ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (March 23, 2023) — The Augustana Symphonic Band, under the direction of Dr James Lambrecht, will perform concerts in Japan in March and April. Between performances, students will visit multiple cities throughout Japan and fully immerse themselves in the culture.
The fifty-person ensemble will perform pieces by Yasuhide Ito, Philip Sparke, Julie Giroux, David Maslanka, Frank Ticheli, and John Philip Sousa.
Originally scheduled for spring 2020, the tour was postponed due to COVID-19. This tour is especially important to current seniors as they will embark on their first tour abroad.
"This tour is a fulfillment of a promise I made to try to go back to Japan," said Dr Lambrecht. "This will be a life-changing experience for the students to witness and participate not only in a very different, but modern Asian culture such as Japan, but to view and be part of the great band programs in Japan that rival the US and Europe."
The Augustana Symphonic Band's connections to Japan date back to 2009, when Dr Lambrecht was appointed a guest conductor at the Musashino Academia Musicae, a top music school in Japan. He has since spent four semesters teaching as a guest conductor.
The following students will participate in the tour:
Abby McKay, class of 2024 from Bettendorf, IA.
Aiden Zoller, class of 2024 from East Moline, IL.
Bree Turner, class of 2023 from Moline, IL.
Emily Claire, class of 2026 from Bettendorf, IA.
Hannah Knuth, class of 2023 from Rock Island, IL.
Ian Empen, class of 2026 from Rock Island, IL.
John Zaimes, class of 2025 from Davenport, IA.
Jonathan Knuth, class of 2025 from Rock Island, IL.
Megan Benac, class of 2023 from Milan, IL.
Natalie Hansen, class of 2025 from Moline, IL.
Quinne Weinzierl, class of 2024 from Geneseo, IL.
Known for sparking passionate curiosity, Augustana College is an empowering home to explore over ninety areas of study. Augustana's innovative program, Augie Choice, transforms students into global citizens, thinkers, and doers with a $2,000 grant to explore the world, complete an internship, or conduct research with a professor. Augustana students achieve a balance inside and outside of the classroom; ranking top ten in all divisions for Academic All Americans. Transformed to be different, current students and alumni include health-care heroes, Nobel Prize-winners, CEOs, college presidents, and leaders across all continents. The college enrolls 2,400 curious changemakers who get energized by four years as part of a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.
