Comments from GDYO members about trip

Comments from GDYO members: I think this trip has been so wonderful in many ways - we made amazing music, many new friends, and got to see new places and cities. This trip was really amazing and will be unforgettable. I think that every place we've been to has been beautiful and we've all just "grown" in a lot of ways. Cheers to a good last 3 days of this trip and best last tour concert! - Michelle Yang This trip has been amazing! It's wonderful to get to visit a place with a beautiful landscape and awesome halls. It's also been great meeting new people, both German and GDYO (and it's inspiring to realize how much young  talent we have) I've definitely enjoyed spending more time with so many musicians. I almost wish the tour wouldn't end! It's all been an amazing experience. - Samantha Guu This trip was really amazing and it's not even over yet! The food was really good, the music was really good (even the Mussorgsky that we never finished!) and the palaces, castles, churches and cute little stores were unbelievable. I want to stuff Europe in my suitcase and take it back with me...but I think it'd be over the weight limit. - Sophie Druffner I'm just so grateful to be lucky enough to be invited! The places we've been to have been so historical, it's incredible! The beautiful landscapes have been amazing, too. I think we've really accomplished our biggest goal for the tour - to make music. On the side, I've grown a lot personally, too, and I've made so many friends. This experience has been so great. It's an irreplaceable opportunity. - Veronica Zheng With only one concert to go, it's alright to say that this trip has been absolutely fantastic. In this past week and a half, we have grown musically, personally and even physically (from the walking tours). I'm really glad that I was fortunate enough to be part of this trip, and I really think we have made the best of it - by making music. - Derek Yan There's so much to say, so many amazing moments that I can't even begin to describe, so with a yawn I'll leave it up to you to imagine how wonderful this trip was how fortunate I was to have this opportunity, and how truly stunned I am at every moment of the day. - Ben Chilton I've had so much fun on this trip. I've never laughed harder in my life. I've also grown a lot as a person and as a musician. I'm so glad to have made so many great new friends and to have grown closer with the ones I've had. This trip is amazing. I second that. (what the person above said) Not only have I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful European cities, I've loved getting to meet so many awesome people and getting to know them through amazing experiences. - Harini Wow. I've gotten very close to students that I didn't even know the names of before we departed DFW. I've loved every thrilling day touring the cities, palaces, castles and churches. I've loved chilling with my friends watching the Euro Futbal cup. Thank you chaperones, parents, and GDYO for such a wonderful opportunity. - Haley Greenia I have had many mixed emotions on this trip. For first I thought I would dread the busy schedule and constant rules; However, as the days rolled by I realized the magic behind the making music and new friends. Each performance was special along with each moment with everyone on tour. I am very blessed to do the things I love on the tour: music, making friends, and traveling. I will definitely miss the GDYO program, but I will never forget the awesome moments of laughter, crying and fun enjoyable times. - Sonia Villanueva This trip has been a really amazing growing experience. I feel like I've grown as a musician, as a section leader, and I feel like I've grown in appreciation for classical music and the music we're playing. I don't wan to go home.  I originally didn't want to come, but how much I've changed my mind now. Making music with old and new friends was a really bonding experience and it's so much fun talking about all our tour guides and being exceptionally trollish during free time. I'm sad I can't go on another tour, but thanks to everyone (Patrick, Tonya, Mr. G, Mr. Moore, Mr. Geise and chaperones and the whole orchestra) for the best time of my life.

