Heartland Musicians Abroad

Welcome to Heartland Musicians Abroad

Find the latest information on our Heartland trip below.

This international tour is for students from the Heartland, including Kansas and Kansas City, MO. Known for steaks, Dorothy and being as flat as a pancake, Kansas is believed to be named after a Native American tribe whose name means people of the wind. Kansas produces a lot of wheat, ranks 35th in population and is proud to be the sunflower state.

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Tour Dates

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Date	Event	Location
June 14-16, 2026	Pre Tour Camp	Kansas State University - Manhattan, KS
June 16, 2026	Bon Voyage Concert	Kansas State University - Manhattan, KS
June 17, 2026	Depart for Europe	United States
June 18-19, 2026		Normandy, France
June 19, 2026	Memorial Concert	Utah Beach - Normandy, France
June 20-21, 2026		Paris, France
June 20, 2026	Band, Choir, Strings Concert	American Church - Paris, France
June 22-23, 2026		Andermatt, Switzerland
June 23, 2026	Band, Choir, Strings Concert	Andermatt Concert Hall - Andermatt, Switzerland
June 24-25, 2026		Oberammergau, Germany
June 25, 2026	Band, Choir, Strings Concert	Ammergauer Haus - Oberammergau, Germany
June 26-27, 2026		Salzburg, Austria
June 27, 2026	Band, Choir, Strings Concert	Mirabell Gardens - Salzburg, Austria
June 28-29, 2026		Vienna, Austria
June 28, 2026	Band, Choir, Strings Concert	MuTH Concert Hall - Vienna, Austria
June 30-July 2, 2026		Prague, Czech Republic
July 2, 2026	Depart for United States	Europe

Our Office

Address: 5348 W. Vermont Street, Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN, 46224
Phone: 800.616.1112
Local: 317.637.0837
Contact

Meet Your State Coordinators

Dr. Frank Tracz State Coordinator

View Dr. Frank Tracz's Bio

About Dr. Frank Tracz

DR. FRANK TRACZ is Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Kansas State University. He earned his B.M.E. from The Ohio State University, M.M. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. He has public school teaching experience in Wisconsin and Ohio and has also served as Assistant Director of bands at Syracuse University and Director of bands at Morehead State University. Dr. Tracz has served as an adjudicator, clinician, speaker in various schools and conferences and has conducted All-State and Honor bands across the United States as well as in Canada, Singapore, South Africa, Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand.

At Kansas State, he directs the Wind Ensemble and the Marching Band, teaches graduate conducting, acts as an advisor to the Band Ambassadors, and administers and guides all aspects of a large BIG XII comprehensive band program. Ensembles under his direction have been invited to perform at numerous State conferences, MENC, two CBDNA regional conferences, The Larry Sutherland Wind band Festival at Fresno State, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, and the American Bandmasters Association Conference. The marching band was awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy in 2015. The Wind Ensemble has also performed at the International Convention of the American Bandmasters Association in 2019 in Loveland, CO.

Dr. Tracz is on the faculty of the Conn-Selmer Institute, on the adjunct faculty of the American Band College, is a past member of the Music Education Journal Editorial Board, is a contributor to the Teaching Music Through Performance In Band series, and is past Chair of the Sudler Trophy Project of the John Philip Sousa Foundation. His honors include the Stamey Award for outstanding teaching, Kansas Bandmasters Outstanding Director award, Wildcat Pride Alumni Association award, the Tau Beta Sigma Paula Crider Outstanding Band Director award, being named a Lowell Mason Fellow, and membership in the Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Fraternity. He has also received the Conn-Selmer Institute Hall of Fame award, the Kansas State Professorial Performance award, and was elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Dr. Tracz was awarded an honorary doctorate from Doane University in May 2021. Dr. Tracz also led a very successful fundraising campaign raising over five million dollars for a new hall for the athletics band program. The “Tracz Family Band Hall” was dedicated in September of 2023, and is in full operational mode!

Dr. Tracz is married to Geralyn, and has three daughters, Jessica Tracz Kelly, Kelley Tracz, and Carly Tracz Morris, and one grandson, Caden Tracz Kelly!

Elise Peterson Choir Director

View Elise Peterson's Bio

About Elise Peterson

Elise Peterson is in her tenth year as Director of Choirs for Olathe South HS and has worked in the choral music field for over 30 years. Before South, Elise taught at Shawnee Mission South, Pioneer Trail MS, Hays HS and Anderson County Junior-Senior HS in Garnett. She has directed festival choirs, show choirs and more than 40 major musical productions. Her groups consistently have earned “1” ratings at Kansas Regional Solo and Ensemble Festivals as well as State Large Group Festivals. In 2018 and again in 2024, the Olathe South HS Southside Singers were selected to perform for the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) Annual Convention. In 2021, Elise was recognized by KMEA as the State’s Outstanding Music Educator of the Year. In 2024, Elise was awarded the Educator Excellence Award by the Olathe School District Foundation.

In addition to serving as Olathe School District HS Choral Co-Facilitator and the KMEA Co-Mentor Chair, Elise has served as president of the East Central and Northeast KMEA Districts.

In her spare time, she loves performing, whether appearing in musical theater, leading music at church, soloing at weddings or singing with professional groups. She sang for two seasons with the Grammy-winning Kansas City Chorale.

Elise is an Olathe native and a graduate of Olathe North HS. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Johnson County Community College, as well as both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from Emporia State University.

Dr. Blair A. Williams Orchestra Director

View Dr. Blair A. Williams' Bio

About Dr. Blair A. Williams

Dr. Blair A. Williams is the Director of Professional Development for the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Prior to her position at ASTA, she was Associate Professor of String Music Education at Texas Tech University and Director of the national award winning TTU String Project. She was also Director of Orchestras for Midway ISD (TX). She has served the string teaching community in public schools, higher education, civic and youth symphonies and in the string studio for over 25 years.

Her middle and high school ensembles consistently achieved superior marks at contests and festivals. Conducting and clinician engagements have included youth, regional and all-city ensembles in Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah and Texas; including an invited performance at The Midwest Clinic in 2010 with the Gold Orchestra from Manhattan, Kansas under the direction of Dr. David Littrell. She is on the conducting staff with the Manhattan (KS) Youth Symphony and frequently performs as a freelance musician. A frequent guest conductor, clinician, lecturer and adjudicator, Dr. Williams enjoys working with and learning from teachers, musicians and students across the country.

Her presentations and research have been accepted or presented at international, national and regional conferences and symposia including International Society for Music Education World Conference, European String Teachers Association, NAfME: Biennial Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference, NAfME: Society for Music Teacher Education, NAfME: National In-Service Conference, ASTA, the Ohio State String Teacher Workshop and state and local conferences in over 15 states. Her research interests include music teacher education, community music and music teacher recruitment. She is published in International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, American String Teacher, SmartMusic, and in volume 4 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra.

Originally from Newton, Kansas, she earned a PhD from The Ohio State University, a Master of Music from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Music Education from Baylor University.

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Heartland • June 17-30, 2026

Welcome to Heartland Musicians Abroad

Resources and News

Tour Dates