May 20 - Karli Kuntz & Alex Ryan

Buongiorno da Firenze!

What a week so far. I can't help but force myself to slow down and truly notice where we are. Every day we're so focused on what comes next - rehearsals, mass, history tours! We're so wonderfully busy it's easy to only worry about the itinerary, but it's an amazing thing to be here in Firenze with the most incredible people. Wonderful musicians and even better friends! There are so many incredible opportunities that we would've never had available to us - masterclasses with world class musicians, collaborating with the Luigi Cherubini Music Conservatory, and attending a world renowned Opera. You've already heard about all the incredible things by other choir and dance members, but I can't help but think about them How lucky are we?

From rehearsing in a gorgeous room in the Gonzaga in Florence campus with the windows open, birds chirping, and the most amazing view of Tuscany to getting to tour the Pergola - the incredible venue we get to perform at tomorrow night, I can't help but get emotional every time we go somewhere new. We're HERE! We've been working for so long to prepare repertoire and get our passports in order, I forgot to get excited. What a day! Here come's the recap, with a little blabbering from my brain!

A free morning was exactly what was needed. Sleep in a bit, go shopping, and get back in time for amazing lunch at our pensione! This afternoon we headed over to the Florence Army Base for rehearsal with the orchestra and dancers to prepare for our big concert tomorrow night. (More on that later!) This was our second rehearsal in this space, but it didn't feel any more real. While the acoustics may not be ideal, when else would we get to rehearse at an army station? Where the heck am I? All thanks to Guido (organizer and biggest fan from Gonzaga in Florence aka GIF) - our knight in shining armor. He connected us with SO many amazing people and places, like Santa Croce and the dang Pergola. Speaking of!

I could not be more excited for our concert tomorrow evening. Even though I'm not quite used to 9pm start times, at our tour of the space tonight we learned all about the amazing history of the space and truly what an honor it is to have the opportunity to perform on that stage. Many opera performers and actors have had their professional lives dramatically altered by performing at the Pergola, and we get to show off this amazing work with the composer of the whole thing in the audience.

I'm truly in awe of everything Firenze has to offer; amazing music, great food, and even better wine. I don't want to believe we only have a week left. America (and my mom), I miss you, but I will miss being legal. Ciao!

- Karli Kuntz

As our time in Florence is wrapping up, we are trying our best to soak it all in. This morning, we had free time to explore the city on our own which was a nice break from the busy schedule we have been following the past few days. Many of us explored museums or went shopping, and a handful got a good nights rest and decided to sleep in.

After a leisurely morning, we met in the lobby and walked in the rain to the army barracks where we had our final rehearsal with the orchestra before the Pergola show. It was one of the more intense rehearsals we’ve had this trip and we are all very excited for the performance tomorrow. Following the rehearsal, we walked to the Pergola where we had a tour of the ancient space. The amount of history behind the theater helped us realize the magnitude of the show we are about to perform. We then had time to ourselves for dinner and plenty of time to rest before the big day.

Everyone is anxiously awaiting the final few hours before the performance and we are so excited to share this experience with you and each other.

- Alex Ryan