Weimar and concert 5

Visit to Weimar and concert. We had a late start on Monday which was nice. No getting up at the crack of dawn but a little time to get ready and enjoy a nice breakfast. We went into town for a walking tour. It was very cold (by Texas standards) and it rained but most everyone was prepared with umbrellas, jackets or hoodies.  The tour took us around the city and Weimar is a city of the arts. Composers such as Bach, Liszt, Wagner and even Mahler spent many days there. It is also known for literature as Goethe was born there and lived a large part of his life in the city. But it seemed like every building we went by was the home of some important musicians, poet, writer, actor, etc. This small town which is so quaint looks nothing like you would think a city out of the communist days. It is colorful and full of life. After the tours there was time for lunch and shopping. There were also museums to tour and parks to walk through. Over all it was a nice day, even with the rain and colder weather. We headed off to rehearsal at the Belevarde School. It is a school of music and has contemporary buildings mixed with the older style. The performance venue is unique. Shaped like a horseshoe the orchestra is on the far end at the bottom of the horseshoe. Risers go up about five steps, which is where people will sit for the concert. Behind the orchestra is a large window that looks out to large trees and has a view of the town. The school sits up on a hill. Patrick was not sure how the orchestra would fit but it looks really nice, the seem to have plenty of space. Acoustically it is bright as the floor is wood and the ceiling and part of the columns concrete.  The school will be performing on the concert along with the GDYO.  We had dinner at the school, originally we were supposed to eat with the German students, but the dining area was not big enough to house both groups. Concert 5 This was a joint concert with the Belvederer Orchester. They opened with Sinfonie no. 5 mvt 2. It really was a nice performance, mellow and relaxed. Then they performed Ritual Dance by Manuel DeFalla. It was a fun adventure and they played very well.  GDYO performed Carnival Overture, Fall at the Barnard Cottage and Pictures at an Exhibition.  Overall a good concert. The audience loved them as they seem to every where, but honestly can you blame them? Nice solos tonight from Lizzie Kang, flute, Haley Greenia, horn, Reagen O'Connor, trumpet. Lots of yells and whistles at the end and these kids can whistle. Audience really enjoyed again. Encore this evening  - Nimrod from Elgar. I personally can never tire of this piece and GDYO does such a lovely job. The rain was falling behind them and the trees swaying in the wind. It seems almost too perfect and I don't know how these amazing things keep happening. Next encore - Overture to Candide - great solos by all.  After the concert the GDYO members got to hang out with the German students. Once agian I think a few new friendships were made. I wish they would have had more time to spend together but the school had a curfew and it was the end of a very long day for us. But hopefully a few emails and facebook addresses were exchanged.

A few more comments on Dresden from kids

More comments on Dresden: Dresden has been my favorite city so far! This will probably be the city I remember the most! - Allie Stewart Dresden is very beautiful with great buildings and a calm atmosphere. I really enjoyed the experience of meeting the German musicians as well. - Phoenix Abbo I definitely think that Dresden is the most beautiful city we've seen so far. The mix of old and new is balanced and gives the city so much character. Dresden has been my favorite! - Emily Cheng I love Dresden! I loved exploring the city and meeting the musicians! They were so nice and welcoming. - Holly O'Brien Let's just put it this way - I took almost 400 pictures in the 2 days we were in Dresden. - Cailtlin Garcia I loved going on the walking tour of Dresden in the evening - the city was so beautiful at night. I also really enjoyed playing with the Dresden musicians in their orchestra - it was a unique, wonderful experience. - Caroline Magee Mingling with students from the conservatory was an amazing opportunity! Communication poses no threat when we are equipment with the power of interpretive dance. - Masie O'Brien I think we should've just stayed in Dresden all trip long. Good food, great music, awesome architecture, fantastic people. - Samuel Kang The walking tour of Dresden was one of the most fun parts of the trip. Gorgeous buildings and history, active city life, and tons of fantastic street (and tunnel!) performers made it great fun! Playing with the German students for their half of the concert was wonderful as well - they were all incredibly skilled and so kindhearted. - Trevor Meagher Dresden is probably my favorite city we've traveled to. It's so clean and safe and nearly everything is fresh and new. All of the German students we met were so fun and polite. I'm also starting to become a soccer (or I guess I should say futbol) fan! - Megan Wright A great blend of modern and old, Dresden is wonderful city! Great weather and host in Dresden added to this fantastic two days! - Rooha Khan  The concert hall in Dresden was magnificently beautiful and meeting the German kids was so much fun to learn the cultural differences! - Drew Johnson-Scott Dresden was a very hospitable city and I loved staying here and wish I could stay longer! - Jennifer Cho Not only is Dresden surrounded by beautiful architecture at every turn, it is also very home-y and clean. So far, I've enjoyed staying here the most. Good food, interesting buildings, and charming atmosphere, nice people. - Lucy Cheng Dresden has had, in my opinion, the most positive atmosphere of all the cities we've visisted. In my future travels, I hope to visit it again. - Zachery  Dresden is a really nice place! Everything looks really nice and clean. The people over there are really nice too! - Ujwal Madhavapeddi An amazing two days in Dresden - I loved everything about it! the food, the architecture, and the people! Can't wait to visit again in future travels. - Allison Beck Dresden is such a gorgeous city! The walking tour in the evening was incredible. I also really loved meeting the people from the music school - we were soon friends. I really loved staying in Dresden and I hope to visit again. - Tiffany Mourlam Dresden was amazing! The architecture and history of the city really makes it special. I also love how its full of music - Jack McKay. Dresden has a great history. Tour guide was awesome. People were good looking and friendly. Nice and spacious walking - beautiful buildings and river. One of my favorite places. - Alicia Nguyen

