PYSO 2020 Tour Info & Resources

During our 2019-2020 season, all PYSO students in Symphony and Philharmonic have the opportunity to tour Vienna, Austria on June 24-30, 2020. Retreats/Tours are expected and encouraged for all of our students, but not mandatory.

We’ve been invited to perform as one of four select ensembles in the Beethoven 250 Orchestra Festival, taking place in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria on Sunday, June 28, 2020. This Festival is part of the official 250th Anniversary of the birth of Ludwig von Beethoven, one of classical music’s most influential and celebrated composers. 

The cost of the tour will be $4500/per student. Airline transportation, coach transportation, instrument and equipment transportation, accommodations in 3-4 star hotels with double occupancy, meals that include daily breakfast and dinner, entrance fees and excursions, gratuities, and travel/liability insurance is included. Also included are large instrument rentals (cello, bass, percussion, etc).

Resources

Click here to register for the tour. Please note, if you’ve registered for your ensemble, you still need to register for the tour. Any student who registers on or after 8/1/2019 will be placed on a wait list and notified if a position is available. 

Register for the Tour

Pay for the Tour – to guarantee your spot on the tour, a $500 deposit is due on August 1.

Pay for the Tour

Apply to be a parent chaperone for the PYSO 2020 Tour to Vienna. See below for more information about the duties and expected responsibilities of a parent chaperone.

Sign up to be a Parent Chaperone

Tour companions may sign up starting August 1st. Any companions who register on or after 8/1/2019 will be placed on a wait list and notified if a position is available. 

Sign up to be a Tour Companion

Customize this letter template and send it to friends and family who you think would be interested in sponsoring your tour! Click here for a copy of the brochure to send with your letter.

Template letter for Sponsors

GoFundMe is a great resource to raise money to help pay for this trip. Click here to download step by step instructions for creating and managing your GoFundMe page.

Start a GoFundMe
Pricing and Payment Schedule

Payments can be made by cash, check, or credit card. Credit card payments can be made online in the PYSO Student/Parent portal beginning July 1st. A credit card must be put on file to hold your spot on the tour unless you are paid in full by August 1, 2019. 

We have several discounts for those who wish to pay for the tour in full:

If you pay the tour in full by:

  • August 31, 2019, you’ll receive a 5% discount of $225 for a total tour cost of $4,275
  • September 30, 2019, you’ll receive a 3% discount of $135 for a total tour cost of $4,365
  • November 30, 2019, you’ll receive a 2% discount of $90 for a total tour cost of $4,410

The first deposit, which will secure your position on this tour, of $500 due August 1, 2019 is non-refundable. If a situation arises where you will not be able to attend this tour, refunds will be dependent on payments already made to the tour company and will be taken on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Education manager.  

Vienna 2020 Payment Schedule
August 1, 2019 $500 
September 1, 2019 $650
October 1, 2019 $650
November 1, 2019 $650
December 1, 2019 $650
January 1, 2020 $650
February 1, 2020 $750

Total:

 $4500
Pay for the Tour
Tour info for Parents/Guardians

Parent Chaperone Info

Chaperones will be responsible for supervising small groups of students (at least 1 per 10 students) while we are on tour. A chaperone’s priority is the health, safety, and mental well being of all PYSO students and understands that, while chaperoning PYSO retreats will be an amazing and rewarding experience, it is not a vacation. 

The level of supervision of students while on retreat is no less than the level of supervision required when students are on a school campus, participating in class or other school-related activities. Chaperones must assume a 24-hour day responsibility for students from the time they leave until the time they return. 

Chaperones will travel with us on a reduced rate of $3,000 and will stay in double occupancy with other chaperones. All chaperones will be required to submit a background check authorization form. If you would like to be a parent chaperone on this trip, see above for a link to the form. 

Tour Companion Information

If space is available, we’ll open up the tour to companions on a first-come, first-served basis. Tour companions are parents of PYSO students who wish to attend the tour in a non-chaperone capacity. We’ll be accepting applications starting July 1st and tour companions will be notified starting August 1st on a rolling basis. 

Companions’ tour cost will be $4,500 for double occupancy. For single occupancy, please contact Alex Chu.

Please note that any non-student/non-volunteer will need to read and sign a waiver regarding the trip and submit a background check authorization if they wish to join. Additionally, the following rules will apply, first and foremost to ensure the utmost safety of the students participating in the tour, but also to allow the PSA staff and volunteers to properly adhere to their responsibilities and PSA tour guidelines. 

  • No student may be taken away from the group or chaperone nor can your child (PYSO student) deviate from the tour itinerary. 
  • Participants are welcome to accompany their child(ren) tour/chaperone group as long as it does not interfere with or distract from the set itinerary. 
  • PSA is not liable for participant’s deviations from the tour itinerary.
  • Any missed meetings at drop off and pick up locations are the participant’s responsibility to rectify. PSA will not be delaying departures or arrivals to accommodate participants.
  • Participants over the age of 18 may be required to submit a background check due to the nature of the tour being conducted with minor children. 
  • Participants intending to bring siblings of PYSO students under the age of 18 must fill out a waiver and sign on the siblings’ behalf. Additionally, participant will be solely responsible for minor-aged siblings and all above guidelines apply to them as well.