Wisconsin All Stars of Music Tour

10/06/2024

Ah, Summer! Time to think about the possibility of exploring and performing in Europe in 2025. Registration is now open. Visit our website for a links to our family information video, FAQ's, and registration links.

Registration closes July 31

20/05/2024

So excited to have premiered our informational video tonight for our 2025 tour. If you missed it, you can view it at your convenience on our youtube channel at this link:

Wisconsin Senior All-Stars of Music Information Meeting 2025https://www.allstarsofmusic.com/wiasom.html

21/04/2024

Kudos to the Wisconsin and Illinois Junior All Stars of Music staff and their executive director, Kati Seiter for a great kick-off rehearsal Saturday. Two bands, a choir and orchestra had the chance to get to know each other, their amazing conductors and make music together. See you all in July before we depart for Hawaii!

01/03/2024

March is "Music in our Schools" month. Here is a shout out to all of the amazing music teachers, that work hard every day to give young people all across our state a place where they can belong, feel comfortable expressing themselves and nurture their skills and talents. Each one of you is an ALL-STAR TEACHER! Take the opportunity this month to thank YOUR favorite music teacher!

Here is a special shout out to the music teachers that were on our 2023 tour or are on our 2025 Wisconsin All Stars of Music coordinating staff.

Molly Weiss Petroff, Waunakee (Executive Director)
Victoria Salmon Donahue, Sun Prairie (Associate Director Pre-Tour Operations)
Kevin Cooley, Platteville (Associate Director Tour Manager)
Scott Bruer, Reedsburg (Lead Band Coordinator)
Sarah Hafenstein, Watertown (Lead Orchestra Coordinator)
Katie James, Wisconsin Dells (Lead Choir Coordinator)
McKenna Hayes, Oconto (Band Coordinator)
Kirsten Hornby, Wausau (Orchestra Coordinator)
Griffin Raymond James, Baraboo (Band Coordinator)
Kendra Junk, Medford (Band Coordinator)
Katherine Myszewski, Shorewood (Band Coordinator)
Soma Pierce-Smit, Eau Claire (Orchestra Coordinator)
Elliott Rittenberry, Verona (Percussion Coordinator)
Kati Seiter, Oregon (Band Coordinator)
Elisabeth Deussen, Oregon (Section Leader)
Audrey Nowak, Bay Port (Section Leader)
Erica Ruppert, (Section Leader)
Paul B. Gregg, McFarland (Section Leader)

If you are a student or a teacher that would like to be a part of our 2025 tour, nominations are due today. Get them in ASAP. If you have not received information from an All-Star teammate, please direct message and we will get you the information you need! It will only take a few minutes!

26/02/2024

Got the Monday blues after such a beautiful weekend? Check out these breathtaking views from Lucerne and Mount Pilatus from our 2023 Wisconsin All Stars Tour. Ah! That's better.
Our Nomination window is closing. If you are a student or teacher and want information on how you can join us in 2025, direct message with your email to receive your information packet.

20/02/2024

London was the first stop on our 2023 tour. Our All-Stars hopped on double decker busses and travelled underground on the tube. They got up close and personal with the River Thames, the Globe Theatre, the Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace. We can’t wait to take you in 2025!

11/02/2024

We are currently accepting student nominations for current 9th-11th grade students to our summer tour 2025 to London, Paris, Switzerland, and Munich with a possible extension to Prague and Vienna!

04/02/2024

We are pleased to announce that the orchestra director for our 2025 tour will be Dr. Mark Dupere, Director of Orchestra Studies at Lawrence University!

Mark Dupere is Assistant Professor of Music at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, where he is the Director of Orchestral Studies. A native of Arizona, he studied cello with Phyllis Young at the University of Texas at Austin before moving to the Netherlands to complete his cello studies with Jaap ter Linden at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. Dupere specialized in Baroque cello and performance practice of the Romantic era. He completed his Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting at Michigan State University with Kevin Noe.
As a cellist, Dupere has performed with many groups throughout Europe and in major European concert halls. Dupere has performed on BBC Radio and Arte TV and has made numerous recordings. After many years of performing as a professional cellist, Dupere decided to pursue his great passion for conducting and directing. Apart from conducting the Lawrence University Orchestras, he conducts Philharmonie Austin, a period instrument ensemble exploring Baroque, Classical and Romantic music.

27/01/2024

Joining us as our Band Conductor for our 2025 Summer Tour is Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj!

Kristin Tjornehoj is a professor of music at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and teaches music education, instrumental conducting, instrumental literature, music appreciation and world music online. She conducts the Symphonic Wind Band, St. Croix Valley Symphony Orchestra and St. Croix Valley Community Band. Dr. Tjornehoj holds a Ph.D. in music education and a M.M. from the University of Minnesota, and a B.M. degree in music education and performance from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.
She is active as a musician, conductor, educator and speaker. She maintains a musical life including conducting in both professional and educational settings. Dr. Tjornehoj is also dedicated to the creation of new compositions and is a participating member in several professional scholarly, music and community organizations.
She is dedicated to using the gifts she has been blessed with as tools to enhance people’s lives. Her pursuit is to use education as the path...and music as the inspirational venue. Her passions include building community through music, cultural exchange, personal development and traveling.

