Symphony Tour Details

Dear GTCYS Symphony Families,

We are excited for students to experience New Zealand and Australia in June 2026! Following last night’s tour meeting, please carefully review this entire message. This email will answer many of your questions and help with your planning.

Quick Links and Resources

Overview
Symphony tours are designed to give students a rich musical, cultural, and educational experience that reflects GTCYS’ mission of using music education to shape well-rounded individuals. Every detail—from the itinerary and concert opportunities to chaperone support and repertoire—is planned with students’ growth in mind. Through this immersive experience, we hope students will deepen their cultural awareness in ways that will have a lasting impact.

We’re thrilled about this tour to New Zealand and Australia—not only for their natural beauty and rich history – but especially for the unique musical opportunities, including collaborations with local young musicians and a culminating performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House.

GTCYS is once again partnering with Twin Cities–based GrandTours, working alongside their trusted local contacts in New Zealand and Australia.

Tour Basics

  • Tour dates: June 20 – July 1, 2026
  • Flights: Students will travel in two groups on United Airlines. GTCYS will assign flight groups according to instrument sections and chaperone assignments.
  • Itinerary Draft: You can view the current itinerary on the tour brochure here.
  • Concerts: Symphony will perform at least 3 times during the tour, including the capstone concert at the Sydney Opera House on June 29.

Student Participation

  • Eligibility: The Tour is open to current 2025-26 Symphony members and students who graduated in 2025.
  • Orchestra Schedule: Click here for Symphony’s season schedule. Rehearsal and Send-Off Concert (June 11, 2026) requirements are forthcoming for 2025 graduates.
  • If you decide not to participate in the tour, please email miranda@gtcys.org ASAP so we can plan accordingly and remove you from the tour email list. Include the student’s first and last name and instrument in the email.

Register for the Tour by 10/31

  • Register online here by October 31. The password is GTCYS.
  • Deposit: A $500 deposit is due by November 15.
  • Land Only Option: Students who extend their stay at the end of the tour and aren’t traveling home with the group must:
    1. Select the “land-only tour package” on the tour registration form
    2. Book GTCYS’ same June 20 outbound flight schedule to travel from MSP with the group*, and
    3. Book GTCYS’ same mid-tour flight on June 26 from Auckland to Sydney*
    4. Students who select the “land-only” option are not eligible for need-based financial assistance.

*Contact Grand Tours at info@grandtoursinc.com to inquire about flight schedules.

Payments

  • Tour Price: The per student cost is $7,495 (inclusions are outlined on the tour brochure). This amount reflects only the direct student expenses—GTCYS does not add organizational overhead to students’ cost. In fact, GTCYS covers more than $175,000 in scholarships, instrument and music rentals, and staff expenses to make the tour possible.
  • Payment Details:
    • Payments can be made in installments to Grand Tours through May 15; details and cancellation terms are outlined on the tour brochure and on the registration site.
    • GrandTours will email payment reminders before each due date. Families may choose to send more frequent, smaller payments throughout the year.

Financial Assistance – Applications Due 10/1
GTCYS is committed to offering nearly $100,000 in need-based financial assistance, so students with financial barriers can participate.

  • To apply:
    • Interested families must complete the online financial assistance application and upload proof of income by October 1.
    • Students who extend their stay beyond the official itinerary or whose families travel to New Zealand and/or Australia for the tour, are not eligible for financial assistance.
  • Awards: Scholarship amounts are based on a sliding scale, and all recipients are asked to pay a portion of the tour cost. GTCYS will communicate decisions by October 14.
  • Current scholarship recipients: If you currently receive assistance for the Symphony, you still need to complete the tour scholarship application, since some of the questions differ.

Fundraising
GTCYS recognizes that an international tour is a significant investment. Rather than coordinate group fundraisers which yield small amounts, we are sharing this list of fundraising ideas which may help students with individual fundraising efforts that are typically more successful because of the personalized approach.

Passports – Due March 1

  • By March 1, participants will need to upload a scanned passport copy to their online tour registration profile. This is not required when registering this fall and can be added later.
  • Your passport must be valid through at least January 1, 2027. If your passport expires before then, you must apply for a new one immediately.
  • Non US-passport holders should research travel requirements immediately.
  • Don’t have a passport yet or need to renew yours? Click here for passport application details. Don’t procrastinate – start this process now!

Insurance
No pre-departure or cancellation insurance is included with the tour. We strongly encourage families to purchase additional insurance. Suggestions are included on the registration form and families are welcome to purchase through a different provider.

Instruments
Additional instrument details and guidance will be provided in the spring.

  • GTCYS plans to rent cellos, double basses, percussion, and harp in New Zealand and Australia.
  • Carry-on size instruments – violins, violas, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet – should plan to bring their instruments on board each airplane for the overhead compartments.
  • Horns without detachable bells, trombones, and tuba will likely need to check their instruments. We will provide tips for preparing instruments to be checked.

Food Allergies and Health

  • We can accommodate most food allergies and preferences on the tour as long as they are specified on the tour registration form.
  • GTCYS will collect detailed medical forms in the spring. Students should keep in mind that this tour is demanding and requires both physical and mental stamina.
  • A physician will travel with the group to serve as a medical advisor.

Rooming

  • Because this is a student-focused tour, students will be required to room with other students, even if a student’s parents are staying in the same city.
  • Rooms are typically double or triple occupancy with separate beds, and students will sign up for roommates after the tour roster is final.

Chaperones
Given the serious responsibilities of the tour, GTCYS carefully selects staff and other trusted adults to serve as chaperones, ensuring the experienced oversight and supervision needed for a safe and successful trip. Parents will not serve as chaperones.

Parent Travel

  • GTCYS is not coordinating a separate family trip for this tour, so interested parents have the flexibility to make their own independent travel arrangements and attend the concerts.
  • This spring, GTCYS will help families coordinate concert ticket requests.
  • Parents’ travel plans are separate from the students’ itinerary. Students are expected to remain with the group and should not leave to join parents for meals, excursions, or other activities.

Additional Learning
We encourage students to conduct their own research and start learning about the rich history and culture of New Zealand and Australia!

Contacts

We hope this starts to answer many of your questions and we look forward to sharing more details throughout the year.

Thank you!

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