OUR HISTORY

In June of 2001, UPAF held a VIP Debut Event where the charter Board of Directors voted Marshall White the first Board President. Soon after, the Voices of Unity were presented in their first concert, “Join the Caravan of Love,” at Neff Hall on IPFW’s campus.

Not long after the incredible debut of the Voices of Unity, the organization received its first grant of $10,000 from The Rolland Foundation. Other grants were soon to follow, giving UPAF a solid foundation in its first year and setting the tone of generosity from our community for years to come.

In November 2006, The Voices of Unity were invited by Bill Polian, General Manager of the Indianapolis Colts, to perform the National Anthem before the game. Mr. Polian later endorsed the choir.

The Voices of Unity were invited back to Indianapolis in September 2007 to sing alongside R&B artist Keisha Cole at the opening kickoff game in a nationally-televised performance.

Later that year, they performed the National Anthem at a Fort Wayne Mad Ants opening celebration.

In August 2008, the choir once again made their way to Indianapolis, this time to perform along with John Mellencamp and Stephen Stills at the opening ceremony for the Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Voices of Unity Youth Choir burst onto the international scene with a spectacular debut at the World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China, in July 2010. With voices united in song, they returned with two gold medals: one in Popular Choral Music, one in the Gospel & Spiritual category, and the World Grand Champion title in the Gospel & Spiritual category. This is a big historical accomplishment in Fort Wayne’s history by any artistic group.

This year marked the beginning of UNITY’s journey to excellence, as they stood shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best, representing Fort Wayne with every note.

In January 2011, The Indiana General Assembly honored the Voices of Unity Youth Choir on the floor of the Senate and the House, officially recognizing their achievement as the first Indiana choir to win an international title at the 6th World Choir Games in Shaxing, China.

Once again, the choir’s dedication to choral artistry echoed through the halls of the World Choir Games, this time adding more gold to their collection as the host country! The choir performed at the opening ceremony with Gospel superstar and Grammy-winning artist Kirk Franklin. The choir also performed on Good Morning America during their morning show when they featured the Choir Games in America for the first time.  The Voices of Unity successfully defended their two Gold Medals, which they won in China in 2010 in Popular Choral Music and Gospel Music at the 2012 World Choir Games.

The Voices of Unity choir had the honor of participating in the 2014 Choirs of America event at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. They performed alongside hundreds of young talents from across the nation, showcasing a diverse range of choral music. Additionally, the invitation provided The Voices of Unity with a unique opportunity to perform a selection from their own repertoire. Performing at Carnegie Hall, a venue where musicians and singers around the world aspire to appear, was the highlight of our trip to New York.

This performance represented their versatility, years of dedication, and passion, culminating in a memorable showcase at this iconic venue.

While they were in the city, the choir also put on an impromptu performance of the National Anthem after a performance of The Lion King on Broadway, as well as performing at the Harlem Children’s Zone at the retirement party of Dr. Geoffrey Canada.

Continuing their excellence, The Voices of Unity traveled to Riga, Latvia, for their third appearance in the World Choir Games. They won their fifth gold medal in the Gospel category and their first silver medal in the Popular Choral Music category.

In 2016, the Voices of Unity Youth Choir, led by Mr. Marshall White, embarked on their first concert tour spanning four countries in Europe. This significant endeavor was orchestrated by UNITY alumnus Mr. Jordan Applegate, who has been an integral part of the Voices of Unity since his teenage years.

The tour included performances in nine cities across diverse venues and cathedrals throughout Italy, Austria, and Hungary. The highlight was a historic performance at the Vatican. As the choir’s voices resonated within St. Peter’s Basilica, a truly special moment unfolded, symbolizing their far-reaching influence and the power of their music. This was not just a series of concerts; it was a profound testament to UNITY’s global impact.

At the end of 2016, the Voices of Unity were invited back to Indianapolis to perform the National Anthem at Lucas Oil Stadium. To cap off the year, they had the opportunity to sing at Indiana’s Bicentennial Celebration.

In January, UPAF signed a lease with Ivy Tech to open the UNITY Program & Training Center, providing an amazing space for our students to learn and grow.

The growth of our program in Fort Wayne is echoed in Tennessee as the first official affiliate program opened in February: The Unity Performing Arts Foundation, Chattanooga.

In April 2017, we unveiled our Program & Training Center, an incredible new space for our programs to expand and teach our students with excellence.

At The Voices of Unity’s end of season concert in June, we had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with Myron McKinley, Music Director for Earth, Wind, and Fire.

We started the year off strong as we collaborated with Chris Byrd, Music Director for Gospel artist Rance Allen, as our Praise Celebration Concert.

In February we used the space the Program & Training provided to start two new programs: Dance Preparatory and Oratory Preparatory.

Gospel Artist Brenda Ellis is our special guest for the January 2020 Praise Celebration Concert, “Heal Our Land,” our last concert before the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

After nearly a decade, July 2024 marked our much-anticipated return to the international stage at the 13th World Choir Games. This isn’t just a competition. This is a hopeful resurgence for our choir after a pandemic that sought to knock us down and tested our resolve.

But we will RISE UP to the occasion – Our moment is NOW!

Stand with us as we embark on this new chapter in our storied history.

The trophies and accolades are just a fraction of our true impact. Each rehearsal, every note perfected, and all the lives touched tell the real story of their journey—one that fosters growth, nurtures potential, and empowers each member to be their very best.