Unpacked, a blog by Director's Choice

European Performance Tours 101

Written by Adele Youngs | Nov 26, 2019 5:00:44 PM

We are all performers ourselves and find it an honor to arrange European tours for choirs, orchestras, wind bands, marching bands, dance and drama groups with Director’s Choice. Each performance is arranged with the specific requirements of the group in mind, be it for a formal evening concert, an opportunity to perform in a cathedral of outstanding beauty or the chance to mix with the locals and put on a joint evening event. Here’s what we can provide on our performing tours:

VENUES AND AUDIENCES We select the venues for each performing group after an extensive review processing order to make sure we take into account all their technical, musical and budgetary requirements. We regularly assist with arranging site inspection visits for music directors and group leaders so that they can check on venues before the tour, and we work hard to ensure there are no last minute surprises on performance day!

MUSIC CONTACTS AND JOINT CONCERTS Our range of contacts with established names in the music industry enables us to organize workshops and other activities, many with very prestigious and experienced musicians and conductors. Joint concerts are extremely popular with groups and an excellent way to enhance the performance experience.

FESTIVALS AND PARADES Festivals are a great way to meet and exchange musical and dance experiences with other similar groups from around the world. We work closely with over 30 festivals across Europe (as well as managing our own) and can guide and assist with applications and other information. Parades, such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, or at Disneyland Paris, are an incredible experience for marching bands and dance groups, respectively.

PUBLICITY The majority of performances need publicity, and we take care of all of this for you. We design and publish flyers and posters, coordinate social media campaigns and regularly use print distribution companies, local media and “what’s on” guides and apps to ensure great coverage for performances.

EQUIPMENT RENTALTo avoid the cost of flying with large instruments, we have an excellent network of providers across Europe from whom we hire a wide range of instruments. We monitor the luggage and instrument loads and, where needed, can provide luggage vans and instrument trucks to assist with transporting any overflow.