17/01/2024

Wisconsin All Stars of Music is pleased to announce the first of our three esteemed conductors/educators for our 2025 tour. Help me in welcoming Dr. Frank A. Watkins!

Watkins is an Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. A native of Omaha Nebraska, Watkins taught secondary choral music in Texas for six years. He holds degrees in piano performance from Jackson State University (BM), the University of Arkansas (MM), and choral conducting from Northwestern University (MM) and Michigan State University (DMA).

Watkins joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2014. A dynamic young conductor, Watkins’ love and passion are teaching. He believes that in order to educate, you must first inspire! It is his goal to make an impact…not just an impression on the lives of those that follow his baton.

19/08/2023

Wonderful to see the kids sharing their amazing experience! Congrats Wausau music students and Kirsten Hornby!

A trip across the pond for a group of high school students in the Wausau area proved memorable.

12/08/2023

12/08/2023

11/08/2023

This summer, music students from throughout Wisconsin brought their talents to Europe for a series of performances while absorbing a bit of the culture there.

31/07/2023

We love getting notes like this one from parents and family members! This is why we do what we do.

“I just want to let you know how amazing this trip has been for [our daughter]– how much she has loved the experience, the travel, the sights, the friends/fellow travelers. I can’t being to tell you how heartwarming this is, as this is exactly what she needed and what our hopes were for her. 😊 So thank you again, Molly, to you and your staff and everyone for coordinating such an amazing experience, and thank you for inviting and including her!”

27/07/2023

Last day in Italy. Tomorrow we head back to the States. Thank you to everyone who supported the musicians in this great journey with the Wisconsin All Stars of Music. We all have memories of a lifetime.

26/07/2023

After traveling by bus to Rome, students visited Campo dei Fiori, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. Tomorrow we spend out last full day in Italy before heading home on Friday.

25/07/2023

Full day in Florence included more gelato and authentic Italian food. Students ventured to shop, climbed Giotto’s Bell Tower, visited the Opera de Duomo Museum, trekked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo to see the view of the city, and more. It was a hot and humid day but a really great day. Tomorrow we head to Rome.

24/07/2023

We are now in Florence, Italy. Some climbed 463 steps up the Dome, others explored the area. We also had a great dinner at Zaza’s.

23/07/2023

Our full day in Venice included time in the Galleria dell-Accademia, a tour inside St Marks Basilica, and another great dinner at Rosso Pomodoro. We also had time to explore Venice, eat a lot of gelato and cannolis, take a gondola ride or just a ride on the water, and more. On to Florence tomorrow.

23/07/2023

Today’s Italy extension group traveled to Venice where there are no cars and a lot of beauty!! We enjoyed a walking tour and a delicious 3-course dinner. We even managed to snag a group photo. It is hot here but so unique and beautiful.

22/07/2023

Our Italy bound group is well on their way to Venice.

Our US bound groups have all lifted off safely from Munich. We are divided into four flight groups.

Yellow and Green are connecting through London (LHR) and are scheduled to arrive in Chicago (ORD) at 6:15 pm Central time on British Airways flight 297.

Red and Orange are connecting through Dublin (DUB) and are scheduled to arrive in Chicago (ORD) at 7:05 pm Central time on Aer Lingus flight 125.

Parents who have selected to pick their student up at O’Hare MUST be waiting for them in baggage claim when we arrive. Allow ample time to park and enter the Arrivals terminal. We cannot hold up the rest of the group for parents who are late.

Parents picking up students from UW-Whitewater should be in contact with their student after we arrive at O’Hare to coordinate the proper pick up time. Please do not be late and delay the staff from getting home.

21/07/2023

We did it! We managed to get a great big group shot of (virtually) the entire tour!

This is in front of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts

21/07/2023

It’s the last day in Europe (for those not going on to Italy)! We experienced a solemn visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial (we chose not to take photos there out of respect for the site), and one of Europe’s finest Baroque palaces Nymphenberg Palace, the summer home to many Bavarian kings and queens.

Tonight it is back to Zum Franziskaner for our Farewell dinner. Tomorrow morning most of us head to the airport for a long travel day home. 🇺🇸 The rest will return to the busses for a 7-hour drive to Venice! 🇮🇹

20/07/2023

We made it a great day in Munich. We got to explore more of the city than originally planned. That included the Munich Zoo, sightseeing in Old Town and a stop at BMW Welt.

20/07/2023

Travel requires flexibility and the ability to make changes. Unfortunately our planned excursion to Salzburg cannot happen today. We are disappointed certainly, but our trip organizers have come up with a fantastic alternative plan right here in Munich.

After sleeping in a bit and getting some much needed rest, we will be visiting the Munich Zoo, and exploring the downtown area through a photo scavenger hunt. Still going to have a fantastic day exploring the capital of Bavaria.

19/07/2023

Dinner tonight was classically German at Zum Franziskaner!

19/07/2023

Thank you for hosting us Bayern-Park! What a fantastic amusement park you have! Our performers loved the rides and appreciated your hospitality. Until another time!