Founded in the summer of 2008 by Dr. Craig Jessop, the American Festival Chorus & Orchestra has become a leading artistic voice in Northern Utah and has sought to enrich the lives it touches through performance, education, and appreciation of choral art.

     The auditioned Chorus brings together more than 175 singers from a 90-mile radius of Logan, Utah. Under Dr. Jessop’s direction and assisted by associate conductor Dr. Cory Evans, USU’s Director of Choral Activities, AFCO participants include community members, faculty and students from the Utah State University Department of Music, and local high school choral conductors. The Orchestra is a 65-member professional ensemble composed of faculty from USU’s music department, professional musicians from the region, and select USU students.