Georgia Southern receives grant to support University String Camerata tour

The Georgia Southern University String Camerata has received a grant of nearly $55,000 from the Halle Foundation to support the ensemble’s educational tour of Germany. During this tour, Georgia Southern string players will experience German composers, music history and music culture in an authentic manner that players do not get in a typical home setting.

Students and faculty will have the opportunity to connect with Georgia Southern’s official exchange partner, Halle an der Saale, and visit historically significant locations for music, such as the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig, Germany, where composer Johann Sebastian Bach is buried. The funds from the Halle Foundation will be used to facilitate travel, lodging, and logistics for the students and faculty members. The $54,870 will cover roughly 80% of the total cost of the tour.

“The most important thing about this grant is the opportunity to open a new world of travel and education to Georgia Southern University students,” said Georgia Southern College of Arts and Humanities Associate Dean for Faculty, Research and External Affairs, Jolyon Hughes, Ph.D.

“Students will have the opportunity to see what it is like being an outsider in a different culture, where people speak a different language, and see the world differently.”

Hughes added that the Georgia Southern musicians will have the opportunity to meet students from Martin Luther University, visit Unesco World Heritage sights and experience life in Europe.

“The impact on the students is amazing to witness,” Hughes said. “My short-term goals for the program are to give GS students the opportunity to be a part of a unique experience that connects their passion for music and their intellectual curiosity of language, culture and history.”

The Georgia Southern String Camarata will also perform at the Sommersaal (Summer Hall) at the Bach Archive, among several other locations.

“The String Camarata is now the fourth initiative in the College of Arts and Humanities that the Halle Foundation has funded for Georgia Southern students, providing them with truly impactful cultural experiences in travel to and through Germany,” said Executive Director of Development Julie Gerbsch. “Students returning from these trips are full of stories of the local food, the people, the history they’ve seen in both urban neighborhoods and about Germany’s countryside. The Halle Foundation’s continued support now brings these enriching travel experiences to our students.”

The Halle Foundation was created by German-born Claus Halle, a former president of Coca-Cola International. The Foundation supports initiatives in the fields of culture, science, technology, commerce, language, scholarship, and international relations. It seeks to help organizations with strong leadership and a proven track record of success exploit new opportunities or meet extraordinary needs that will further the missions of both the organization and the Foundation.