Wartburg’s four touring music ensembles include the Wartburg Choir, Castle Singers, Wind Ensemble, and Kammerstreicher. These ensembles schedule international tours every three years during the four-week May Term. The tours offer course credit as educational travel opportunities. U.S. tours during the other years showcase musicians throughout the country with appearances in many of the great concert halls.
MUSIC ENSEMBLE TOURS
Ensemble Tours Contact
Sarah Bouska
Music Tour, Camp, and Promotion Manager
100 Wartburg Blvd
PO Box 1003
Waverly, IA 50677-0903
sarah.bouska@wartburg.edu
Office: 319-352-8743
Cell: 641-420-8140
2025 ENSEMBLE TOURS
Select an ensemble tour below for event and venue details. All concerts are freewill unless noted otherwise. Ticketed concerts are general admission (no reserved seats) and will call tickets will be available at the door. Online sales end 24 hours prior to the event. Door sales will be available for all concerts and credit cards are accepted. Ticket sales and donations support student scholarships and future tours.
2025 TOUR SCHEDULE
Friday, Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Redeemer Lutheran Church
2001 W. Bremer Ave.
Waverly, IA 50677
Saturday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m. Concert
Sunday, Feb. 9, 9 a.m. Worship Service
Chisago Lake Lutheran
1 Summit Ave.
Center City, MN 55012
Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.
Christ’s Family Church
4601 Utica Ridge Rd.
Davenport, IA 52807
Featuring the Bettendorf HS Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Megan Cooney and the Bettendorf HS Concert Choir under the direction of Chase Shoemaker
Saturday, March 1, 7:30 p.m.
First Wayne Street United Methodist Church
300 East Wayne St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Sunday, March 2, 10:30 a.m.
Trinity English Lutheran Church
450 W. Washington Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Monday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Hyde Park United Methodist Church
1345 Grace Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45208
Tuesday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
1747 W. Milham Ave.
Portage, MI 49024
Wednesday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
815 S. Washington
Naperville, IL 60540
Friday, March 7, 7 p.m.
Shepherd of the Prairie Artist Series
Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church
10805 Main St.
Huntley, IL 60142
Saturday, March 8, 6:30 p.m. Concert
Sunday, March 9, 8:15 a.m. Worship Service
St. Peter Lutheran Church
3200 Asbury Rd.
Dubuque, IA 52001
Home Concert
Sunday, March 9, 4 p.m.
Wartburg Chapel
100 Wartburg Blvd.
Waverly, IA 50677
2025 TOUR SCHEDULE
Details coming soon.
All concerts will take a free-will offering unless noted otherwise.
Friday, March 28, 7:30 p.m.
Mount Vernon Performing Arts Center
731 Palisades Rd. SW
Mount Vernon, IA 52314
Featuring the Mount Vernon High School Concert Choir, Thad Wilkins, conductor
Saturday, March 29, 7:30 p.m.
St. Ambrose Cathedral
607 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
Featuring the Waukee High School Concert Choir, Jeff Knutson, conductor; and Gilbert High School Choir, Tanner Stutzman, conductor
Purchase Tickets: $15 Adults | $5 Student/Child
Sunday, March 30, 2 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church
213 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Mason City, IA 50401
Featuring the Mason City High School Concert Choir, Ethan Pruisman, conductor; and Clear Lake High School Chamber Singers, Jason Heitland, conductor
Sunday, April 13, 2 p.m.
Wartburg Chapel
100 Wartburg Blvd.
Waverly, IA 50677
Friday, April 18, 7 p.m.
Good Friday Service
St. John’s Lutheran Church
1701 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Saturday, April 19, 5 p.m. Concert
Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’Farrell St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
Monday, April 21, 7 p.m.
Ascension Lutheran Church
675 Black Oak Dr.
Medford, OR 97504
Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m.
Salem First Presbyterian Church
770 Chemeketa Street NE, Salem, Ore.
Featuring the Salem-Keizer HS Choirs
Wednesday, April 23
Choral Exchange
Grant High School, Portland
John Eisemann, director
Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m. Concert
St. Philip Neri Catholic Church
2408 SE 16th Ave.Portland, OR 97214
Featuring the Forest Grove HS Choir, Barry Berdahl, conductor
Friday, April 25, 7 p.m.
St. Matthew’s Church
1700 Edmonds Ave. NE
Renton, WA 98056
Saturday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
7500 Greenwood Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98103
2025 TOUR SCHEDULE
Wind Ensemble Home Concert
Sunday, April 13, 4 p.m.
