North Carolina

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Trip Dates:

6/27/25 – 7/9/25

Meeting Schedule:
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Meet Your State Coordinator

Fran Shelton

About Fran

Fran Shelton, was director of bands at Hendersonville High School in Hendersonville, North Carolina for 28 years and taught at Robbinsville High School, Robbinsville, NC her first 5 years, and now is the musical director of the Asheville Community Band, Asheville, NC. Shelton has served and President of the NC Bandmasters and Women Band Directors International and currently is a member of the NC Bandmasters Hall of Fame. She is the Tour Director of the NC Ambassadors and has participated in 25 European Tours.

Nominations:

Please select one of the nomination options below:

Educators:

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Parents & Students:

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Start here if your music director has asked you or your child to visit this site to fill out the nomination form.

Nomination: Educators

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Nomination: Students

Self-Nomination

Note – Completing this form does not commit you to participating in the trip. It will allow you to receive further information and attend an informational meeting.

Trip Itinerary

Explore four countries across Europe

France

Welcome to the City of Light! We’ll explore Paris mostly by foot, so we have the opportunity to experience the heartbeat of the city – we don’t want to miss a thing! Over the next two days, we’ll enjoy local French cuisine, take in beautiful art, architecture and culture and live the Parisian life, one baguette at a time.

Our walking tour will take us through the City Center, along the Champs-Élysées and to both the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. We’ll spend time at the Notre Dame Cathedral and witness its rebuilding. And of course our packed Paris itinerary includes breathtaking performance venues, such as Église Saint-Séverin, L’eglise de Madeleine, and Jardin d’Acclimatation.

As we say, “Au revoir!” to Paris, we’ll cross the beautiful French countryside and make our way to the stunning Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana.

    Itinerary highlights may include:

    • Montmartre

    • Champs-Élysées 

    • Arc de Triomphe

    • Notre Dame Cathedral

    • Latin Quarter

    • Cruise on the Seine River

    • The Eiffel Tower

      Switzerland

      We’ll spend our first morning taking in the lovely serenity of Crans-Montana. In the winter, this gorgeous resort town is bustling with Alpine skiers and snow seekers, but our summer view is all blue skies and green mountains. Our time in Switzerland will be spent among the charming towns around Crans-Montana – Montreux, Täsch and Zermatt. We’ll shop, dine and explore, breathing in crisp Alpine air and feeling small amongst the majestic mountains and sparkling lakes. Enjoy free time wandering idyllic town streets or pack a picnic and spend the day in the rolling hills with friends – when the Matterhorn is your backdrop, the selfie spots are endless!

      On our final evening in Switzerland, we’ll join locals from this beautiful area for an evening meal of authentic Swiss culinary delights.

      We’ll depart Switzerland and head once again for the French countryside to live like locals before making our way to Bavaria, Germany.

        Itinerary highlights may include:

        • Crans-Montana
        • Chillon Castle
        • Lake Geneva
        • Montreux
        • Performance at Orangerie
        • The Matterhorn
        • Täsch
        • Zermatt
        • Sunnegga
        • Leisee Lake

          Germany

          We’ll awake in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a fairy tale German village where students will be free to explore, shop and sample delicious German treats before our afternoon performance. You won’t want to miss the famous Christmas stores, open year-round to shoppers seeking handcrafted German Christmas decorations. A favorite evening experience is the famed “Night Watchman,” a local celebrity of sorts who guides a night tour of the city as he weaves tales of medieval life in Rothenburg.

          While our time in Germany is brief, our visit will hold special meaning, as we’ll have the opportunity to stop at Dachau on our journey. The infamous Dachau concentration camp serves as a memorial site, giving visitors the opportunity to honor the victims and learn from the past.

            Itinerary highlights may include:

            • Ratstrinkstube Clock Tower

            • Rothenburg’s historic town center

            • Night Watchman tour

            • Tasting the local pastry delicacy “Schneeball”

            • A walk along the medieval city walls

            • Performance at Rothenburg’s city center or Franziskanerkirche in Rothenburg

            • Dachau concentration camp

              Austria

              We’ll arrive in Austria, the birthplace of classical music, with its postcard-perfect cities and inspiring musical history. We’ll make Salzburg’s stunning countryside our Austrian home for the next three days. You'll recognize iconic scenes from the movie The Sound of Music, including Maria’s convent, the gardens where the Von Trapp children sang “Do Re Mi” and the historic church where Maria and the Baron were married.

              Our final European performance will be in a quaint Austrian village where enthusiastic local audiences come out in droves. We’ll end our last full day in Europe with a farewell evening of authentic cultural experiences and Austrian cuisine.

                Itinerary highlights may include:

                • Mirabell Gardens
                • Leopoldskron Palace
                • Hellbrun Castle
                • Salzkammergut
                • St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang

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