Local residents to tour Europe with Drake University Jazz Ensemble

DES MOINES, IA (06/23/2010)(readMedia)-- Stella and Roland Hart of Cedar Rapids will tour Europe for two weeks this summer, performing at various jazz festivals and local venues with the Drake University Jazz Ensemble One, the University's premiere jazz ensemble.

The tour will include stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and England, including performances at:

•    The North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

•    The Birmingham Jazz Festival in Birmingham, England

•    The Barber Institute of Fine Art in Birmingham, England

•    The Wigan International Jazz Festival in Wigan, England

Stella, a junior music and English major, and Roland, a sophomore music and psychology major, are graduates of Washington High School. They are the daughter and son of Lynne and Peter Hart.

Drake is a private, independent university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an enrollment of approximately 3,300 full-time undergraduate students from 47 states and 54 countries. Drake University's mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.