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Take the All-City Orchestra to Italy

Inspired idea of the week: let's take 120 inner-city high school musicians to Italy. For free!

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Take the All-City Orchestra to Italy

Take the All-City Orchestra to Italy

Take the All-City Orchestra to Italy

Take the All-City Orchestra to Italy

Take the All-City Orchestra to Italy

Inspired idea of the week: let's take 120 inner-city high school musicians to Italy. For free!

Inspired idea of the week: let's take 120 inner-city high school musicians to Italy. For free!

Inspired idea of the week: let's take 120 inner-city high school musicians to Italy. For free!

Inspired idea of the week: let's take 120 inner-city high school musicians to Italy. For free!

All-City Orchestra
All-City Orchestra
All-City Orchestra
All-City Orchestra
1 Campaign |
Philadelphia, United States
$8,971 USD by 69 backers
$8,971 USD by 69 backers on Jun 21, 2015
Choose your Perk

Lunch Box

$15 USD
5 claimed

A safety net

$60 USD
4 claimed

Lunch every day!

$150 USD
Est. Shipping
June 2015
3 claimed

The Kit

$300 USD
Est. Shipping
June 2015
1 claimed

The whole Kit and Kaboodle

$500 USD
Est. Shipping
July 2015
1 claimed

An inspired idea:

Meet Don Liuzzi. 

He is the Philadelphia Orchestra timpanist who has been director of Philadelphia's All-City Orchestra for the last decade. Don was a natural for the job, having played in the ensemble himself as a high school senior on both horn and percussion. Now, just before handing over the baton to Joseph Conyers, colleague at the Philadelphia Orchestra, he is working day and night on one last inspired idea:

Let's take 120 musicians from ten inner-city Philadelphia Public High Schools on a 9-day, five-concert tour to Italy. And let's make it free for all students. 

“Performing in and for another culture is all about musical giving", says Don, "and there is nothing like that feeling. Our students will be exposed to an incredibly vibrant artistic culture in Italy – one that appreciates the musical arts on many levels  – and it will be a transformational experience for everyone." 

Just imagine:

The kids, of course, are super excited. Most have never been to Europe. Many have never left the US, and some have hardly been out of Philadelphia.  Here, again, is Don: "My life in the Philadelphia Orchestra has included many demanding tours – intense rehearsals, travel, often every day, and a concert every evening – and this tour will give these young musicians this experience as well. We have picked an exciting repertoire for them to perform, from Rossini and Verdi to Copland and Bernstein –all music they have performed with All-City during the last three seasons. It is going to be a wonderful challenge for them to prepare and perform."

The young musicians will play five concerts in many Italian cities on this 9-day trip, including some youth music festivals. With your help, imagine what they will see, hear and experience!

Watch this video with Don to find out more about the trip and All-City:


What we already have and what we still need:

Big ideas need a whole lot of support, so Don asked, and got most of it.  A group of donors put up the majority of funds needed to buy plane tickets, hotel rooms, dinners and on-the ground transportation for all 120 kids plus chaperones, about $3,800 per student. He also got funds to rent a harp, cellos and basses directly in Italy (those large instruments don't travel well on planes!). Well, that's Don. 

Now we need your help with the 'other stuff':

  • Lunch $ for nine days - $150 per student
  • Passport fees - $240 per passport (we need help for about 25 kids)
  • Trip T-shirts and Performance polos - $75 per student
  • Travel, Instrument and Medical Insurance - $60 per student

Overall, we need to raise another $50,000, and hope that at least $7,500 will come through this campaign. With your help, we will get there.

The details (in case you are curious):

The trip happens this June right after school let's out. After arriving in Rome, we have a two day residency there with rigorous rehearsals and visits to some cultural sites. Our Itinerary:

  • June 18: farewell concert for students and families in Philadelphia
  • June 20: off we go: bus to NY and then onto the plane
  • June 21: arrival in Rome; visit the Coliseum; evening rehearsal
  • June 22: tour at the Vatican and St. Peter's Dome; evening rehearsal
  • June 23: travel to Perugia; Concert #1 at the Cathedral there
  • June 24: visit Basilica Francesco di Assisi, Concert #2 in the piazza
  • June 25: traveling to Tuscany via Siena, Concert #3 in Montecatini
  • June 26: Concert #4 in Massa (Tuscany Mountain town)
  • June 27: visit the Uffizi in Florence, Concert #5 there
  • June 28: return to Rome; final celebration and chamber music performances
  • June 29: return to Philadelphia

All the ways you can help:

Please consider making a gift right now. Every $10 you can give will make a difference! And then, please make some noise about our campaign. Share Don's inspired idea with family members, neighbors and friends. It's easy: just use the share tools from this page. 

THANK YOU!

All City Orchestra and Don Liuzzi in performance at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts - March 2015
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