Leipzig and drive to Weimar

Leipzig and drive to Weimar Our 1.5 drive to Leipzig was once again beautiful. I don't know the last time I have seen so much green. Couple of interesting things - you seen tons of the modern wind mills up in the hills. According to our guide they switched from coal to wind power some time in the 80s and you will see no houses around them because of the noise. You also see many solar panels on roofs and in fields. We saw one barn where the roof was completely covered.  We arrived in Leipzig to wonderful weather and begin our walking tour. It's not that big of a place and fairly easy to get around. It was a Sunday, which means almost all of the shops are closed. You see a few coffee shops and restaurants open, but not many. And there were a lot of people out, strolling around, eating ice cream, enjoying the sun.  We were shown the train station which looks like a giant mall with trains in it. Seriously, shop after shop of food, clothes, shoes, knick-knacks and more. Leipzig was known as a merchant town, so the guide showed us the many places where markets were held for selling goods. But of course the high light was St. Thomas Church where Bach was the choir master. We had hoped to see a service but were unable to. It's a simple church with beautiful ceilings and the man himself is buried there. I personally can now mark something off my to-do list. After the tour we had lunch in Auerbach's Keller. It's a historical restaurant where Goethe spent many days and supposedly wrote Faust there. It's a fairly dark room with yellow walls and Faust paintings everywhere. We had your usual potatoes, chicken and veggies with ice cream for dessert. Not a bad lunch. Afterwards we split into groups - you could either go to the Bach museum, Mendelssohn's  home or the train station to shop.  We had a good mix for all groups. Oh, I have to tell you a funny story about Heidi the opossum. Several years ago the Leipzig zoo was given a opossum from North Carolina (shout-out!) and she was cross-eyed. Apparently this little creature was very popular with school children and they came from miles around to see her. People would take vacations to Leipzig just to see this opossum. She died a few years back but still lives in the hearts of all. We found some strange pastries that looked like a cross-eyed opossum. If they weren't so expensive I would have bought one for you to see. Afterwards, we loaded up and headed to Weimar, which was about 1 hour. Our hotel is not in town but across the way in a small suburb. It's actually really nice with a swimming pool, spa area, bikes and places to walk. The rooms are spacious and very clean.  At the hotel, we had dinner which was a buffet of the usual Germany foods. The sky turned dark and it turned chilly and rained so the kids hung out at the hotel, swimming, watching the soccer game, playing games and relaxing.  It was good to get a little rest and relaxation. 

