Participants

About: 

The Hickory Ridge High School Choral Ensemble is a collaborative group comprised of students from three ensembles from within the HRHS Choral Department. Hickory Ridge High School is located in Harrisburg, North Carolina, and we are home of the Ragin’ Bulls! HRHS has a tradition of excellence in the fine arts, specifically choral music. Students have competed and received Superior ratings at state and national festivals for over a decade.

Fun Fact: 

This will be the first international trip for the HRHS Choral Ensemble, but we are very excited to spend this first out-of-the-country trip in beautiful Rome!

Social Media

Website: www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us

Instagram: @hrhschorus

About:

Since its inception in the Fall of 2009, the Lambert Chorus Program has worked as a part of the Lambert Performing Arts Department to present high-quality choral performances. Under the direction of Mr. Ryan Wason, the Choruses have consistently received Superior ratings at Georgia state festivals. The Choruses actively collaborate with the Lambert Orchestras and Bands, including the Southeastern United States premiere of R. Daniel Holt’s “A Celtic Mass” in 2017.

Fun Fact:

In 2015, the Choruses were invited to participate in the London International Choral Festival and are excited to perform as a part of the Rome New Year’s Day Festivities.

Social Media

Facebook: @LambertChorus

About:

Lambert High School is proud that it is the first orchestra programme to be established in Forsyth County, Georgia. The Chamber Orchestra was established in 2011 and under the direction of Julie Rosseter and Elizabeth Alvarez, it has distinguished itself by its commitment to excellence, creative collaboration, and community service. The LHS Chamber Orchestra performed to great acclaim at the 2016 Magnolia Chamber Music Festival and later won the Grand Prize at the Feis Na Tara Music Competition.

Fun Fact:

In 2017, the orchestra played the Southeastern premiere of The Celtic Mass by Rick Holt. Most recently the orchestra was invited to perform with world-renowned composer and pianist, Malek Jandali, for the 2018 Pianos for Peace Festival.

Social Media

Website: www.lamberthsband.com

Twitter: @LambertHSBand

Facebook: @LambertHSBand

About: 

This will be the 23rd European performance of the Big Easy Jazz Ambassadors. Originally called the Big Easy Jazz Ensemble, they first performed in Maastricht, the Netherlands, and were such a big hit with the Dutch that they returned to Maastricht for the next two years.

A junior version of the Big Easy Jazz Ensemble, made up of high school students, marched in the Millennium Parade in Paris on January 1st 2000. The newly renamed, Big Easy Jazz Ambassadors, with a mix of adult professional, semi-professional and amateur musicians all hailing from the cradle of Jazz, New Orleans, has performed in London, Edinburgh, Venice, Rome, Frascati, Paris, Chantilly, Madrid, Prague and Budapest.

This group of individual musicians all play at different venues during the year and come together once a year for their annual European tour. They are always accompanied by their ‘Second-Liners’ who are performers that do not play music but dress in traditional New Orleans colours, dance and throw beads to the crowd, Mardi Gras Style!

Fun Fact: 

This year the group has transported an amazing 300lbs, nearly 200kgs, of authentic Mardi Gras beads for the parade. Yell “Throw me something, mister”, and you could be walking away festooned with them.

About: 

We are a high school marching band from southern California, USA. We compete in our region both in field competitions and on the street for competitive band reviews.

We are able to compete, perform, travel and engage our audiences primarily due to the massive amout of support we get from our parent booster club, The Schurr Music Boosters.

Fun Fact: 

We are thrilled to be a part of this year’s Rome New Year Parade! We have never travelled this far from home and could not be happier to do so. Our last trip across the Atlantic was for London’s New Year’s Day Parade in 2013. We would like to thank you all for having us!

Social Media: 

Website: www.schurrmusic.org

Twitter: @SHMusicBoosters

Facebook: @shurrhighmusicboosters

Instagram: @shurrmusicboosters

About:

The Gadsen Elementary School District 32 Marching Band is from San Luis, Arizona, which is located in the Southwest corner of the State on the boarder of San Luis, Rio Colorado, Mexico. Approximately ninety nine percent of the student population is of Hispanic ethnicity. This Marching Band has been highly recognised as both state and local levels; along with being awarded numerous first place trophies. They are the pride and joy of San Luis, Arizona. The Gadsen Elementary School District 32 Marching Band has participated in the Twenty-Seventh Annual New Year’s Day Parade and  Festival in London, England on January 1, 2013.

