ROCK ISLAND, IL (02/05/2014)(readMedia)-- The Augustana Choir, from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, will tour the Midwest from February 21-March 1. The nine-day, nine-concert tour will take nearly 60 students from as far north as the Twin Cities to as far east as Cincinnati, Ohio. Admission to all concerts is free, and a freewill offering will be accepted.
The Augustana Choir was founded in 1931 and performed its first concert at Chicago's Orchestra Hall. Since then, the ensemble has been one of the most highly regarded collegiate choirs in the nation. Dr. Jon Hurty, Gassman Family Professor of Music, director of choral activities and co-chair of the Department of Music at Augustana, has been director of the ensemble since 1996. Since then he has led the choir on tours throughout the United States, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, China, Japan and Mexico. Last year the choir had the honor of performing at the Lincoln Academy of Illinois' Convocation and Investiture of Laureates Ceremony, held at Augustana, where the state's highest award for personal achievement was presented.
This year's tour program is a diverse mix of musical genres, ranging from traditional choral music by Brahms and Rachmaninoff, to a piece composed for the soundtrack of an Indian film, to a praise song written in Swahili.
The following students from the area will tour with the ensemble:
Rebecca Knapper of Davenport (52806)
Christine Harb of Davenport (52807)
Benjamin Knapper of Davenport (52806)
Jacob McManus of Reynolds (61279)
Anthony TouVelle of Bettendorf (52722)
Jens Hurty of Moline (61265)
Alex Haifa of Moline (61265)
Elyzia Powers of Silvis (61282)
2014 Tour of the Midwest
February 21, 7 p.m., Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, Prior Lake, Minnesota
February 22, 7:30 p.m., St. John's Lutheran Church, Des Moines, Iowa
February 23, 7:30 p.m., Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, Iowa
February 24, 7:30 p.m., First Lutheran Church, Rockford, Illinois
February 25, 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Springfield, Illinois
February 26, 7:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Manchester, Missouri
February 27, 7 p.m., Christ Lutheran Church, Jeffersontown, Kentucky
February 28, 1:30 p.m., American Choral Directors Association Central Division Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio
March 1, 7:30 p.m., Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, Illinois
March 14, 8 p.m., St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, Iowa
Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana College is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Current students and alumni include 149 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 13 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.
