The Freedom Tour 2025 was a defining chapter in American Music Abroad’s tradition of connecting young musicians with the world through performance and travel. Over 20 unforgettable days, high school students performed in some of Europe’s most historic and inspiring locations, sharing music that bridged cultures and built lifelong friendships.
From medieval town squares to grand cathedrals and alpine valleys, the ensemble represented their schools and communities on an international stage. Each concert, city, and shared meal reflected AMA’s long-standing values: unity through music, cultural enrichment, and personal growth. Together, these experiences built a sense of community that turned a group of strangers into family.
Since 1975, American Music Abroad has stood as the leader in international performance tours, offering young artists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow both musically and personally.
The Freedom Tour 2025 was a three-week musical and cultural experience designed for high school musicians performing in band, choir, and orchestra. Participants gave seven concerts across Europe’s most welcoming towns and cities, each filled with audiences who celebrated the universal language of music.
The tour began with three days of rehearsals and orientation in Pennsylvania, where students built their ensemble and friendships before departing for Europe. Once abroad, each destination offered a mix of performance, culture, and reflection.
Tour Length: 20 days
Countries Visited: Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and Switzerland
Concerts: Seven major performances
Contact: staff@americanmusicabroad.com
AMA Office: (610) 431-3311
The Freedom Tour began in Germany, where students arrived in Frankfurt and traveled through the Bavarian countryside to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This walled medieval city offered a perfect introduction to Europe’s charm, with cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and blooming window boxes.
After exploring local shops filled with handcrafted ornaments and nutcrackers, the ensemble performed their first European concert, filling the town with energy and pride. Each note echoed AMA’s tradition of uniting people through shared music.
Before continuing east, the group made a meaningful stop at the World War II Flossenbürg Memorial, a solemn reminder of history’s lessons and the importance of peace and remembrance.
In Prague, students experienced the “City of a Hundred Spires,” where Gothic and Baroque architecture framed every turn. The group enjoyed a guided city tour, visiting landmarks like St. Nicholas Church, Wenceslas Square, and the Astronomical Clock. Crossing the statue-lined Charles Bridge, musicians felt the living rhythm of Europe’s cultural heart.
The evening concert took place in one of Prague’s grand halls, where the ensemble performed before an enthusiastic audience. The following dinner cruise on the Vltava River brought the group together beneath the city lights. It was an evening of laughter, reflection, and the joy of shared achievement.
Arriving in Vienna, the ensemble stepped into the home of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss. Students visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where the choir performed under its soaring arches, and later toured Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer home of the Habsburgs. A city tour revealed Vienna’s musical landmarks, from concert halls to coffeehouses, each steeped in history.
That evening’s dinner with live Viennese music brought the city’s cultural legacy to life. From there, the tour continued into the countryside, stopping in Graz for lunch before reaching Ljubljana. The group later returned to Austria for performances in Salzburg and Westendorf.
In Salzburg, students explored Mozart’s birthplace and fortress before performing in a local concert venue that welcomed them with warm applause. The visit to the Salzburg Salt Mines, where they descended underground to learn about the region’s “white gold,” connected history with adventure.
The Tirolean region offered another side of Austria. In Westendorf, surrounded by the Alps, the ensemble shared an evening of Tirolean music and dance. This was followed by performances that embodied the connection between culture and community.
Crossing into Slovenia, the group discovered Ljubljana, a city where baroque and modern influences meet along the riverbanks. Students visited Ljubljana Castle, wandered through the Old Town, and admired the graceful bridges and cafés that define the city’s welcoming atmosphere.
Later, a visit to the Postojna Caves revealed an underground world of stalactites and stalagmites. That evening, the ensemble performed in a nearby town, their music resonating with audiences who shared in the universal joy of performance.
The final leg of the Freedom Tour brought the ensemble to Switzerland, where mountains met melody in the towns of Lucerne and Engelberg. Students crossed the Kapellbrücke, gazed at the Lion Monument, and admired Lake Lucerne’s sparkling surface.
In Engelberg, surrounded by alpine peaks, the group found peace and reflection after weeks of travel and music. The next day’s excursion to Interlaken offered breathtaking views between lakes and mountains. It was a fitting finale to a summer filled with creativity and connection.
As the tour concluded in Zurich, students carried home more than souvenirs. They returned with lifelong friendships, new confidence, and a deeper understanding of what it means to share music with the world.
The American Music Abroad Freedom Tour 2025 was a celebration of community, growth, and cultural discovery. Each stop, from Rothenburg’s medieval charm to Lucerne’s lakeside beauty, reminded students of the power of music to connect hearts across borders.
Through every rehearsal, performance, and shared experience, strangers became family, and music became the thread that tied them together.
The Freedom Tour was open to high school musicians from across the United States.
The tour began with rehearsals and orientation at a Pennsylvania college before departing for 20 days of concerts and travel across five European countries.
Students performed in Rothenburg, Prague, Vienna, Ljubljana, Salzburg, Westendorf, and Engelberg, each chosen for its beauty, acoustics, and cultural connection.
