YOSA Germany Tour 2024

YOSA Tour Rehearsal:
June 12-15, 2024

In the week leading up to the YOSA tour departure, YOSA musicians gathered at Alamo Heights Junior School to rehearse. In these day-long rehearsal sessions, musicians were able to catch up with their fellow YOSA musicians and prepare for their upcoming concerts in Germany.

YOSA Bon Voyage Concert:
Saturday, June 15, 2024

We hosted the YOSA Germany Bon Voyage concert at Alamo Heights Junior School. Here, friends, family, and YOSA supporters had the opportunity to see the program that the YOSA musicians will play in Berlin, Leipzig, and Darmstadt. Music director, Troy Peters curated beautiful tunes and melodies that audience members enjoyed.

YOSA Traveling to Berlin:
June 16, 2024

Following the Bon Voyage concert on June 15, YOSA parents waved goodbye to their young musicians as they loaded buses from San Antonio to Austin to catch their international flight. Some instruments required some extra security checks! Many of the musicians chatted with their friends or played games to pass the time as they awaited their flight. Once they arrived in Berlin, the musicians and chaperones rested up for their adventures.

Stream YOSA's Berlin Performance with Youth Symphony Orchestra Berlin.

YOSA in Potsdam:
June 19, 2024

The adventure continued with a stop in Potsdam on the way to Leipzig!
In Potsdam YOSA musicians visited the Sanssouci Palace, a summer home built by King Frederick the Great. They were “without worry” as they wandered through the palace and its beautiful gardens. Their time in Potsdam continued with a roam through the town center for some lunch and a chat with the locals.

YOSA in Berlin:
June 17-18, 2024

The YOSA Germany tour adventure began with two days in Berlin! YOSA musicians toured the city visiting iconic sites like the East Side Gallery memorial and the Brandenburg Gate. On their second day in Berlin, they visited Checkpoint Charlie and enjoyed an hour-long cruise on the river Spree.

YOSA ended the day with the Youth Symphony Orchestra Berlin at the beautiful Funkhaus Berlin to a sold-out crowd! You can watch the recording of the Facebook livestream in case you missed it!

YOSA in Leipzig:
June 20, 2024

After some sightseeing on the bus, they stopped at the monument to the Battle of the Nations and made their way to the city center.

Musicians got to explore a bit before visiting Thomaskirche, the church where Johann Sebastian Bach was the music director for 27 years! After some more roaming, they had lunch at the historic Auerbach Keller, the second oldest restaurant in Leipzig and known as the first stop Faust takes in Goethe’s play. YOSA ended their day heading over to the Paulinum at the University of Leipzig for the second concert in Germany!

YOSA in Eisenach:
June 21, 2024

On the way to Frankfurt YOSA musicians had a quick stop in Eisenach for some lunch and shopping before trekking 1,300 feet up a mountain to visit the beautiful Wartburg Castle. Built around 1067 by Ludwig der Springer, Wartburg has been the home to many an important historical figure!

YOSA in Frankfurt & Darmstadt:
June 22, 2024

After a bit of sightseeing in Frankfurt which included sites like the campus of Gothe University, Paulskirche, and Hochzeitstrum they continued on to San Antonio’s sister city of Darmstadt to prepare for their last concert in Germany.

YOSA had a warm welcome and a beautiful crowd which included city officials and Hanno Benz, the Lord Mayor of the city of Darmstadt! One full day of exploration remained before heading back home to San Antonio.

YOSA performance in Darmstadt, Germany.

YOSA in Heidelberg:
June 22, 2024

YOSA Musicians ended their time in Germany with a day in the picturesque city of Heidelberg, after a quick ride on the funicular we were met with partial ruins of the Heidelberg Castle.

Built around 1214 the remaining structure of the Castle has survived lightning strikes, wars, and fires! They walked the main around the main plaza, visited the apothecary museum on site, and walked up the “big barrel”.

They all hopped back on the bus after some wandering and last-minute gift shopping and headed back to Frankfurt to get ready to say goodbye to Germany.

YOSA Musicians were sad to say tschüss to Germany but excited to be heading home.