The Kansas University Choir, conducted by John Paul Johnson, returned this summer from an 11-day European tour.

The group, composed of 44 students from eight KU choirs, traveled to Europe from May 25 through June 4, where they toured Venice, Salzburg, Vienna and Prague. Johnson, director of choral activities, and Paul Tucker, associate director of choral activities, accompanied the students.

GTAs Henry Heller Smith, Hugo A. Vera, Eric Foley and Stanford Felix also attended, as well as tour manager Amy Horton and Myra Strother, physician from Watkins Medical Center.

Before heading to Europe, the group prepared an extensive audition in order to perform at the prestigious Dom Cathedral in Salzburg, St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and St. Nicholas Malastrana in Prague. In addition to performing at these three churches, the group also sang at the historic San Salvador Church in Venice and participated in a shared concert with Chorgemeinschaft Berndorf/Veitsau at Pfarre Berndorf in Vienna.

“The people who went on this tour had the opportunity to experience different cultures and see sights that we read about in history books in school,” said Huga Vera, voice doctoral student and GTA. “The one thing that united us with those different cultures is the power of music. We had the opportunity to serve as ambassadors of KU and the United States.”

For more information, contact KU’s music and dance department at 864-3436.