While in Spain and Portugal...
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Scenes from our July Concert Tour
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Every three years, top MYS players and alumni travel abroad to share their music with an international audience. Started decades ago by founder Lajos Balogh, these tours have been one of the highlights of our program, and this year's tour was no different! Our students were amazing artistic ambassadors and we will be looking back fondly on this experience for years to come. Follow along on our adventures below!
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MYS tour group at Plaza Virgen de los Reyes in Seville, Spain.
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Day 1:
First stop after flying into Madrid was the Royal Palace of Madrid! We were especially excited to see the decorated Stradivari instruments, which are the only decorated instruments Antonio Stradivari is known to have made as a set.
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Day 2:
Second day in Madrid! So grateful for the musicians from Matritum Cantat Orchestra who joined us for a morning rehearsal. Then we saw the sights of Madrid, including the Palacio de Cristal, Puerta del Sol, and Plaza Mayor, finishing off the day with an amazing meal at Lamucca del Carmen and churros at Chocolatería San Ginés!
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Day 3:
We headed next to Granada! We had the chance to explore a small town in the land of Don Quixote, and checked out Mirador de San Nicolás, famous for its view of the Alhambra. After getting checked in at our hotel, we cooled off in the pool.
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Day 4:
After seeing the Alhambra from afar the day before, we were able to explore the truly breathtaking grounds of this UNESCO World Heritage site, the only preserved palatine city of the Islamic period. From there we had a lovely time exploring Granada.
That evening it was time for our first concert as guests of the famed FEX – International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada! We had the distinct privilege of performing in the courtyard of the 16th century former convent, Colegio Mayor Santa Cruz la Real - at 10pm, a first for us! The enthusiasm of the audience was a thrill!
Check out the below video of us rehearsing Portland Beauty by Giancarlo Castro D’Addona with birdsong in the background!
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Day 5:
By day five we were coastbound to Almeria! We spent the day enjoying the sun and surf, leading up to our next concert at Auditorio Municipal Maestro Padilla. Just steps from the Mediterranean Sea, this venue is among the best equipped and largest performing facilities in all of Spain. It was an honor to perform this outreach concert on behalf of the Granada Festival.
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Day 6:
The Spain leg of our tour wrapped up in Seville - the birthplace of Flamenco! While there, we had the opportunity to visit Catedral de Sevilla, an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest Gothic church in the world! Some also took in a Flamenco concert and we loved spending time along the river.
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Day 7/8:
We enjoyed more time in Seville in the morning, then traveled to the beautiful town of Évora in Portugal's Alentejo region. Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage site with more than 4,000 well-preserved historical structures enclosed by 14th century medieval walls. We saw some pretty spectacular sites in Évora, including Templo Romano Évora, Cathedral of Évora, and Chapel of Bones!
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Day 8:
In the afternoon we headed on to Estremoz for our third concert – Estremoz is known as the “white city of Portugal” for its high-quality white marble, which appears throughout the city. We rehearsed at Teatro Ribeiro, and had the pleasure of performing on an outdoor stage at the stunning Lago do Gadanha square and fountain with local dignitaries present!
We were touched when the Mayor of Estremoz José Daniel Sádio spoke at the end of the concert and thanked MYS for a wonderful performance in both Portuguese and English - hear what he said in English at the button below.
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Day 9/10:
Our next stop was Cascais, a town along the Portugal coastline known for its stunning sandy beaches. After Cascais was Lisbon, where we explored Praça do Comércio, Eduardo VII Park, Castelo de Sao Jorge, the Sé (the Lisbon cathedral) and other city highlights!
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Day 10:
Our concert at Museu Nacional dos Coches in Lisbon was a beautiful conclusion to our tour, with the opportunity to feature Oregon composers such as Giancarlo Castro D’Addona, Charles A. Martin, and Nancy Ives!
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Day 11:
All good things must come to an end! Day 11 saw us homeward bound, but not without some card games and playing time at the airport first.
We feel infinitely grateful to have experienced this tour with our students, a group of global citizens who demonstrated such development, growth, adventurous spirit, and vision for the future.
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful volunteer chaperones and family members who were there with us every step of the way. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Thank you for following along on this journey with us!
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Metropolitan Youth Symphony
503-239-4566 | communications@playmys.org
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