WAWOP TESTIMONIALS 2018:

Monte Gmur, Director, AUSA Military Band
WAWOP provides a unique opportunity to play in an ensemble with highly accomplished musicians from all around the world under the leadership of world-class conductors in a setting that is absolutely beautiful. The week is extremely well-organized, the repertoire is well-chosen, and the accommodations are first class. The musical experience was unparalleled; the cultural experience was phenomenal ;and the people were gracious, warm, and welcoming. It was truly a memory making trip of a lifetime. In the words of a very famous Austrian, “I will be back!”

Ralph Raymond H.
It would have been worth the trip alone to have played such outstanding music in the company of such phenomenal musicians and conductors. The magnificent scenery, the available outdoor activities (including go-carting and paragliding!), the food, and the gained friendships added to the musical experience and made the week spent in Schladming one of the greatest times of my life.

Ruedi B., Clarinetist from Switzerland
"First and foremost, I'm looking forward to seeing and meeting all people again who have the same passion for music. It does not matter where and from which profession the respective musicians come from. There are hardly any comparable occasions when you are allowed to make music within a music project under such competent and charismatic conductors and composers. But rewarding for this commitment are fantastic concert experiences and lots of energy to survive the time to the next WAWOP. "

Juliet S., Euphonium from the USA
"WAWOP has been a fun way for me to share Austrian experiences with my family. My husband and son has accompanied me so that we could enjoy hiking, outings, meals, beer, and new friends together. This year, our daughter Stephanie will join WAWOP on the trumpet and experience Austria for the first time. WAWOP is an excellent program musically and culturally. It will be wonderful to be in Austria again, and to share Austrian Gemütlichkeit with my family and new friends. WAWOP where we find ‘New Old Friends’."

Bruce L., tuba player from Malaysia
"I'm looking forward to the upcoming WAWOP 2019. For me, WAWOP is like a family reunion, just as Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year. No matter where I am, I have to come back to meet my old friends and meet new friends. A warm hug will not express enough what it means when people meet in Schladming. "

Kim L., flutist from Australia
"I am really looking forward to working with other musicians and to experiencing the culture of the festival. There is nothing like this in Australia! Although there are concerts in my region, I don’t always have the opportunity of playing with many different musicians. The week of Mid EUROPE will be like heaven! I am excited about participating in this project and looking forward to experiencing Austria, meeting musicians from different places and cultures and sharing the joy of music with them."

WAWOP TESTIMONIALS 2017

Alex Y. – French horn
WAWOP was an amazing experience for me and my wife. As an amateur enthusiast, this was a special moment for me to play with many professional and semi-professional musicians. Even though my lips were swelled up after 5 to 6 hours rehearsal each day, I enjoyed every minute playing under many awesome conductors.

As for my wife, she does not play any instrument. But there are so many fun activities for both of us after the rehearsal. We went to many beautiful mountain trails and water falls, played tennis, did small town shopping, took a glacier tour, and then we took a 3 day trip to Vienna by train after WAWOP. The activity and quality of the event is worth every Euro we spent. We definitely will come back again next year and we would also encourage our 2 kids to join WYWOP as well. This would be an unforgettable family vacation!!

Walt M. – Saxophone
Rehearsing and performing with both professional and advanced amateur musicians from around the world, under the direction of an outstanding staff of conductors, in a stunningly beautiful setting made WAWOP 2017 an unparalleled experience. Memories and friends were made that will last a lifetime.

Judy S. – Clarinet
WAWOP was the most fun I have had as a musician in many, many years and has inspired me to look for new musical challenges in the coming months. The level of musicianship, talented conductors, enthusiastic audiences, comradery, and beautiful surroundings combined for a week I will never forget. Two months later I am still humming the pieces that we played and looking at photos from Schladming.

Carrie B. – Trombone
The last week has been one of the richest musical and personal experiences of my life. The warmth, beauty, and spirit of Austria, the quality, joy, and challenge in the music-making, the depth of the music community in attendance, and the enthusiasm and commitment surrounding the wind band/orchestra bringing so many people and cultures together created a memorable growth-filled week. Thank you for creating all of this so as to allow so many of us to continue to enrich and grow our souls and minds to better serve the music we conduct and students we teach. Can’t wait to do it again.

Kathy S. – Trumpet
It was exciting to be part of the very first WAWOP, and turned out to be a terrific musical experience! Playing challenging music with so many different top-flight conductors was very stimulating and really kept us all on our toes. I was amazed at the quality of the musicians who signed up for this inaugural event, and I’m sure the word will spread so that each year WAWOP will attract quality players. Everything was so well organized and the accommodations were great. Getting to play two very different concerts in one week was really fun, and while the rehearsal schedule was exhausting—in a good way—there still seemed to be plenty of time to enjoy the quaint little town of Schladming and the Alpine setting. The tattoo was thrilling—hearing bands from all over the world—even better than Drum Corps International. An amazing week all around!

Fred W. – Trumpet
Participating in the first World Adult Wind Orchestra Project (WAWOP 2017) was a tremendous experience, playing the music of renowned composers with the composers present at rehearsals and performances, and playing under the baton of renowned conductors in a magical environment. The group was diverse, with musicians from literally all over the world and great friendships were made. The people of Austria were warmly accepting and the venue was breathtakingly beautiful. I hope to do it again