MUSIC ENSEMBLE TOURS

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.

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

2023 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.

Castle Singers and Kammerstreicher Logo

Friday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.
St. Matthew Lutheran Church
127 S. High St.
Galena, Ill. 
Featuring the Galena High School Concert Choir
Lilly Streich, director

Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
550 Lincoln Dr.
Sun Prairie, Wis.

Sunday, Feb. 12, 10:30 a.m. Worship
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
550 Lincoln Dr.
Sun Prairie, Wis.

Friday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
301 1st St. N.W.
Waverly

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m.
St. Paul Lutheran Church
2136 Brady St.
Davenport

Sunday, Feb. 26
10 a.m. Worship, 3 p.m. Concert

Brazil First United Methodist Church
201 N. Meridian St.
Brazil, Ind.
Featuring the Northview Knight Singers and Knight Shades Choir
Brenda Buchanan ’90, director

Monday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m.
St. Andrew Lutheran Church
908 Murfreesboro Road
Franklin, Tenn.

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m.
Messiah Lutheran Church
6670 Vaughn Road
Montgomery, Ala. 

Thursday, March 2, 7 p.m.
Messiah Lutheran Church
3701 FL-390
Panama City, Fla. 

Friday, March 3, 7 p.m.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
3976 Hendricks Ave.
Jacksonville, Fla. 

Saturday, March 4, 6 p.m.
Mary, Queen of the Universe
Basilica and National Shrine
8300 Vineland Ave.
Orlando, Fla.

Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.
St. Olaf Lutheran Church
Austin, Minn.
Featuring the Blue Earth HS Concert Choir

Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Basilica of St. Mary
Minneapolis, Minn.
Featuring the St. Michael-Albertvillle High School Concert Choir

Sunday, March 26, 10:30 a.m.
Worship Service
Central Lutheran Church
Minneapolis, Minn.

Sunday, April 16, 2 p.m.
Home Concert
Wartburg Chapel
Wartburg College

Friday, April 28, 8 p.m.
Amphitheater Ioannis Despotopoulos
The Athens Conservatory
Athens, Greece

Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m.
Church of Aghios Georgios
Corfu, Greece

Friday, May 5, noon
Naples Conservatory
Naples, Italy

Saturday, May 6, 5 p.m.
St. Peter’s Basilica (Mass)
Rome, Italy

Sunday, May 7, 9 p.m.
Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri
Rome, Italy

Monday, May 8, 1:30 p.m.
Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Assisi, Italy

Tuesday, May 9, 9 p.m.
Chiesa di San Salvatore Ognissanti
Florence, Italy

Wednesday, May 10, 10:30 a.m.
Cathedral of Pisa (Mass)
Pisa, Italy

Friday, May 12, 6 p.m.
San Rocco Church
Venice, Italy

Sunday, May 14, 5 p.m.
Andräkirche
Salzburg, Austria

Monday, May 15, 7 p.m.
St. Laurentiuskirche
Neuendettelsau, Germany

Wednesday, May 17, 7 p.m.
Predigerkirche
Erfurt, Germany

Thursday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.
The Wartburg Castle
Eisenach, Germany

Friday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.
Georgenkirche
Eisenach, Germany

All concerts will take a free-will offering unless noted otherwise.

Saturday, April 22
Afternoon/Evening Rehearsal
St. Andrews Lutheran Church
900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, Minn. 

Sunday, April 23
9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Worship

St. Andrews Lutheran Church
900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, Minn. 

3 p.m. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with Abel Selaocoe

Monday, April 24
10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Clinic

Jefferson High School
4001 W. 102nd St. Minneapolis, Minn.

Tuesday, April 25
7 p.m. Concert

St. John’s Lutheran Church
312 S. Third St., Evansville, Wis.

Wednesday, April 26
Concert TBD

Edgerton High School
200 Elm High Dr., Edgerton, Wis.

Thursday, April 27
8:25-10:10 a.m. Clinic

William Fremd High School
1000 S. Quentin Rd., Palatine, Ill.

Friday, April 28
7:30 p.m. Northwestern Symphonic Wind Ensemble Concert

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall
50 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston, Ill.

Saturday, April 28
1:30 p.m. Concert
Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park
5500 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, Ill.

6:45 p.m. – Pre-Concert Lecture in Main Hall
8 pm. – Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Vladimir Jurowski
Symphony Center
220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill.

All concerts will take a free-will offering unless noted otherwise.

Ritterchor

Saturday, March 18, 7:30 p.m.
Zumbro Lutheran Church
624 3rd Ave. SW
Rochester, Minn.

Sunday, March 19, 8:30 a.m. Worship
Zumbro Lutheran Church
624 3rd Ave. SW
Rochester, Minn.

Sunday, March 19, 3 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church
213 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Mason City
Featuring Mason City HS Concert Choir

Sunday, April 2, 4 p.m.
Home Concert
Wartburg Chapel
Waverly

St. Elizabeth Chorale

Friday, March 17, 7 p.m.  
St. Peter Lutheran Church
3200 Asbury Road
Dubuque

Saturday, March 18, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 19, 9:15 a.m. 

Christ the King Lutheran Church
601 S. Washington Street
Combined Locks, Wis.

Sunday, April 2, 2 p.m.
Home Concert
Wartburg Chapel
Waverly

TOURING ENSEMBLES

Castle Singers 2022

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 2022

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 2019-20

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 2022-23

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

At Wartburg, we believe music can heal and connect people in a way no other medium can. Ensemble tours are an important aspect of a Wartburg education.

MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH MUSIC. WORTH IT.

ENSEMBLE DIRECTORS

Karen Black

Cantor and College Organist, Professor of Music, Rudi Inselmann Endowed Professor in Organ

Jeff de Seriere

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music

Rebecca Nederhiser

Assistant Professor of Music

Lee Nelson

Professor of Music / Zahn Chair in Choral Conducting

Nicki Toliver

Associate Professor of Music / Associate Director of Choral Activities