Forty-five University of Jamestown students recently returned from a concert tour of Italy, performing in historic venues across Rome, Florence and Venice. The Jamestown Sun reported that the students represented the UJ Wind Ensemble, Cantus, Vox Angelus and Concert Choir under the direction of professor Ken Aune and Anne Gassmann.
The tour began in Rome with a performance at the 17th-century Palazzo Chigi, according to the Jamestown Sun. The ensemble continued to Florence, where the wind ensemble presented a concert at the Auditorium del Suffragio inside the Conservatorio Luigi Boccherini, a restored former church now serving as a school of performing arts.
The choir concluded with a performance at Chiesa San Salvador, one of Venice’s largest Renaissance churches. Aune told the Jamestown Sun that performances received standing ovations and encores, with repertoire including works arranged by Alice Parker and Frank Ticheli.
Students represented 16 majors across campus, including music education major Westin Walker, who said the experience strengthened his growth as a musician. Exercise science major Molly Jennings described singing in Venetian churches and drawing in listeners from the street.
Aune told the Jamestown Sun that community donations from across the United States helped defray student trip costs.
For more information, visit jamestownsun.com.