2023 Spring Travel Season Recap: Highlights and Memories

We are thrilled to have recently wrapped up our 2023 spring travel season, which saw a wide variety of musical ensembles travel all over the world travel. In addition to some of our domestic trips, we had ensembles traveling to Costa Rica, Spain, France, and Italy to perform for local audiences and experience the rich cultural heritage of these destinations.

At Encore, maintaining high standards is a priority, and our past Group Leaders have historically rated their experience as “Good” or “Excellent” over 95% of the time. This season’s survey confirms our commitment to excellence, as every single group leader rated their both their tour manager and the overall trip as “excellent.”

When it comes to the performances, 97% of the audiences were rated as “good” or “excellent,” showcasing the high caliber of musical talent on display. Additionally, 92% of meals were rated as “good” or “excellent,” ensuring that our participants were well-nourished and able to fully enjoy their travels.

These outstanding results showcase the hard work and dedication of our team who consistently strive to exceed expectations and create unforgettable experiences for our travelers. We take pride in earning the trust and confidence of our Group Leaders and look forward to continuing to provide exceptional service in the future.

Join us on a musical journey as we reflect on the highlights of our spring travel season. We’ll share feedback from our Group Leaders and some memorable moments from our trips. Come experience the wonder and excitement of our travels firsthand.

TOUR MANAGERS

“Greivin (Jesus) was phenomenal. Truly we adored him and we gave him an honorary shirt with our school logo and name of our ensemble at the end of the trip to induct him into the Riddlers!” – High School Choir Director

“Kristen was great. She was communicative and organized. Kristen shared a lot of fun facts about the city and places we were going. She cared deeply about the kids which is my favorite quality.” – Middle School Music Educator

“We all love Bill! We immediately felt in good hands with this capable, knowledgeable, caring, and engaged Tour Manager. His openness to our unique tour really felt so supportive. He rolled with all of our crazy requests to sing pretty much everywhere…We really lucked out!” – Artistic Director, Youth Choir

“Rachel was the best tour guide we have ever had. She was organized and professional but related so well to the youth and adults. She’s one to request again!” – High School Music Director

“This was our second trip with Peter Ede. We love traveling with him and feel like he’s part of [our] trip family.” – High School Band Director

“Ken was phenomenal. Not only was he personable professional and knowledgeable he went above and beyond when issues arose and felt like a part of our community by the time the trip was over. The kids missed him immediately when we parted ways. I was honestly skeptical about having a tour manager prior to arriving but he was essential to making our trip as excellent as it was. As I told him on the trip he deserves a raise!” – High School Choir Director

“Raquel was the best Tour Manager I have ever had. She was very knowledgeable and able to fit in my plans into the itinerary.” – Choir Director

CONCERTS

“[Performing at the Carrara Marble Quarry] was a surreal amazing experience. We were not prepared for how wild this was going to be…One of the most incredible things. The media team was super professional and the experience was so singular and bizarre. Five stars.” – High School Music Director

“Wow what a special place to perform. We all were absolutely stunned and honored to be invited to perform in [Barcelona Cathedral]… It was a joy to sing in that space, and to hear our singing be carried.” – Artistic Director, Youth Choir

“Loved [St. Paul’s Within the Walls]. Loved the acoustics. Loved that we had access to a beautiful grand piano…Loved that the doors were open and that people came off the streets.” – High School Music Director

ENCORE STAFF

“James Smith is incredible to work with.” – High School Band Director

“Both Joshua and James made the experience easy and even enjoyable from start to finish. Handling all of these details is not easy and I was more than satisfied with their attention and work!” – University Choir Director

“James and Josh were fantastic every step of the way! Hope to plan more trips with them in the future.” – – High School Band Director

“Robin did a great job…It was good to have her at the airport on departure.” – High School Administrator

GENERAL

“There is Encore and then the rest! Bravo!!!!!” – Michael P.

“[Compared to my last tour operator], this was better organized from start to finish, without dropped details and with a desire to accommodate all our requests.” – University Choir Director

“We have travelled with Encore four times before. All have been fantastic experiences…We had a wonderful time on this trip. Our tour guides were top notch as always. The students enjoyed the experience.” – High School Choir Director

“The trip was an inspiration for everyone. Fabulous planning behind the scenes from Encore.”  – Artistic Director, Youth Choir

“Having time in the park for students as well as the high-quality workshop is what has kept us using Encore for our Disney trips over the years.” – High School Music Director

“This was better organized from start to finish without dropped details and with a desire to accommodate all our requests. ” – University Choir Director

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Inspired to take your ensemble on a performance tour? Contact us to get your free quote today!