Meet Encore Tours New Director of Business Development: Glenn Quirion

Our team at Encore Tours is made up of enthusiastic and well-traveled individuals who put in tireless effort to ensure your performance tour is customized to fit your ensemble’s unique needs. Today, we’re excited to announce that our team continues to grow with the addition of Glenn Quirion as our Director of Business Development.

Glenn was a central figure in the early growth of Encore, before heading off to pursue another passion — baking. After founding the Sweet Tooth Bakery in South Boston (which he ran for the past 16 years), Glenn’s return is a massive boon for our team. Not only does Glenn bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, but also a fine tenor voice. The delicious creations found in his signature pink cake boxes have also been a welcome bonus to everybody in our Boston office.

Glenn will be working with our group leaders to help customize their next Encore performance tour, and helping with our new music appreciation product, Encore Experiences. Earlier this week, we sat down with Glenn to discuss what it’s like to be back at Encore and learn more about how his experience can help director’s craft a one-of-a-kind tour.

Hi Glenn, thanks for chatting with us today. Before we jump into everything, could you please tell us a bit about your musical background?

I started singing in public in church when I was about eight years old.  I hold a BA in Voice performance from the university of Maine, Orono, and a Masters in Voice Performance and Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, Boulder.  My post graduate studies included additional vocal studies at Accademia Internazionale degli Arti in Rome.

While living in Rome, I was a featured soloist at several concerts and performances including Rome Opera Festival. I was also fortunate enough to sing at the indoctrination of the works of Santa Maria del Gesu at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II presiding.                

Wow, that must have been an incredible experience! And did you ever travel on a performance tour during that time?

Yes, I traveled with the University Singers from the University of Maine back in 1988. We traveled to France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy, and it was such an eye-opening experience. There were so many phenomenal musical highlights, but I think my favorite moment was singing at St. Mark’s in Venice and at the Strasbourg Cathedral in France. That trip likely cemented Italy as my favorite travel destination.

No arguments there! Could you start by telling us what it’s like to be back at Encore after all these years?

It’s really amazing to be back.  It’s most definitely like coming home!  It’s hard to believe that over 22 years ago was the very beginning of Encore with our small team of two and to see it now is like seeing your child fully grown and well!  Amazing!

It’s great to see things come full circle like that! Could you tell us a bit more about what you were doing since you last worked at Encore?

I owned a custom cake shop and bakery in Boston, and it was a truly wonderful experience. There were so many memorable moments from that time, the television and commercial work were probably the most unforgettable highlights. I appeared on Food Network’s first season of “Cake Wars” and Discovery Family’s first season of “Bake it like Buddy” with the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro. I was also able to do some commercial work for Santander Bank that allowed me to use my background in performance combined with my cake design. It was so much fun!

That sounds amazing, but was there anything that you missed during your time away from Encore?

Travel, definitely travel!  I started traveling abroad when I was 17 and that started a tradition of long summer stays in Switzerland. Travel really does change your life, and it feels so great to be “back in the saddle again.” It exposes you to different cultures and customs and broadens your outlook on the world like nothing else! 

What has changed the most since you were last with Encore?

I’m thrilled to see and learn how Encore is now such a respected organization in the world of performance travel.  I’m truly proud.  Our network over the globe is amazing, and there are so many incredible new venues and destinations that we couldn’t offer in the past!  Knowing we can offer travelers and performers the very best was a big part of the reason I was excited to return.

What are you most excited about working on?

Encore Experiences without a doubt!  It’s an incredible next step for Encore that makes total sense.  Personally, I’m a stickler for quality, detail and about everything being an “experience.”  That’s what makes life sweeter.  The Encore Experiences are tours that allow our teams worldwide to pull back the red rope allowing our travelers the opportunity to get rare glimpses into some of the world’s most exclusive sites. 

As an experienced traveler, what is your favorite piece of travel advice that you’d like to share?

I’d recommend that travelers remain open to EVERYTHING.  We have to remember that things aren’t always as we expect them to be when we’re home.  This is part of the beauty of travel…experiencing what is different from our day-to-day lives.  That’s the magic.   

That’s great advice! Before we wrap things up, do you have any future travel plans or is there somewhere you’re looking forward to visiting?

Yes, I can’t wait to go attend Prelude in Budapest. next month.  Prelude is only a few years old, so I’ve never had the opportunity to attend and I can’t wait to experience it. There are so many incredible musical highlights on this year’s itinerary, but I’m most excited about connecting with the group leaders and just soaking everything in. Aside from that, I’m looking forward visiting Italy once again and meeting up with friends in Rome.

Thanks Glenn, we’re so excited to have you back!

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Interested in planning your next performance tour? Speak with a member of our amazing team and start planning your ensemble’s next trip today!