Maria Belva recently returned from her first tour with Encore where she led the Cecilia Ensemble—a group of inspiring female singers in grades 9 through 12—through a performance tour of Sicily. Maria and her choir performed in magnificent venues such as the beautiful Chiesa Madre di Bagheria, the Church of Santo Spirito in Agrigento, and the Duomo (Cathedral of St. Isidoro) where they were welcomed by local choirs and enthusiastic audiences.

Learn more about Maria Belva and her experience with Encore Tours.

Q: You recently returned from Italy. Tell us about the venues and your performance highlight.

A: We went to Sicily and performed in three different venues—all churches— in Bagheria (a suburb of Palermo), Agrigento, and Giarre (on the east coast, north of Catania). I would have to say that the girls gave their best performance on the last day, but the audience was the best in Agrigento. The highlight was how well the girls performed—they were awesome! It was fun meeting all the people in the other choirs, too!

Actually, the local choirs performed before we did in each of the venues. It was quite wonderful because we got to hear them, then they got to hear us, and the girls bonded with the young singers after the concert in Giarre.

Q: From what you witnessed, what is a participant's experience like?

A: It's what you would expect—witnessing and experiencing a different culture—with its history, customs, geography, and people, along with fine-tuning a concert performance and bonding within the group. A side benefit is being cultural ambassadors from the US.

Q: Why did you decide to travel with Encore and what advice would you give to group leaders like yourself who are thinking about performing abroad?

A: I have to say that the fantastic fundraiser was a big draw for me. Having a trip for two to London to raffle was extremely important to our group since traveling is an expense and many families appreciate a little help. My advice is to research the places you want to go. Come up with a number of different things you think your group would benefit from, and then let Encore come up with a couple of different itineraries. This way, you are working together—you know your group, and Encore has the experience in the various places to which you will be traveling.

Q: Tell us about your Global Conference trip to Rome with Encore prior to your performance tour.

A: The Global Conference showed me that Encore is a first rate organization. It made me want to work for them! And Rome was incredible!

[Global Conferences are incentive trips for group leaders. During your trip, you'll explore worldly destinations with Encore staff and other group leaders. View pictures from our Global Conference trip to Rome or learn more.]

Q: How do you choose a destination?

A: We choose a destination based on accessibility, cost, and some consideration to places I would love to visit. The only thing I'll do differently next time is bring program translations—it helps the audience understand what we're performing.

Q: What are your travel plans for the future?

A: We want to go to Austria and Hungary in 2012. We really want to meet and share a concert with a Hungarian youth choir. We also want to take a boat ride up the Danube to Bratislava.

Maria and her husband founded the Peterborough Children's Choir—of which the Cecilia Ensemble is a part of—in 1997.