalise choir and Voice Teacher

Sarah Khatcherian Milo received Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from Westminster Choir College, and a Doctorate in Musical Arts from The Ohio State University, where she specialized in Singing Health. A Fulbright scholar, she also holds a degree in Lieder Study from the The Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media in Hannover, Germany. Her singing engagements have led her across the United States and Europe, notably the New York tri-state area, Switzerland, Germany and France. She currently lives in Dublin, Ohio, where she holds a private studio and singing health consultancy, HealthyVocals. Sarah also gives workshops on vocal health and presentation for business professionals as part of the Swiss based Business Leadership coaching module, Quantum Leader. The soprano enjoys performing in art song recitals with a specialty in German Lieder, French melodies and operetta.
Irina Utkina

Irina Utkina - Conductor of Sunny Smiles Choir

Irina Utkina graduated from the Saint Petersburg Music Conservatory in Russia as choral conductor. Before coming to the United States, she worked as a director of adult and children's choirs and as accompanist in Moscow, Russia. She has been working as conductor and principal accompanist of the Columbus International Children's Choir since 1998. Mrs. Utkina also arranges music for the choir.