US children's choir returns to city for musical exchange

Video and photos by Wang Haolan

The angelic voices of the American One Voice Children’s Choir filled the halls of Shenzhen Middle School Friday afternoon, marking their return to the city for a second cultural exchange more than a year after their debut visit.

The choir first performed in Shenzhen in late 2024 as the opening stop of a China tour. For this time, they visited Shenzhen Middle School for shared learning, meals, and musical collaboration, before giving a performance at Bay Opera of Shenzhen Friday night.

Members of the One Voice Children’s Choir have a close look at a robot made by Shenzhen Middle School's students. 

The visit included campus tours, experiential classes with student volunteers, table tennis exchange, and performances by the school’s folk orchestra and Golden Bell Youth Choir.

Members of Shenzhen Middle School's folk orchestra perform on stage.

“It’s just a really special experience to be able to come to the other side of the world and help these kids interact together,” said Tanner Dewaal, CEO and artistic director of One Voice Children’s Choir. 

“It really does wonders to be able to connect with people from around the world and China here in ways that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise,” Dewaal added.

Members of the One Voice Children’s Choir perform a song.

Dewaal emphasized the value of in-person exchange. “Every time we get to do an exchange like this, I think it helps open our hearts a little bit more. It gives us more capacity to love,” he said. “We believe in kindness and hope... I think all of us at the end of the day want peace. We want a beautiful world to live in and we’re all a part of that.”

He also praised Shenzhen as “a beautiful city” that is “so modern, so current,” expressing hope to “see more and share more about it from this trip.”

Chinese and American teenagers sing a song together.

Student participants from both sides shared enthusiastic reflections.

“It was super cool. I really liked coming to see all the Chinese choirs and orchestras perform. That was really cool,” said Bruce Ellertson, 14, a choir member on his first visit to Shenzhen. “It’s a really pretty city. And I hope to come again.”

Another member, Autumn, appreciated the city’s blend of nature and urban life. “I love how the greenery can coexist with the city. I think it’s very pretty,” she said, adding that she enjoyed meeting local students and trying table tennis.

Chinese and American students react during the exchange.

Wendy, a Shenzhen Middle School student who volunteered as a campus guide, described the personal impact of the encounter. “I gained so much from making friends with people from the U.S.,” she said. “I also deeply felt the spirit of this event: we are together, we are children of one Earth, and we should all embrace unity and work hand in hand to build the future.”

The day concluded with a joint choir performance, blending voices across languages and cultures in a shared testament to music’s unifying power.

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