Utah Tech Music Students Perform In Germany

This summer, two Utah Tech students, Ethan Allen and Janna Brown, and Dr. Ka-Wai Yu of the UT music department visited Saarburg, Germany to perform in the Saarburg Music Festival.

Allen has been playing cello since he was in sixth grade, practicing and experimenting with various other instruments as he grew older. Allen is working towards a double major in music education and math education. Brown, a violin performance major, has played violin since she was 7, starting with both private lessons and orchestra and occasionally providing her talents with the viola as well.

Upon arrival in Luxembourg, a bus transported Allen and Brown to their hotel, where they were able to spend the rest of night unwinding and fighting off the effects of jet lag. At the end of the next day, a reception was held at the castle in Saarburg to kick off the camp.

For two weeks, Allen and Brown spent each day rehearsing. While some days only required morning rehearsals, others were completely filled with hours upon hours of practice. Allen performed a total of four times and Brown performed five times.

The students had one day to tour Luxembourg City and Trier, Germany’s oldest city, where they had the opportunity to see some of the ancient cathedrals, castles, and Roman ruins.

Both students said that the work they put into rehearsing the music was tiring and that being in a new country and adapting to the culture was almost overwhelming at first. Allen and Brown practiced pieces for just a few days before performing them in Germany, as compared to months of preparation before a concert back home.

The experience of mingling with others who had already established a career path in music was valuable to both students, helping them establish and reaffirm what professions they want to pursue and push them to perform at higher levels.

Both Allen and Brown were able to fund their trips through local support and scholarships, both remarking that without that help they would never have gone to this festival. “I highly recommend any type of Study Abroad program to every student,” said Brown. “It’s really worth it and it’s definitely been a turning point for my education.”

For more information about Utah Tech’s Study Abroad programs, please click here.