HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Singers at Northern Kentucky University got the opportunity of a lifetime; getting advice from and performing with the Grammy-winning group, the New York Voices.

The singers in the NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble change semester by semester. One thing that stays the same is the sense of comradery director Kelly MacKenzie-Thurley tries to instill.

“It’s one of the most precious things that I can do for my kids,” MacKenzie-Thurley said.

The group takes its craft seriously and tries to get better with every session. But not every session is watched by a world renowned vocal ensemble.

“It is definitely nerve racking, but I think being in a group like this, where we critique every rehearsal and students are welcome to critique as well, where we all are so invested in getting better more so than being scared, it’s more of an exciting opportunity,” said Annie Hovey, alto section leader for the NKU ensemble.

Hovey and the rest of the group wanted to bring their A-game while the New York Voices were in town.

“It is, in a word, a dream to have them here with us,” Hovey said. “Most of our charts actually come from them. A lot of the songs that we sing, and a lot of the songs that are our favorite charts, the most fun, are new voices charts that they have worked and perfected.”

The New York Voices have been one of the best vocal jazz ensembles in the world for the last 30-plus years. Luckily for NKU’s group, MacKenzie-Thurley goes way back with New York Voices head tenor and arranger Darmon Meader. She was able to get the group to come for a critique session and to perform at NKU the following night, along with the NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Also included in the critique session and following concert was the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati.

MacKenzie-Thurley got to sing for the New York Voices when she was a student at NKU at 19 years old.

“To have people that are the top of the top in their field give you such amazing feedback, it’s life changing, really,” she said.

Victor Cabezas is assistant director for the NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and sings in the group. He was also excited for the opportunity.

“It’s a dream come true, really. All of us are kind of star struck to see these people that we’ve known about for so long,” he said. “It’s a really rare thing when you get to work with a group of people who are so committed to producing whatever they’re producing.”

The NY Voices previously announced their retirement; they’ll be performing through the end of 2026. Meader said, in recent years, they’ve become more involved in the educational side of jazz.

“We’re still wanting to do that, to pass the torch, pass the baton to the next generation of students that are interested in this music,” he said. “Sometimes you’re working with students who are just looking for: yes, you’re great. And what we’re doing is: yes, you’re great, and here are the other things we can work on. And some people, you can see it in their faces, they might be like, ah, I just want to be great. And others are like, okay, I’m up for the challenge. Let’s see how much more we can do.”

Hovey said she and her fellow singers definitely fall into the latter category.

“As a group, I think it’s just more of like the most exciting thing that could possibly happen to us,” she said.

Meader said even if some of them don’t become world renowned musicians, the skills they develop performing together as a team apply to many other aspects of life, which is something he and his group are happy to help foster.

NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble has auditions every semester.