Interlochen Academy Orchestra students trekked 1200 miles to perform in three Midwestern cities this year, and some of their parents traveled even further to support them, with some coming from as far away as Washington state, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the District of Columbia.

Rehearsing in Detroit’s Orchestra Hall.

The tour took students, faculty and staff to Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit, and featured a series of performances with the noted violinist, alumna Ida Kavafian. The free concerts introduced others to Interlochen and helped alumni and friends throughout the Midwest reconnect.

"Touring allows us to show the superior level of musicianship that students attain at Interlochen, while offering a great learning opportunity for the students," said Vice President for Education Timothy J. Wade.

	Ida Kavafian and Peggy Pascal reunite backstage before the Chicago-area performance. The two had not seen each other since they were cabinmates at Interlochen in the 1960s.

Kavafian performed Michael Daugherty’s "Fire and Blood" Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Daugherty based his work on the landmark "Detroit Industry" frescos at the Detroit Institute of Arts by the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, which the students studied and got to see during their time in Detroit.

"The opportunity to perform a concerto with the wonderful Academy Orchestra takes me back to 1969 when I was a happy member of that group as a student," Kavafian said.

Scores of alumni and parents greeted the tour at each stop. "When we tour, we rely on people who know Interlochen to help us build audiences," Interlochen President Jeffrey S. Kimpton said. "Word of mouth is our most powerful advertising tool."

A large crop of alumni - many of them students at the Cleveland Institute of Music - turned up for the second stop of the 2006 tour, including Stanislav Golovin, Josue Gonzales, Emil Hudyyev and Michael Shane.

He said Interlochen invested more than $65,000 in the orchestra tour. "We definitely need to tour more," he said. "It’s important for the students, for our program, and for visibility." Because of the expense involved with group tours, particularly those that involve air travel, Kimpton encourages people and corporations to consider underwriting future touring efforts. continued >>>