The Gustavus Jazz Ensemble and the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra toured Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland this May. Here, in this photo, GJazz performs at the historic, Beaux-Arts-style Guildhall in Derry, Northern Ireland. In a dual performance, GSO also performed there.
This tour was the first time any Gustavus music ensemble had traveled to these countries, and the first time any Gustavus Music ensemble traveled internationally in May. Of course, the center of the tour was delivering the gift of Gustavus music. Throughout it, “people were coming in off the street from hearing the music,” says tour manager and assistant fine arts director Coleden Wedge ’20. But touring always includes enrichment beyond performance. In this case: visits to an 11th Century Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and a cruise on Loch Lomond between the Scottish highlands and lowlands.
Financial aid in the form of Gustavus scholarships offset the cost for more than two-thirds of the traveling students, which makes such experiences possible for all Gusties. Products of the pandemic, many students on this tour had never been on an airplane.
The next international tour from Gustavus music ensemble will happen in May of 2026, when the Gustavus Choir travels to Japan.
