Our Bureau
Chicago, IL
Uniting Voices Chicago embarked on a two-week international tour with its premier ensemble, Voice of Chicago, in India from March 20th to March 26th, 2026. Led by Uniting Voices President Josephine Lee, 53 talented young singers from the ensemble, ages 14 to 18, participated in a series of cultural exchanges and performances across the country in Panchgani, Mumbai, Dharamshala, and McLeod Ganj.
Throughout the tour, Uniting Voices Chicago has collaborated with guest artists through live performances, cultural exchange and musical dialogue to foster empathy, curiosity and understanding through music. In Panchgani, singers shared the stage with guest artists Leslie Nazareth, Mayuree Pandit, Shruthi Vishwanath, Vedanth Bharadwaj, and Sairaj Methari, bringing together diverse musical traditions in shared performances. Voice of Chicago singers will also participate in a cultural exchange with the Sambhota Tibetan School in Dharamshala, in addition to a beautiful performance at the Tibetan Children’s Village Day School in McLeod Ganj. These exchanges will further help them in shaping a global outlook in leadership.
The tour brought Voice of Chicago to audiences across India through the following performances:
– Friday, March 20, 2026, Panchgani, Initiatives of Change Auditorium
– Sunday, March 22, 2026, Mumbai, Willingdon Sports Club
– Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Dharamshala, Sambhota Tibetan School
– Thursday, March 26, 2026, McLeod Ganj, Tibetan Children’s Village
Representing the diversity and strength of the city of Chicago, Voice of Chicago is an epitome of how music fosters connection and understanding across cultures. Through international touring opportunities, singers gain a deeper appreciation of the world’s shared humanity while developing the confidence, empathy and leadership skills needed to engage meaningfully with the global community.
Talking about the tour, Josephine Lee, President of Uniting Voices Chicago, said, “Music is the world’s most powerful unifying force. When young people share their voices with the world, they discover our common humanity and learn what it means to be global citizens. Experiences like this help our singers grow not only as artists, but as the next generation of leaders who will build bridges across cultures.”
Over the past 50 years, singers from the ensemble have toured more than 25 countries and performed for international leaders, including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela, immediately following the end of apartheid in South Africa. The group has also had the rare privilege of becoming the first civilian ensemble permitted to sing in the Korean Demilitarised Zone.
The singers have shared the stage with world-renowned artists including Beyonce, Chance the Rapper, Yo Yo Ma, Luciano Pavarotti, the Eagles, Andrea Bocelli, and Bobby McFerrin. More recently, they’ve performed with artists Djo and Karol G at Lollapalooza – one of the largest music festivals in the world – appeared on shows like Saturday Night Live and collaborated on Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book (2016) and The Big Day (2019).
Since their first international tour to Canada in 1967, Uniting Voices Chicago has brought a message of hope to five continents, sharing the transformational power of music to connect people across cultures. Through international tours like these, Uniting Voices Chicago continues its decades-long commitment to nurturing youth who are not only exceptional musicians but also compassionate global citizens.
About Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir)
Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir) is a nonprofit organization that empowers and unites youth from diverse backgrounds to find their voice and celebrate their common humanity through the power of music. Founded in 1956 and inspired by the American Civil Rights Movement, Uniting Voices Chicago provides accessible music education to youth ages 6-18 from every Chicago zip code. With hundreds of choirs across 80+ Chicago schools and 12 after-school community embedded sites, achievements that include international tours and collaborations with world-renowned artists, and a network of more than 100,000 alumni around the globe, Uniting Voices is taking the next step to empower a new generation of change-makers.
