International Tours
Touring empowers students with musical, social, and cultural opportunities that will shape their lives for years to come.
Renowned for our rich touring history, GTCYS’ biennial international tours for Symphony were reinstated in June 2014 when 78 students toured Spain and performed by invitation at the Granada International Festival of Music and Dance. Since then, GTCYS students have benefited from successful and exciting tours every other year.
The experiential learning aspects of touring empower students with musical, social, and cultural opportunities that will shape their lives for years to come.
Upcoming: 2026 Australia & New Zealand Tour
In June 2026, Symphony will cross the Pacific Ocean to tour Australia and New Zealand!
They will perform several concerts, including:
- A capstone concert at the Sydney Opera House
- A performance in Auckland, New Zealand
- A local concert in Sydney
Cultural highlights include:
- The Hobbiton Shire movie set from Lord of the Rings
- The world-famous Sydney Taronga Zoo
- A whale-watching cruise in the Sydney Harbor
- Learning about the Maori and aboriginal cultures in both New Zealand and Australia
The last (and only) time GTCYS traveled to these destinations was in 1992 on the South Pacific Tour with music director Dr. William LaRue Jones. We’re honored to collaborate with Grand Tours and their international partners to bring the magic of GTCYS back to Australia and New Zealand.
2024 Southern France & Barcelona Tour
In June 2024, Symphony ventured to Southern France, including Lyon, the Provence region, and Barcelona, Spain! Symphony students performed in spectacular concert venues including the Palau de la Musica Catalana, learned from seaside boat tours and art museums, and forged lifelong social connections with their fellow musicians. Visit our Stories page to read the daily tour blogs, or watch the story highlights on our Instagram page. Enjoy the video of their fantastic performance at the Auditorium Orchestre National de Lyon in Lyon, France!
2022 Southern Italy Tour
In June 2022, GTCYS’ flagship orchestra, Symphony, embarked on a historic concert tour to Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, and Rome, performing repertoire such as Vivaldi’s Concerto for 2 Oboes in D Minor, Copland’s Buckaroo Holiday from Rodeo, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. The tour provided unparalleled opportunities, including a collaboration with the Santa Cecilia National Academy of Music. Cultural experiences, including visits to Pompeii, the Roman Forum, and the Sistine Chapel, deepened students’ global perspective. Click here for the itinerary, and check out Symphony’s performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 at the Teatro Antica di Taormina in Sicily! This performance was taken from Symphony’s full opening concert of the 2022 Taormina Art Festival.
GTCYS’ International Touring History
2024 – Southern France and Barcelona Concert Tour
2022 – Southern Italy Concert Tour
2018 – Germany, Poland, and Hungary Concert Tour
2016 – Argentina Concert Tour
2014 – Spain Concert Tour
2001 – China Concert Tour
1999 – Eastern Europe Concert Tour
1996 – South America Concert Tour
1994 – Malaysia Concert Tour
1992 – South Pacific Concert Tour
1990 – Asia Concert Tour
1988 – Soviet Union (CCCP) Concert Tour
1985 – Republic of Costa Rica Concert Tour
1984 – Great Britain and Republic of Ireland Concert Tour
1982 – Federal Republic of Germany Concert Tour
1978 – London, England, Royal Albert Hall, Schools Prom