Fun Fact: 

In the state of Arizona, Gadsen Elementary School District 32 is the youngest band to ever travel to Europe to perform. The age range is from 9 years old to 15 years old.

Social Media:

Website: www.gesd32.org

About: 

The Marching Monarchs are under the direction of Deborah L. Sarvay and hail from Newport News, Virginia. The Marching Monarchs are one piece of a comprehensive instrumental music program that includes a Symphonic, Concert, Jazz and Show Band along with a Percussion Ensemble and Orchestra. Monarch Bands consistently receive Excellent and Superior Ratings and have earned the distinction of being a Virginia Honour Band and a Blue Ribbon Music School.

Fun Fact: 

We have represented Newport News, VA in the London New Year’s Day Parade twice and at the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. The Marching Monarchs have a ‘Relay of Life Team‘, raising money each year for cancer research. We also lead the ‘Survivors Lap’ at this event each year.

Social Media: 

Facebook: @menchvillehs 

About:

Detroit Catholic Central High School Marching Band, from Novi, Michigan, performs and regularly achieves a Superior rating at Michigan School Band and Orchestra Festivals. They have performed nationally at the Hawaiian Invitational and internationally at London’s New Year’s Day Parade, La Grande Parade de Paris, Madrid’s Cabalgata de Reyes and the Rome New Year Parade & Festival in Italy. The Music Department consists of a full band and orchestra programme including: Beginning Band, Concert Band, Symphony Band, Marching Band, Jazz and World Drumming classes. Director of Bands Mr Greg Normandin, currently serves on the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association Executive Board as VP of Orchestral Activities.

Fun Fact:

Catholic Central High School is an all-male high school founded in 1928 by the Basilian Fathers. Its current campus was dedicated in 2005 and has an enrollment of nearly 1,100 students.

Social Media

Website: www.catholiccentral.net 

Twitter: @DCCShamrocks

Facebook: @DCCShamrocks

Instagram: @dccshamrocks

About: 

The Shawnee Mission East High School “Marching Lancers” hail from Prairie Village, Kansas, in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The group consists of 100 members aged 14 to 18 and performs in local parades, at American Football Games, marching competitions and community events.

Jazz was born in New Orleans but it grew up in Kansas City. The Marching Lancers will be performing music written by Count Basie, Bennie Moten, Charlie Parker and more. Hard-driving swing, blues riffs and improvisation make Kansas City Jazz unique. We are looking forward to performing for you.

Fun Fact: 

This is the Marching Lancers’ first time travelling abroad. We are looking forward to sharing our musical traditions with you while enjoying a new culture, making new friends and creating memories that will last a lifetime!

Social Media:

Website: www.smelancerbands.com

Twitter: @smelancerbands

Facebook: @smelancerbands

Instagram: @smeband

About:

The Shawnee Mission East High School “Marching Lancers” JAZZ BAND hail from Prairie Village, Kansas, in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Although jazz was born in New Orleans, but it grew up in Kansas City. The Marching Lancers will be performing music written by Count Basie, Bennie Moten, Charlie Parker, and many more. Hard-driving swing, blues riffs and improvisation make Kansas City Jazz unique and the Marching Lancers Jazz Band are looking forward to performing it for you!

Social Media:

Website: www.smelancerbands.com

Twitter: @smelancerbands

Facebook: @smelancerbands

Instagram: @smeband

About: 

The Shawnee Mission East High School Wind Ensemble are musicians from the extensive music programme at Shawnee Mission East so they also play for the ‘Marching Lancers’ and the Jazz Band. They are aged 14-18 and perform at local events, competitions and concerts throughout the year. They are excited to be performing a concert in Rome and are delighted to be playing their specially selected traditional and American Festive programme for you tonight.

Social Media:

Website: www.smelancerbands.com

Twitter: @smelancerbands

Facebook: @smelancerbands

Instagram: @smeband