The MacArthur High School Orchestra from San Antonio, Texas toured Austria as part of the American Celebration of Music, March 10-19, 2017.  Performances included an evening concert in Pfarrkirche Maria am Gestade in Innsbruck, the Pfarrkirche St. Georgen with the town brass band near Salzburg, a formal concert in the Minoritenkirche in Vienna, a special concert for students at the Vienna Institute of the Blind, and a one-on-one workshop with Hannelore Farnleitner in Salzburg.

Jan Garverick, the director, recently gave us the following feedback from her experience:

Thanks for an extremely smooth trip – beautiful, educational, and aesthetically charged!

 

Every day was quite special.  My highlight was the morning at the [Vienna] Institute of the Blind, including the interaction with and appreciation from the students.  The concert was a most heartwarming experience – loved by adults and students.

 

My students liked the concert at Pfarrkirche [St. Georgen].  It was a lovely church, welcoming congregation and choirmaster, and the Mayor came.  They also enjoyed going to the local restaurant there [Restaurant Wirt z’Eching] with the trumpets, dancers, and locals.  Great atmosphere, food, and people.

 

I was extremely pleased with Lana [tour manager].  Smart, organized, thoughtful, and not overbearing.  We enjoyed her a lot.  I was very pleased with the excellent guides everywhere.  We had guides from previous trips and it was so wonderful to see them again.  I was very pleased with the sightseeing.  The snowfall was fantastic for our Texas children who have never seen snow.

 

Extremely smooth trip, no drama – absolutely no fear, a friendly atmosphere, and an educational and cultural experience beyond belief.

 

I will not travel with anyone else – due to the high quality of Music Celebrations.  Thanks so much for another unforgettable experience!

Jan Garverick, Orchestra Director
MacArthur High School
San Antonio, Texas