Montana State University announced on Apr. 16 that 91 of its students and faculty from the wind symphony and symphony orchestra traveled to Japan for a nine-day musical exchange during spring break. The trip involved rehearsals and performances with leading musicians at several Japanese institutions, marking the largest overseas trip to date for MSU’s School of Music, according to Tobin Stewart, director of the symphony orchestra.
The event highlights international collaboration in music education and performance. It provided MSU students exposure to Japan’s renowned symphonic culture and opportunities for skill development through direct interaction with top professionals.
Wonki Lee, assistant professor of saxophone who organized the trip, said: “I grew up experiencing that musical culture, and I wanted my students to experience that. They started playing better right away. Their hearing got better, and they started playing at the highest level.”
Thirty-eight wind symphony members performed in Tokyo alongside Kunitachi College of Music and Dokkyo Junior and Senior High School—Lee’s alma mater—while also working with the director of Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. Sylvie Black, a senior percussionist, said: “We were getting feedback from some of the top musicians in the world… Knowing that was the standard I had to meet was a really big motivator for me to focus on perfecting the pieces technique wise and note wise: How could I play it better?” Black credited an anonymous donor for covering her travel costs.
India Shaskan, junior applied mathematics major who plays tuba in MSU’s orchestra, described building friendships with Japanese peers as especially meaningful: “It’s amazing that despite not being a music major, I had the opportunity to do something that music majors around the world would only dream of.” Stewart added about performing multiple times: “The beauty of performing it more than once is that you grow with that piece of music… Students listen more, they watch more and they pay attention to each other more.”
Montana State University leads research funding in Montana with annual expenditures exceeding $288 million according to its official website. The university contributes through volunteer work, outreach efforts and research aimed at improving lives and environmental outcomes according to its official website. It ranks among the top five percent globally per Center for World University Rankings according to its official website.
With approximately 17,165 enrolled students evenly split between residents and nonresidents according to its official website, Montana State operates as Montana’s land-grant university focused on research, education and community outreach according to its official website. The institution extends influence throughout Montana as well as beyond state borders according to its official website.