European Tour 2004

From this page you can follow the choir's tour around Europe, see photos from the 'road', and read tour diary reports.

End of the tour - The Photos

Day 21 - Elated!

Day 20 - TOWER New Zealand Youth Choir wins in Gorizia!

Day 16 - From Ljubljana to Hungary

Day 10 - Mail from Slovenia and Hungary

Day 2 - From Singapore to Slovenia

Day 1 - Farewell Concert and Airport Departure

The European Tour Itinerary

As part of the competition repertoire, the Choir will sing a newly composed piece by current choir member Anna Griffiths, Okarito Tuhituhia October.

In addition, the choir will be acting as cultural ambassadors for New Zealand. For each singer, the opportunity to visit the birthplace of the Western choral tradition and meet singers from all over the world is immensely valuable. In Ljubljana, Slovenia, Artistic Director Karen Grylls and members of the choir will present a one-day seminar to teachers and conductors focusing on New Zealand music, and choir members will talk about their own experiences as members of a national choir. They will also present a concert in the beautiful Philharmonia Hall.

The Choir will travel to a small town in north-west Hungary to attend a three-day Choir Festival, and will have the opportunity to perform in the beautiful churches in the area. Lizst gave his first concert in Sopron, and a special treat will be a trip to Esterhazy Castle, where Haydn lived and worked. A visit to Budapest will follow, with a concert organised by one of the local choirs in another beautiful church.

The Choir will stay in Gorizia for a few days after the competition, and will present a concert in Zemono (just across the Slovenian border), and will also take a day-trip into Venice. This year the final concert featuring Grand Prix winners from each of the 2003 competitions will take place in Gorizia, so the Choir will be very fortunate to hear these top-class choirs performing.

A highlight of the tour will undoubtedly be the trip to St Petersburg and Moscow, a first in the Youth Choir's history. The Choir will be collaborating with the Rossica Chamber Choir to present two concerts, one at the beautiful Smolny Cathedral and the other at the Peterhof Palace, just outside the city of St Petersburg. With almost 24 hours of daylight, there will also be plenty of time to sightsee and experience this fascinating city. From St Petersburg the Choir will travel on to Moscow for a concert at Gnesins All- Russia Music Academy. The Choir is especially grateful to the New Zealand Embassy staff in Moscow who have made this part of the trip possible.

The Choir wishes to thank the Lion Foundation and the New Zealand Community Trust for their support of the tour.

Click to find out more about the Highnote DVD which follows the Choir on their European Tour 2004