More comments from kids

Comments from kids about Dresden and Miscellaneous things:  The coolest thing we've done is tour the porcelain place. I loved learning about it. The best thing I've done was nailing Trularies in Pictures and the strangest thing I've done was seeing the self-cleaning rotating toilet at the gas station! "Running is the best way to explore a new city." Tonya's wise words proved to be true this morning. I experienced/enjoyed the fresh air, beautiful nature, exquisite architecture, daring squirrels, perfect weather of Dresden all in a 2.5. mile run - Harini The coolest thing: a train station that looks like the opera house. Why can't we have these in America? The strangest thing: a guy with a huge mohawk that was orange. The best thing: playing Stars and Stripes at the Smetana Festival. That was the most fun I've had in an orchestra ever. The coolest thing: the rebuilt Fravenkirche in Dresden, and how they put every brick of the ruins back in their original place. The strangest thing: Bubble tea at McDonald's. The best thing: Playing in the open air at Litomysl.  The coolest thing I have seen would be the paintings representing the movements from Pictures at an Exhibition that were showcased at our concert in Litomysl. The strangest thing I have seen would probably be the array of crazy drinks with their "special ingredients." So far the best memory would be the outdoor music festival in Litomysl. The crowd was so great and performing all the encores was really rewarding along with seeing the joy on the crowd faces. The best experience: playing at Litomysl. The coolest stage and audience, breathtaking sound, and best performance. The coolest things: tie between statues and fruit stands. Prague's statues lean and glare at the people in the streets having an eery life to them. But fresh German fruit is so tasty! The strangest things: six person tourist bike and crazy German futbol fans yelling in the streets. On of the funniest nights was watching a German soccer game...in Germany. I also enjoyed getting to talk with some German kids my age. The castles are nice too. Favorite: seeing the opera house and getting free time to explore each city. Strangest: Naked dude on the river bank in Munich. Coolest: The castle that we played at! It was so beautiful. It made me decide to be a princess when I am older. ; ) Coolest thing: Getting to walk around the arts/ theater district in Dresden was an amazing experience. The way that they have restored some of their buildings using the same parts of the buildings from before the WW II bombings made them even more beautiful. Best thing I've done: Two things - getting to watch the soccer games with everyone crammed into one hotel room has been a ton of fun. I love how everyone here is so passionate about this sport. Another thing I loved doing was meeting the German students yesterday. I had my doublts about meeting them because I was nervous that the language barrier would make trying to communicate uncomfortable. However, they all spoke English very well. And not only were we able to just have a basic conversation, we were really able to relate to them and what they go through in everyday life. Being able connect so easy with them was an amazing experience. The coolest thing I have experienced in Germany is the camaraderie and support of their national team. America could learn from that. The strangest thing I have seen is that a hotel still used keys instead of key cards. The best thing I have done is meet more people in GDYO and communicated with people without spoken language. 

Comment from Mr. Giangiulio

A note from Mr. Giangiulio This has been a most wonderful tour in every way. We are making great music, great friends and growing in so many postive ways. We have had careful planning and there have been no last minute "problems" that usually pop up on such a complicated schedule. The kids are great and are happy and enjoying themselves, while playing at a professional level. It couldn't get better! Mr. "G"

A few comments from the kids about Dresden

Comments from kids on Dresden: Dresden was awesome! The German musicians were very nice and it was fun to watch and play with them. They were also interesting to talk to and it was fun to watch Aakash talk to them in German. And their concert hall was amazing! So beautiful. I wish we'd gotten to play the Elgar there too, but the other pieces sounded good also... - Samantha Guu It was really cool talking to the German youth orchestra. Listening to them play was really awesome. - Michael Wang Dresden was much less urban than Munich but much prettier than Prague. Playing with the German orchestra was very interesting and a lot of fun even though I was confused during the rehearsal. - Daniel Chilton Dresden was a phenomenally relaxing town with such beautiful architecture - made imagining its destruction in WW II abhorrent.  To be honest, it was like the perfect date place. - Ben Chilton Dresden was pretty cool. The German students were pretty good at their instruments - Franklin Jia Dresden is a beautiful city, and I love the way in which they rebuilt their amazing buildings. I really like the climate there, and the picnic was a great social event for getting to know the other people. The coolest thing was that Lutheran church that got knocked down into ruins. Now it's rebuilt all shiny and new, except they pieced back the remaining stones from the ruins into the walls of the church! - Veronica Zheng Dresden is absolutely beautiful, just like a lot of the other European cities we have been to. Although the architecture is starting to look all the same, I am really impressed of Dresden's beauty. - Derek Yan It was nice to meet all the German music students yesterday! They're all nice and fun to be around. I love how each building is so freaking pretty!!! Ahh. - Michelle Yang The best thing I have was tour Dresden in the evening. The temperature was perfect and the city was beautiful! Dresden was really pretty I very much enjoyed playing with the German students and getting to know them. Watching the game was really fun and I like getting to know more of the kids here in GDYO! - Emily Dresden and I are like Peanut butter and jelly; The sweet nature of the city makes me a complete nut. The Hochschule was AMAZING!!! The concert in Dresden was concrete proof that GDYO concert always end with a BANG! Oh yeah and Tonya rocks! Team Donna! - Aakash Patel