More than 200 student musicians from across the Iowa-Missouri Conference gathered at Sunnydale Adventist Academy in Centralia, Missouri, April 9–11 for the 2026 Iowa-Missouri Music Festival — a weekend of worship, artistry, and fellowship centered on the theme “Our Hope Brings Us Together.” Over 150 students participated in the festival choir and more than 50 in the festival band, representing schools from both states under the direction of accomplished Adventist educators and a world-class guest director.
The weekend opened with vespers on Friday evening, April 10, presented by the SAA Music Department, before moving into a full Sabbath schedule. Sabbath School, led by SAA Campus Ministries, filled the academy gymnasium at 9:30 a.m., followed by the worship service at 11:00 a.m. The morning message, titled “Our Hope Has a Name,” was delivered by Michael Coridan, drawing from Romans 8:16–17 — a fitting anchor for a festival reminding students that their gifts of music are rooted in a living, personal hope.
The centerpiece of the weekend was the Music Festival Concert, held Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Elder Lee Rochholz, Iowa-Missouri Conference president, opened the concert with a welcome and prayer before an audience that watched the assembled students perform a diverse and moving program. The festival band — directed by Mr. Joseph E. Choi — performed works including “Fanfare and Flourishes ‘2’” by James Curnow, “Praises” by W. Francis McBeth, and “Celebration and Song” by Robert Sheldon. The festival choir delivered selections including “Gathered As One” by Deanna Light and Paul A. Tate, and “Keep Your Lamps” by Victor C. Johnson. The concert concluded with a combined choir and band performance of “When You Believe,” arranged by Audrey Snyder.
Leading the band was Mr. Joseph E. Choi, currently serving as Music Director at Sunnydale Adventist Academy, where he also teaches 5th–8th grade band for College Park Christian Academy and Sunnydale Adventist Elementary. His extensive résumé spans Music Director positions at Adventist academies across the country and conducting engagements with professional orchestras internationally, including a conducting debut at Carnegie Hall in 2013 and performances with ensembles in Russia, Portugal, and South Korea. A graduate of Southern Adventist University and the University of Hartford, Mr. Choi brings both deep Adventist educational roots and rare professional experience to his work with young musicians.
Serving as guest choral director was Gale Jones Murphy, a prolific composer, singing evangelist, concert pianist, and recording artist from Orlando, Florida. A published hymn writer in two hymnals — Total Praise (2010) and One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (2018) — Mrs. Murphy brought extraordinary gifts to the festival. Her choral composition “Together” was among the pieces performed by the festival choir. Congregations worldwide may already be familiar with her hymn Sabbath Rest, sung each week in churches around the globe. The choir was accompanied throughout by Pamela Sutter.
Participating schools included Andrews Christian Academy, Des Moines Adventist School, and Nevada Christian School from Iowa, and College Park Christian Academy, Hillcrest SDA School, Sedalia SDA School, Springfield Adventist Academy, Summit View Adventist School, Sunnydale Adventist Elementary, and Sunnydale Academy from Missouri. Home school and public school students were also welcomed as guests — a reflection of the festival’s inclusive spirit.
The weekend also included meaningful recognition moments. Superintendent Jovannah Poor Bear-Adams honored teachers for years of faithful service: Cam Bieksza and Lisa Kijak each received five-year service pins, while Julie Olson was recognized for 20 years of dedicated service to Adventist education. Student creativity was also celebrated through artwork contests — Paige Burkett (Sunnydale Elementary), Esther Htoo (Des Moines Adventist School), Michael Weber (Sedalia Adventist School), and Moses Mafuta (Andrews Christian Academy) each earned recognition for their contributions to the festival’s visual design.
The event was sponsored by the Iowa-Missouri Conference Education Department and made possible through the tireless work of Sunnydale Adventist Academy’s administrators, deans, staff, and students — along with teachers, chaperones, parents, and volunteers from across the conference.
