An Unforgettable Tour, On and Off the Stage
Rehearsing on stage at the Sydney Opera House ahead of a sold-out performance is a memory that will stick with Symphony musicians for the rest of their lives.
“We all collectively gasped at the ring of the last note of Montagues and Capulets,” said Audrey, a Symphony violinist.
Later that day, Symphony delivered their finest performance of the season with stunning artistry, maturity, and teamwork.
But the most magical part of the tour wasn’t one concert—it was seeing Symphony come together as a community and as ambassadors of GTCYS, Minnesota, and the United States.
In the midst of new cultures and experiences, Symphony was kind and helpful to their peers and everyone they met, including other young musicians from across the world!
The Sydney Opera House performance was truly excellent because throughout tour, students found a deeper understanding of the community they created together. Anticipating—and then achieving—that level of musicianship together was monumental, for students and for our audiences.
At our farewell dinner, Executive Director Megen Balda and Artistic Director Mark Russell Smith both shared how proud they were of Symphony, bringing home the full impact of this tour not just on students, but in the communities they’re part of—at home and abroad.
“Everyone has a responsibility to make the world a better place—and you have. Continue to do that. The world needs beauty, now more than ever.” —Maestro Mark Russell Smith
The 2026 New Zealand and Australia tour, organized by GrandTours, also marks an important milestone for our programs. With unprecedented support from our families, donors, and community, together we created the tour of a lifetime—and a pathway to the Sydney Opera House—for every interested student.
Thank you for making formative experiences like this possible! Find more stories, including tour photos, student blogs, and concert videos, on our website and social media.
Join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our young musicians with their Sydney Opera House encore: Aaron Copland’s Hoe-Down from Rodeo.
Our community made this tour possible
A tour of this magnitude is only possible with unparalleled community support—the commitment of students and their families, incredible donor generosity, inspirational teachers and educators, and more. We stretched our tour scholarship fund to over $120,000 to ensure every musician had this opportunity of a lifetime.
“I will always cherish our performance at the Sydney Opera House and the memories with my friends. This tour was a life-changing experience and I’m so incredibly grateful. Thank you for making so many dreams come true!” —Symphony student
If you’re inspired by what these young musicians accomplished, it’s not too late to support tour scholarships and life-changing opportunities like this for students. Gifts to GTCYS in every amount make a difference. Thank you!
A special thank you to our leaders, Megen and Mark!
Throughout tour, Symphony continually showed gratitude to everyone who made this tour possible—especially Executive Director Megen Balda and Artistic Director and Symphony conductor Mark Russell Smith.
GTCYS is fortunate to have such dedicated leaders steering us onward, inspiring excellence and creating more access than ever to playing in orchestra.
Thank you—here’s to another wonderful season ahead!