The Augustana Symphonic Band, under the direction of Dr. James Lambrecht, will perform concerts in Japan in March and April.
The 50-person ensemble will perform pieces by Yasuhide Ito, Philip Sparke, Julie Giroux, David Maslanka, Frank Ticheli and John Philip Sousa, according to a college release Monday.
Originally scheduled for spring 2020, the tour was postponed due to COVID-19. This tour is especially important to current seniors as they will embark on their first tour abroad.
“This tour is a fulfillment of a promise I made to try to go back to Japan,” Lambrecht said in the release. “This will be a life-changing experience for the students to witness and participate not only in a very different, but modern Asian culture such as Japan, but to view and be part of the great band programs in Japan that rival the U.S. and Europe.”
The Augustana Symphonic Band’s connections to Japan date back to 2009, when Lambrecht was appointed a guest conductor at the Musashino Academia Musicae, a top music school in Japan. He has since spent four semesters teaching as a guest conductor. He’s traveled to Japan many times since 1984, and toured with the Symphonic Band there in 2014.
The Symphonic Band also has toured throughout Europe and the Midwest, the Augie release said.
Between performances, students will visit multiple cities throughout Japan and fully immerse themselves in the culture. The upcoming tour performances will include:
- March 25: Joint concert with a local school
- March 28: Performance at the Sagamihara Band Festival
- April 2: Concert in Nagoya
