Argentina Tour Send-Off  
On Saturday, 78 Symphony musicians will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Argentina. Community members are invited to wish them well and hear outstanding tour repertoire at the free Send-Off Concert at 7:30pm on Thursday, June 9 at Roseville Lutheran Church. The robust tour program includes John Williams' The Cowboys Overture, Jacob Bancks' Into the Wild (commissioned by the Minnesota Commissioning Club for the tour), and Brahms' Symphony No. 2.

The Send-Off Concert sets the stage for Symphony's journey through the Pampas (plains) region of Argentina on June 11 - 20. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Russell Smith, students will perform concerts in Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Santa Fe and will participate in two meaningful cultural exchanges with local students. The Santa Fe concert will include a shared performance and social with local youth orchestras, and Symphony will perform with student musicians at St. Andrew's Scots School in Buenos Aires, continuing a unique collaboration started earlier this year when Concert Orchestra engaged student musicians from the school in an international digital exchange.

Students will also learn about Argentina's vivid history through amazing sights and cultural experiences. Their journey includes four nights in the lively capital city of Buenos Aires, where students will take in European architecture, vibrant culture, and historical sites including the Evita Museum and Teatro Colón. At overnight stops in Rosario and Santa Fe, students will see neoclassical architecture and explore the impressive Paraná River on a river cruise. The tour also includes a ranch excursion where students will learn about gauchos who traditionally tend the land and raise cattle and horses.

"GTCYS is equally committed to training great musicians and training educated, well-rounded individuals, and touring plays an important part in developing new perspectives and cross-cultural connections while inspiring students to heightened levels of performance. Argentina will provide an unforgettable experience for students as it has a great convergence of European and native musical traditions, enthusiastic audiences, and a rich cultural heritage." Maestro Smith said about the tour.   

Visiting Argentina will be a first for the vast majority of students who range in age from 13 to 19, represent 43 different schools, and hail from 38 cities in the metro and beyond. So that every interested student has access to this opportunity, GTCYS provided nearly $46,000 in need-based scholarships.

GTCYS performed by invitation at the Granada International Festival of Music and Dance (Spain) in 2014, reinstating a rich tradition of biennial international tours. More than 700 students have participated in GTCYS' 12 international tours which date back to 1978 when Symphony first performed at the Schools Proms in London.
Stay Connected with the Tour
Tour Media Sponsor
Tune in to Classical MPR, our official tour media sponsor, from June 9 - 19 to hear interviews and Symphony recordings. They'll also be sharing our social media updates on Facebook and Twitter and will have audio clips available at classicalmpr.org.

Social Media Team
GTCYS' Social Media Team: Mitchell Rudoll, Sarrah Bushara, and Juliana Kilcoyne. (Not pictured: Isabella Granse)
Experience the thrill of the tour through t he eyes of our students! Sarrah Bushara, oboe, Isabella Granse, viola, Juliana Kilcoyne, viola, and Mitchell Rudoll, cello, will share insights and pictures from the journey on:
Twitter: #GTCYSTour

Amazing Students Make
GTCYS Great!
On May 8, our Spring Festival concerts at Orchestra Hall concluded a phenomenal 44th academic season. Each orchestra celebrated a year's worth of hard work with an amazing performance and both concerts concluded with a stunning mass finale of Holst's Jupiter. Thank you to each of the 606 talented young musicians who made these concerts truly remarkable! And thank you to everyone who donated and bid on items in our online auction which raised $13,000 for our programs and need-based scholarships!

At a reception between concerts at Orchestra Hall, we celebrated the accomplishments of 67 seniors in the Class of 2016 and welcomed them into the Alumni Association. Many of these recent graduates will continue their GTCYS journey this June on the Argentina tour, while others have their own travel and musical adventures planned for the summer and beyond. Next year, students will attend colleges throughout the country, including Cornell University, Columbia University, Grinnell College, Harvard College, University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College, and University of California. While some students will focus their studies on music with majors in education and performance, others will study biochemistry, biology, civil engineering, computer science, environmental sciences, nursing, and physics. As we part ways with this exceptional group of students, we wish them well as they embark on exciting new adventures!
New Director of Development
Ruth Watkins joined GTCYS' staff as the director of development in May. New to the Twin Cities this spring, Ruth brings solid experience in individual giving, development strategy, events, and planned giving, and she held previous positions with Columbus Museum of Art and Friendship Village in Columbus, Ohio. While Ruth's first career was in sales and marketing with the apparel industry, she transitioned to nonprofit development work 12 years ago. Her passion for GTCYS' mission, engaging personality, and fundraising skills are well-suited for this new position.
Spotlight on our Partner
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's 2016-17 Liquid Music Season Now On Sale
 
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is excited to announce its fifth season of Liquid Music, a concert series that creates a space for innovative new projects and iconoclastic artists in unique presentation formats. Liquid Music performances invite adventurous audiences to discover the new and the fascinating within the flourishing landscape of contemporary chamber music. Each program features new works, world or regional premieres, and new collaborations including many artists working together for the first time. Visit liquidmusicseries.org to learn more.

 
"Best of Classical." - The New York Times

"Ready for an aural workout? The SPCO's border-crossing series offers an unmatched introduction to the rising generation of musical creators, in spaces traditional and un-." - Star Tribune

Visit
liquidmusicseries.org to learn more about each performance, subscribe to the full series (and save $5 off each concert!), or buy single tickets .

In This Issue 

Media Spotlight 

Classical MPR feature with composer Jacob Bancks and Mark Russell Smith.

Upcoming Activities

Symphony Send-Off Concert
Thursday, June 9 at 7:30pm 
Roseville Lutheran Church
1215 W Roselawn Ave., Roseville
Free and open to the public

Summer Orchestras Concert
Tuesday, July 12 at 7:00pm
1360 Lexington Parkway N, St. Paul
Free and open to the public

String Orchestra Camp Concert
Friday, July 15 at 12:30pm 
Science Museum of Minnesota
120 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
Free and open to the public

2016-17 Auditions
Saturday, August 27
Mayflower Church, Minneapolis
Did you miss our June auditions? We have one more audition day for new students. Openings vary by orchestra and instrument. Register online today.