The Cal Poly Band Program traveled to England, Ireland, and Scotland for twelve days in June 2013. A concert band made up of 65 students from the Wind Ensemble, Wind Orchestra, and Mustang Band performed across the British Isles, in venues such as The Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, England), and St. John’s Smith Square in London. The students also had an opportunity to enjoy cultural excursions in all three countries through visits to Edinburgh, Oxford, and York.
This trip continued a long tradition of international travel at Cal Poly. Since 1975, the Cal Poly Band has traveled to Australia , Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, New Zealand, and Switzerland. The band has also traveled extensively throughout America, performing at concert halls in Honolulu, Los Angeles, and New York City. Each tour has served to provide students with multicultural experiences that enhance their global prospective. The band’s performances also bring attention to the thriving musical environment at Cal Poly, the nation’s premier comprehensive polytechnic university.
The band performed a variety of British and American music, including works by composers such as Julie Giroux, Gustav Holst, John Philip Sousa, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The ensemble was conducted by Andrew McMahan. William Johnson served as the coordinator and leader of non-student travelers.