Neumann Auditorium
Waverly, IA 50677
Teikyo University Exchange and Workshop
Tuesday, May 6
3 p.m. Exchange and Rehearsal
4 p.m. Concert
Campus Hall
Teikyo University
Tokyo, Japan
Wednesday, May 7, 6 p.m. Concert
Bunkyo Civic Center Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Thursday, May 8
Tokyo Tour
Asakusa Sensoji Temple & Nakamise District
Akihabara Anime District
Tokyo, Japan
Friday, May 9
Mt. Fuji Viewing Tour
Honshu, Japan
Saturday, May 10
Hamamatsu City Museum of Musical Instruments
Hmamatsu, Japan
Sunday, May 11
Peace Memorial Park/A-Bomb Museum
Hiroshima, Japan
Monday, May 12, 5 p.m. Concert & Exchange
Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden
Kwansei Gakuin Univrsit
Himeji, Japan
Tuesday, May 13
Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kiyoizu Temple
Green Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience
Kyoto, Japan
Wednesday, May 14, 5 p.m. Concert & Exchange
Kyoto Tachibana University
Kyoto, Japan
Thursday, May 15, Concert 4:30 p.m. & Exchange
Osaka Seikei University
Osaka, Japan
Friday, May 16, 6 p.m. Concert
Osaka Seikei University
Osaka, Japan
All concerts will take a free-will offering unless noted otherwise.
Ritterchor
Saturday, March 15, 4:30 p.m.
Prelude Concert and Mass
The Basilica of St. Mary
88 North 17th Street
Minneapolis, MN
Saturday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.
In collaboration with the Eastview High School and Rosemount HS Tenor/Bass Choirs
Eastview High School Performing Arts Center
6200 140th St West
Apple Valley, MN
Sunday, March 16, 8:45 a.m.
Worship Service
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
13801 Fairview Drive
Burnsville, MN
Sunday, March 16, 3 p.m.
Zumbro Lutheran Church
624 3rd Avenue SW
Rochester, MN
Home Concert
Sunday, April 6, 4 p.m.
Wartburg Chapel
Waverly, IA
St. Elizabeth Chorale
Saturday, March 15, 4 p.m.
Sunday Worship, March 16, 10 a.m.
First Lutheran Church
1114 W Traverse Rd.
St Peter, MN 56082
Home Concert
Sunday, April 6, 1:30 p.m.* NEW TIME
Wartburg Chapel
Waverly, IA
Kantorei and Hanbell Choir
Home Concert
Saturday, April 5, 4 p.m.
Wartburg Chapel
Waverly, IA
TOURING ENSEMBLES
CASTLE SINGERS
Under the direction of Dr. Nicki Bakko Toliver, the group prepares a variety of repertoire from Byrd to The Beatles and beyond. Composed of advanced vocalists who are dedicated to exploring challenging choral literature. The Castle Singers tour the United States annually and travel overseas during the college’s May Term. Previous international tours included countries throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Latin America, Australia and French Polynesia.
KAMMERSTREICHER
Kammerstreicher means “chamber strings” and is Wartburg’s auditioned string chamber orchestra. Under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Nederhiser, Kammerstreicher is comprised of Wartburg’s top string students. Repertoire includes music from the Baroque to modern day, with focus on collaboration.
WARTBURG CHOIR
A mixed a cappella ensemble under the direction of Dr. Lee Nelson, the Wartburg Choir has performed in Europe, South Africa, Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, Symphony Center in Chicago, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The choir was invited to sing in the White House and the National Cathedral in 2011 and join the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague for a concert in 2006.
WIND ENSEMBLE
The college’s top wind and percussion players perform in the Wartburg College Wind Ensemble under the direction of Prof. Jeff de Seriere. The Wind Ensemble became the first Wartburg music group to perform in Japan and China. Its European tours have included performances at St. George’s Church in Eisenach, Germany, home of the Wartburg Castle and birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. The Wind Ensemble also has performed in Austria, the Czech Republic, England, and at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCES
Few colleges can match the rich experience of Wartburg music ensemble tours, where students form lasting connections with individuals and communities around the globe.
MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH MUSIC. EXPERIENCE MORE.
ENSEMBLE DIRECTORS
Karen Black
Cantor and College Organist, Professor of Music, Rudi Inselmann Endowed Professor in Organ
Rebecca Nederhiser
Assistant Professor of Music
Lee Nelson
Professor of Music / Zahn Chair in Choral Conducting
Lia Snead
Assistant Professor of Music
Nicki Toliver
Associate Professor of Music / Associate Director of Choral Activities