41st Annual

Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, acapella singing competition, illinois

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The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is the premier American showcase for vocal harmony music. The annual national competition draws from hundreds of vocal groups from around the country with regional competitions in eight cities. The winning group from each festival is flown to perform in front of celebrity judges and a sold out house of enthusiastic a cappella fans at the National Finals.

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2025 Chicago Champions

Vocalight

Vocalight is a 5 member a cappella group based out of Dayton, Ohio. All five members are former alumni of the High School A Cappella group, Forte. Vocalight started in 2017 and then broke up before coming back together in 2024 with 5 all new members and a completely updated sound. They look forward to continuing the legacy of the original group while also creating their very own brand new a cappella style.

2026 Participating Groups

4O6
4O6--pronounced four-oh-six--is the competitive sub-group of Bradley University's Dynamix A Cappella club. They are a co-ed, student-run group that performs throughout their home campus and the greater Peoria area, singing a variety of genres including pop, rock, jazz, and a cappella classics. Their 11 members range from music majors to first-time performers. This will be their first time competing in an a cappella competition, as their group was just recently formed last year, though you might recognize them from their guest performance at the 2025 Harmony Sweepstakes competition. 4O6 is thrilled to be back, and they wish all the competing groups the best of luck.

Members: Mars Heath, Grace Leonard, Olivia Williams, Kaitlyn Bell, Audrey Drake, Diamanda Vavilis, Shelcy Altis, Bruce Smolucha, Christopher Leatherwood, Casper Chhe, Sean Crawford
Linc 182
Linc 182 is a new and exciting acapella ensemble, mostly versed in the barbershop style of singing. They recently won the 2023 Illinois District State Barbershop Quartet Contest and qualified/competed at the 2024 International Quartet Contest. Although fairly new, this quartet is full of experienced musicians, well at least 3/4 full. The older members of the quartet have won multiple Illinois District quartet championships, competed Internationally, as well as won chorus championships with the award winning Sound of Illinois Chorus, located in Bloomington, Normal. The Linc part of the quartet is 14 year old tenor, Lincoln Beutel, who is the son of the baritone, Tim Beutel. We hope you enjoy the rich harmonies and spritely energy of Linc 182!

Members: Lincoln Beutel, Evan Patrick, Benjamin Light, Timothy Beutel
Outbound A Cappella
Outbound A Cappella is a contemporary a cappella group based out of the Chicago suburbs. Founded in 2023, they are known to perform a diverse set of music, spanning various genres and decades.

Members: Megan Ryan, Sabra Gerber, Ilana Bley, Marissa Buchan, Kendall Bregenzer, Courtney Tedesco, Anish Parikh, Jake Scheuring, Michael Severino, Scott Spector
The Peppermint Patties
The Peppermint Patties is a Chicago-based vocal group founded in 2018 by Anna Caldwell, Laura Emery, and Daina Fischer, with Nikki Krzebiot joining in 2023. The group specializes in close-harmony jazz and musical theater, with a dash of pop and classical music. All of the Patties are professionally trained musicians with degrees in vocal performance and music education. They perform across Chicagoland and the Midwest as both a trio and a quartet, appearing at private events and headlining shows at venues such as Venus Cabaret and Hey Nonny. In 2025, The Peppermint Patties won third place at the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival.

Members: Anna Caldwell, Daina Fischer, Nikki Krzebiot
THUMMp
Once upon a time, one of the greatest acappella groups in the Midwest was a buzz in the ears of Milford, MI. From 1998 - 2010, elmoTHUMM wowed audiences with their aggressive sound, rich arrangements, and boundless energy. They won countless contests, accepted awards, played for Presidents and royalty, filled TV screens, and worked their way into the hearts of kids and parents throughout the country. Now THUMMp, they look forward to bringing Chicago more great music as only THUMMp can.

Members: Greg Vaden, Jason Miller, Ed Pendleton, Tre Cruz

Your Emcee for the Evening

David Wilner

David Wilner competed in the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes with Blind Man’s Bluff and Fiveplay, winning First Place, Audience Favorite, and Best Original Song with each group. During his six years in Blind Man’s Bluff, David toured nationally and recorded five albums. He also spent seven years with the classic rock quartet Ac•Rock, recording two albums. Today, David emcees events throughout the Chicagoland area and performs in the band The Four C Notes. He has been the regional producer of the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes since 2017.

2026 Judges TBA

Complete list of 2026 participants


Interested in Performing?

We are always seeking groups who would like to participate in our events.

Groups of any style are welcome, but you must have between 3 and 12 members. We have a rule book which explains many of the details of the event, which you can see by clicking here. All groups must audition in order to compete. Generally this is done by sending a current tape and photo, although live auditions are sometimes arranged. The purpose of the audition is to make sure the group is appropriate for the Festival and to help the Director determine the performance order. If a group has competed previously, the audition process may be waived.

How to enter

Please send music and photos to the regional director :

David Wilner (Chicago) David Wilner competed in the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes with Blind Man’s Bluff and Fiveplay, winning First Place, Audience Favorite, and Best Original Song with each group. During his six years in Blind Man’s Bluff, David toured nationally and recorded five albums. He also spent seven years with the classic rock quartet Ac•Rock, recording two albums. Today, David emcees events throughout the Chicagoland area and performs in the band The Four C Notes. He has been the regional producer of the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes since 2017.

P.O. Box 4502, Naperville, IL 60567
847-226-3366
david@davidwilner.com

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Wentz Concert Hall

Wentz Concert Hall is hailed as a gem - the premier destination in Chicago’s western suburbs to appreciate performances of classical, jazz and contemporary music. The acoustics in Wentz Concert Hall are designed by Talaske Sound Thinking, acoustical consultants for Chicago’s critically acclaimed Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park. Wentz Concert Hall can be “tuned” through the motorized extension and retraction of sound-absorbing curtains. Two massive sound chambers, one on each side of the stage and invisible to the audience, enhance the audio characteristics and allow sound to bounce off multiple planes as it is directed to the audience.

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March 14th, 2026 - 7.30pm

WENTZ CONCERT HALL

171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville IL 60540

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