ROCK ISLAND, IL (02/08/2011)(readMedia)-- The Augustana College Symphonic Band will travel to Italy to perform four concerts in mid-February. The nine-day tour includes stops in Venice, Florence, Pisa and Rome, in addition to other cities. The concerts will feature both American and Italian music and will be performed for a variety of audiences, ranging from townspeople to college students. This is the first time the Symphonic Band has traveled to Italy to perform.

Grace Drenth is a sophomore from Davenport, IA majoring in psychology.

Luther Hughes is a first year from Silvis, IL majoring in liberal studies.

Gaetano Iaccarino is a junior from Davenport, IA majoring in music general and anthropology.

Audrey Taylor is a senior from Moline, IL majoring in teaching biology.

Anne VanSpeybroeck is a sophomore from Rock Island, IL majoring in liberal studies.

Jennifer Youngs is a junior from Taylor Ridge, IL majoring in psychology.

"We hope that through this cultural sharing of our common love of music that our students will be able to interact and touch the lives of Italians," said Dr. James Lambrecht, director of the Symphonic Band. "This kind of experience enables our students to learn firsthand about Italy, its people, culture,and history-one of the richest in Western Civilization."

The Augustana Symphonic Band will play in a variety of venues; one that is particularly interesting will be the concert in Lucca, a city enclosed by walls in the Tuscany region. The 80-member band will perform at the Auditorium San Romano in Lucca, which used to be the main church home of Napoleon's sister. The elevated box where she attended mass is still standing. Lucca also is the birthplace of the famous Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini. In honor of their host city's history, the band members will perform an arrangement of melodies taken from Giacomo Puccini's final opera, Turandot. This will include the most famous aria"Nessun Dorma," most notably performed by the world-renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

The Symphonic Band will wrap up its tour with a home concert in Centennial Hall at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 12. Admission is free.

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