A choir of 43 Henderson teenagers is trading their usual auditorium stage for the White House this December. Sloan Canyon Symphony Chorus, the premier high school concert choir of the Pinecrest Academy public charter system, has been selected to perform inside the White House during the 2026 Christmas season, with a morning performance scheduled for Dec. 13.
A First for Las Vegas Schools
According to KLAS 8 News Now, the group will be the first Las Vegas school music ensemble to perform at this particular event, traveling to Washington, D.C., for the occasion. The chorus will represent Henderson and the broader Las Vegas community during the trip, a distinction that organizers and families alike are treating as a milestone for the region's music programs.
Selection for the White House holiday season is no small feat. Per the station's report, White House organizers choose roughly two dozen volunteer performing groups each year out of more than 1,000 applicants, a competitive field that makes Sloan Canyon's selection stand out even more for a single public charter school choir.
Following a Long Line of Las Vegas Singers
Las Vegas choirs have found their way into the White House before, though not from this particular school or this exact event. Back in 2000, the Las Vegas Academy Madrigals, a 20-student choir, were chosen for the third year in a row to sing during White House holiday festivities, as the Las Vegas Sun reported at the time. A low-confidence snippet from a 2006 White House release also indicates that members of the Spring Valley High School Madrigal Singers from Las Vegas were slated to perform for visitors in the White House Grand Foyer that year.
Out-of-state school and college choirs have landed similar invitations in recent years. Itawamba Community College's Choir and Chamber Choir were chosen from more than 1,000 entries nationwide to perform during White House Christmas tours, according to WCBI, with their performance set for Dec. 14. A White House page covering 2025 Christmas coverage also lists a performance by the K-Harmony Children's & Youth Choir among that season's volunteer acts.
An Open Call for Holiday Performers
The White House has publicly invited school bands, choirs, and other holiday-themed entertainers to apply for a shot at performing during December's open houses. A statement attributed to First Lady Melania Trump's office noted that decorating for the 2026 season would take place the week of Nov. 23 through Nov. 29, with performers encouraged to apply for the chance to take part in the holiday open houses throughout December.
For now, the Sloan Canyon Symphony Chorus is preparing for its Dec. 13 morning performance inside the White House, carrying the distinction of being the first Las Vegas school ensemble to take part in the tradition. The 43 students will represent not just Pinecrest Academy, but Henderson and the wider Las Vegas community on a national stage during the holiday season.
