The HBCU choir from Winston-Salem State University is taking its talents to Europe, as the Grammy-nominated WSSU Singing Rams prepare for an international tour in Austria.
Led by acclaimed director Maestra D’Walla Simmons-Burke, the Singing Rams will perform June 17 in Vienna and June 19 in Salzburg. The tour will also include WSSU alumni singers, giving the university a multigenerational presence on one of music’s most historic stages.
Winston-Salem State was one of only four ensembles nationwide selected for the 2026 Music and Cultural Tour in Austria. The tour is sponsored by MidAmerica Productions, a New York-based performing arts organization that has presented more than 1,500 concerts worldwide over the past four decades.
WSSU Chancellor Bonita J. Brown will also travel with the Singing Rams.
“I am extremely proud of Maestra Burke, the students, Singing Rams alumni and everyone who has helped to make this once-in-a-lifetime experience possible,” Brown said. “At Winston-Salem State University, we pride ourselves on providing students with opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.”
WSSU choir headed to historic venues
The Vienna concert will take place at Minoritenkirche, officially known as the Italian National Church of Maria Schnee. The Gothic church is known for its acoustics and regularly hosts sacred and classical music performances.
The Salzburg performance will be held at Dom zu Salzburg, one of Austria’s most celebrated cathedrals. It is also the site where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized in 1756.
The Singing Rams will perform as part of the “America’s Music” portion of the Austria production. The program gives WSSU students a chance to share African American musical traditions with audiences overseas.
For many students, the trip will be their first time leaving the country. For some of these HBCU choir members, it will be their first time flying.
Destiny Harris, a rising senior music education major from Winston-Salem, said Austria holds special meaning for her as a student of music.
“Austria is a very important place when it comes to the development of music, so as a music major, I’m excited to go somewhere I learned about in class,” Harris said.
She also credited Simmons-Burke for making the trip possible.
“She works very hard,” Harris said. “My sister Nadia was a Singing Ram when she attended WSSU, so as a kid I admired Maestra Burke a lot, the way she led the choir with such grace.”
Singing Rams continue global tradition
The Austria trip has been two years in the making. It is also connected to Simmons-Burke’s long relationship with MidAmerica Productions.
In 2006, she led the Singing Rams on a performance tour of Prague, Czech Republic. She later took the HBCU choir to South Africa. The choir has also performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Washington National Cathedral and Radio City Music Hall.
WSSU alumna Shenna Stancil, who graduated in 2021, is among the alumni traveling to Austria.
“My choir experience was much more than simply singing — it was a journey of musical excellence, discipline, leadership and personal growth,” Stancil said.
Trip expenses are being covered through donations from local churches and individual supporters. Maestra Burke also expressed appreciation to Tony Ebron of the WSSU Foundation, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Kevan L. Turman and Chancellor Brown.