The Virginia Gentlemen perform with the Chorale San Miguel and at the Centro Educativo Naciones international school. (Photos by the Virginia Gentlemen; illustration by John DiJulio, University Communications)
The University of Virginia鈥檚 oldest collegiate a capella group, the Virginia Gentlemen, traveled to Mexico for five days in January, introducing their music to new audiences.
Recognizable in their navy blazers and UVA bow ties, the group regularly engages in cultural exchanges with performances on Grounds and outside of Virginia. In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, they headlined a performance with the Chorale San Miguel and sang at Centro Educativo Naciones Unidas, an international school.
Brett Barton, a third-year student and president of the Virginia Gentlemen, said the shows felt more significant than a typical domestic performance. For more than two decades, the group toured internationally until the coronavirus pandemic brought that chapter to an abrupt end.
鈥淭his Mexico tour felt like breaking the seal on that global identity again. It marked our return to international performance and reaffirmed a tradition that has long defined who we are as a group,鈥 Barton said. 鈥淭he energy came from knowing we were carrying that legacy forward while building something new.鈥
Collaboration with UVA Global Affairs, UVA Clubs Global, and partnerships with U.S. embassies and consulates made the trip possible.
Members of the Virginia Gentlemen pose for a photo during their trip to Mexico. They hoped to make an impact on the community of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, through their performances. (Photo by the Virginia Gentlemen)
The group performed an open-access concert in San Miguel de Allende to spread the music of American collegiate a capella to a new audience.
鈥淲e were hyper aware that we were representing far more than just UVA, and we understood ourselves not only as performers, but as cultural ambassadors, both on stage and in every interaction,鈥 Barton said.
Visiting an international school and collaborating with local communities reminded the group members of the inclusivity of music.
鈥淲ithin our own group, some members had never sung formally before joining, while others had been involved in national choir conferences from a young age,鈥 Barton said. 鈥淧art of what makes the Virginia Gentlemen so special is the diversity of our members and the many different relationships we each have with music.鈥
Following their successful trip to Mexico, members of the Virginia Gentlemen are excited to embark upon more international trips. (Photo by the Virginia Gentlemen)
Although exhausting, Barton said the trip was 鈥渋ncredibly renewing.鈥
鈥淥ur Mexico tour not only piloted our initiatives for working alongside embassies and consulates in foreign countries, but it also demonstrated the untapped potential and receptiveness for performances like this,鈥 Barton said.
Riding the momentum from Mexico, the Virginia Gentlemen will continue to work toward more international performances, including .
