UND Concert Choir to perform in the Netherlands, Belgium on Spring Break tour

The UND Concert Choir will spend its Spring Break touring, performing and learning in the Netherlands and Belgium March 12-22.

The choir, under the direction of assistant professor of music Joshua Bronfman, left for Amsterdam Saturday with 45 members. The choir will visit a dozen cities while performing and participating in clinics with professional conductors.

“This is an educational opportunity for the kids and great exposure for the University of North Dakota,” Bronfman said. “It shows people from the state and around the region that we’re a top-notch music program.”

Bronfman said UND’s choir was originally invited to participate in a music festival at The Hague hosted by the Association for Music International Schools (AMIS), an organization that promotes music excellence for children attending schools abroad.

AMIS sponsors a variety of music festivals annually that are designed to benefit students in international schools in Europe and the Middle East. Students and teachers from other areas of the world are invited to participate, but the festivals are located primarily in Europe.

Through fund-raising efforts and with contributions from the UND Dean of Arts and Sciences office and UND student government, Bronfman was able to turn the trip into a multi-city tour that includes a variety of performances in the Netherlands and Belgium.

“The kids are very excited about it,” Bronfman said. “We couldn’t have done this without support of the University and everyone else involved. Very few universities provide this level of support to their concert choirs.”

While on the tour, Bronfman will be writing a blog about the choir’s travels available that’s available at http://undconcertchoir.wordpress.com.

UND Concert Choir Schedule:

• Saturday, March 12 – Fly out of Fargo at 5:05 p.m.
• Sunday, March 13 –Arrive in Amsterdam at 11 a.m. local time. Tour Amsterdam and visit the Rijksmuseum (museum of art and history). Travel to the city of Haarlem.
• Monday, March 14 – Walking tour of Haarlem. Visit St. Bavo Church and travel to Dokkum.
• Tuesday, March 15 – Visit the city of Leeuwarden. Master class with conductor Geert-Jan van Beijeren at the Fontein Kerk. Evening performance with local quartet Four Young Voices.
• Wednesday, March 16 – Travel to Hilversum to attend rehearsals of the Netherlands Radio Choir and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Travel to DeFontein Kerk in Katwijk for a master class with conductor Andre Thomas. Travel to Den Haag (The Hague).
• Thursday, March 17 – Visit Delft for sight-seeing, and then travel to Beek.
• Friday, March 18 – Visit the city of Maastricht. Rehearsal and performance with Universiteit Maastricht and Mannenkoor Beek Leidertafe.
• Saturday, March 19 – Return to The Hague to attend dress rehearsal of the Association for Music International Schools (AMIS) Honor Band and Choir. Performance at 4 p.m. for the festival participants. Travel to Bruges in Belgium.
• Sunday, March 20 – Sing at 10 a.m. mass at the St. Gilliskerk Brugge. Walking tour of Bruges.
• Monday, March 21 – Travel back to Netherlands for sight-seeing in Antwerp.
• Tuesday, March 22 – Fly home. Arrive in Fargo at 4:37 p.m.

For more information, contact Joshua Bronfman, assistant professor, Music, at 777-2814 or joshua.bronfman@und.edu.

— Patrick Miller, writer/editor, University Relations, 777-2412, patrick.miller@email.und.edu.