Listen Here
By Erin Moran
morane@findlay.edu
As spring break approaches, students in the University of Findlay Concert Chorale will be traveling overseas to participate in the 2026 Choral Festival Concert Tour in Germany and Czechia, more widely known in English as the Czech Republic.
The ensemble will depart Feb. 27 and return March 6. During the trip, students will perform three concerts, beginning March 1 at Evangelische Kirche Merchingen in Ravenstein, Germany. The choir will then travel to Hradec Králové, Czechia, for a March 3 performance at the University of Hradec Králové before concluding the tour on March 4 at the Czech Museum of Music in Prague.
The University of Findlay will collaborate with the Smíšený Sbow (Mixed Choir) of the University of Hradec Králové and Collegium Paedagogicum of Charles University in Prague. For sophomore choir member Zoe Sleasman, this trip is an exciting opportunity, both musically and culturally.
“We are singing in the Czech Museum of Music, and that is just so cool,” Sleasman said. “We also have the opportunity to sing with some Czech choirs. They are learning our music completely in English, and we are going to be singing in other languages to reciprocate the cultural exchange, which makes it so important.”
Sleasman said the experience extends beyond the music.
“It’s learning that there’s something outside of the University of Findlay,” she said. “It’s really easy for college students, because we are here all the time, to lose sight of other college students in other countries who are doing things differently than we are. There are so many different cultures out there that we don’t get to interact with on a daily basis, and that can be very eye-opening and impactful.”
This will be the first time many choir members have traveled abroad and toured as a choir. Sleasman noted her excitement to visit such a historically rich region.
“Dr. Jung didn’t offer the trip last year, but I love traveling,” said Sleasman. “I’ve never been to this part of Europe. Getting to go to Germany and the Czech Republic is really awesome because there have been some major historical events in those countries. To experience the culture and see where they came from to where they are now is amazing.”
Senior and group leader Megan Taber, who is also participating in the tour for the third time, said the experience is especially meaningful as she prepares to leave the University in the spring.
“For me now, it’s more about making sure the other students, especially those who haven’t gone before, experience a good trip and make the good memories that I did as a freshman and sophomore,” said Taber.
“There are about 60 members with roughly 10 to 15 being non-university, community members, singing in it, and then it’s going to be Dr. Jung, his wife, who plays or accompanies us, and then two of his kids,” said Taber.
The 2026 tour continues the tradition of international trips in which the University of Findlay performed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria in recent years. This trip emphasizes the cultural connection and importance of music on an international scale.
