In June of 2027, 45 student musicians from the Western Symphony Orchestra will embark on an eight-day, six-night concert tour of Germany, with concerts in Munich, Leipzig, and Berlin—culminating in a performance at the Brandenburg Cathedral's prestigious Summer Music Festival.

Along the way, Western's student musicians will spend time exploring important historical sites, including:

• Neuschwanstein Castle, the fairytale castle in which Nazi Germany hid countless stolen artworks during World War II.
• Bayreuth Festspielhaus, Richard Wagner's iconic opera house
• Leipzig's Bach Archive, home to the composer's original manuscripts
• Thomaskirche, where Bach is buried
• The legendary Berliner Philharmonie Concert Hall
• The Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie
• Berlin's Holocaust Memorial

We Need Your Help!

The total expenses of this tour, including airfare, lodging, ground transportation, cultural site admissions, and instrument and venue rentals add up to $225,000. The budgeted cost for each student participant is $4,000, which leaves $46,000 remaining to raise over the next year-and-a-half. Every dollar raised beyond that will go towards reducing each student's participation costs.

Travel opportunities like this are invaluable to our students—not only in their musical lives, but also in their larger growth and development as global citizens. In keeping with the WWU Music Department's shared value of bringing access to world-class musical experiences to all of our students, your contribution today will help to ensure that every student who wants to participate in this experience will have the ability to do so.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!