Encore Tours

10/01/2026

What matters most when planning a student performance tour?

We're asking music educators to share their thoughts on destinations, budgets, travel timing, and the experiences that create meaningful tours for students.

Complete our 6-minute survey for a chance to win a $250 J.W. Pepper gift certificate for your music program.

Participate in our Domestic Travel Survey to shape new performance programs and win prizes for your music program.

09/02/2026

What do experienced orchestra directors wish they knew before their first tour?

Join us on September 16 for a free webinar featuring orchestra leaders Nathan Cohen, Sara Watkins, and Michael Coelho as they share lessons on budgeting, fundraising, chaperones, student preparation, and more.

Register now to reserve your spot!

Learn how to successfully take your orchestra on tour in our free webinar. Get insights from experienced leaders in music education.

08/25/2026

From full houses in Budapest and Vienna to a standing-room-only performance in Galway, this summer gave our ensembles plenty to remember.

We’ve gathered a few highlights from the concerts, destinations, and people that shaped our 2026 season. Thank you to every director, performer, family member, tour manager, and local partner who was part of it.

Explore our Summer Travel Recap showcasing unforgettable performances across Europe with choral and orchestral music.

07/27/2026

Our new Musical Celebrations Around the World Calendar is here!

Created for music educators, directors, conductors and ensemble leaders, this free 16-month calendar runs from September 2026 through December 2027 and includes:

📅 Musical holidays and cultural celebrations
🎼 Composers, instruments and traditions from around the world
💡 Monthly musical facts and classroom inspiration
✏️ Space for rehearsals, concerts, deadlines and notes

Download your free copy and start planning the 2026–2027 school year:

Start the School Year With 16 Months of Musical Discovery Music gives us countless reasons to celebrate. The 2026–2027 Musical Celebrations Around the World Calendar brings those moments together in a practical, Sunday-through-Saturday calendar created for music educators, directors, conductors an...

07/06/2026

For choirs, bands, and orchestras, a performance tour is never just about where you go. It is about what your ensemble gets to share when you arrive.

In our latest post, we’re looking at why the concert experience is at the heart of every Encore tour, from finding the right venue to creating meaningful connections with new audiences around the world.

Read the full article and explore real performance moments from recent Encore ensembles:

Explore concert performance tours that connect musicians with new audiences in historic venues around the world.

06/16/2026

Where young orchestras meet legendary stages.

Encore’s Symphony Hall Series gives young musicians the rare opportunity to perform, rehearse, and learn inside some of America’s most celebrated concert halls.

With meaningful stage time, professional coaching, and events designed specifically for orchestral ensembles, the series creates unforgettable performance experiences for students and directors alike.

Limited space remains for Boston Symphony Hall in 2026, with new Symphony Hall Series events planned for Nashville, Cleveland, Baltimore, Boston, and Chicago in 2027.

Explore the full series and find the right opportunity for your orchestra.

Explore Encore’s Symphony Hall Series, featuring one-day orchestra events at celebrated concert halls across the U.S. for school, youth, and community ensembles.

06/11/2026

From Salamanca to Simancas to Burgos, La Verne Sanctuary Choir filled historic Spanish venues with music, connection, and unforgettable moments.

Their tour included a performance inside Salamanca’s Catedral Vieja, a joint concert with the Gospel Choir of Simancas at Iglesia del Salvador, and a memorable evening performance in Burgos before a wonderful local audience.

This is what performance travel is all about: sharing music across cultures, singing in remarkable spaces, and creating memories that stay with the ensemble long after the final note.

06/08/2026

A performance tour is a big commitment, so it should feel meaningful from the start.

In our latest Backstage Blog, we explore what makes a tour truly worth it: purposeful performances, the right venues, thoughtful repertoire, real audience connection, and shared experiences that strengthen the ensemble long after the final concert.

Whether you’re planning for a choir, orchestra, band, adult ensemble, or donor group, the strongest tours are built around what matters most to your musicians and travelers.

Explore what makes a performance tour worth the commitment and how it enriches artistic growth and ensemble connections.

06/01/2026

We’re heading to Minneapolis this week for the 2026 Chorus America Conference!

Encore Ambassador Sean Boulware and Program Consultant Julian Edwards will be onsite June 3–6 to connect with choral leaders, administrators, and organizations from across the country.

If you’ll be attending, stop by our booth to say hello, talk through future performance travel ideas, or join us for our Touring Dine-Around, where we’ll be discussing both domestic and international choir touring in a smaller, informal setting.

We’re looking forward to a great week of conversation, connection, and inspiration with the Chorus America community.

Join us at the 2026 Chorus America Conference in Minneapolis, June 3–6, as we connect with choral leaders and host conversations around meaningful choir travel experiences.

05/26/2026

We’re looking forward to attending the 2026 League of American Orchestras National Conference in Baltimore next week, taking place June 1–3, with pre-conference sessions beginning this Sunday.

Encore is proud to sponsor the EdCE & YOD Pre-Conference Half Day Meeting on Sunday, May 31, supporting the important work being done in youth orchestra development, education, and community engagement.

If you’ll be attending, be sure to stop by and connect with Barbara Brown, Glenn Quirion, and Julian Edwards throughout the week. We’re excited for the conversations ahead and to continue supporting meaningful performance travel experiences for orchestras and ensembles across the country.

We’ll also be sharing more about the new Symphony Hall Series, including the Boston Symphony Hall Orchestra Festival launching November 2, 2026.

See you in Baltimore!

Join us at the 2026 League of American Orchestras Conference in Baltimore, June 1–3, as we connect with orchestra leaders, educators, and youth ensemble programs from across the country.