Kirkwood Community College has hosted its annual Vocal Jazz Festival every February since the early 2000s. This year’s guest was the New York Voices. While it may fly under the radar for some students, the event is a major showcase for performers who spend months refining their craft, especially those in Jazz Transit, many of whom are music majors.
This year’s festival took place Feb. 19-20 in Ballantyne Auditorium, featuring Jazz Transit under the direction of Dr. Fred Kiser alongside the Grammy‑winning New York Voices. Students such as Avery Kepros were recognized for their standout performance
Kiser, who has directed the group for a decade, said his passion for jazz started long before he arrived at Kirkwood. “I had the chance to dip my toes into the program at the school where I taught in Missouri. I’ve always had a passion for jazz. When I started here 10 years ago, directing the vocal jazz group was part of my job,” he said.
Throughout the festival, high school choirs from across Iowa performed and received feedback from the New York Voices. Participating schools included Center Point‑Urbana, Cedar Rapids Washington, Pleasant Valley, Mount Vernon and Davenport West. Kirkwood also welcomed Drake University, one of Iowa’s top music colleges.
The event concluded with a collaborative performance by Jazz Transit and the New York Voices.
The New York Voices have been doing jazz since the 1980s. “We met at a college in New York called Ithaca. We were all in the same Jazz choir, and we were selected by the director to tour in Europe,” stated Peter Eldridge, New York Voices member.
Kepros, a sophomore in Jazz Transit, said the experience was unforgettable.
“I’ve done jazz choir since my freshman year at Kirkwood, and I plan to continue next year,” she said. “The workshops the New York Voices did with the high schools and colleges were amazing.”
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