One of the most notable experiences of singers and performers at Princeton is the opportunity to go on tour, immersing themselves in new cultural environments while also sharing their passion for music and theater.
The Daily Princetonian sat down with various a cappella groups and the Princeton Triangle Club to hear about their experiences while on tour over winter break.
Tigressions
All-female group Tigressions toured in Spain with their 15 members.
President Isha Yerramilli-Rao ’26 shared that they stayed a few days in Barcelona before traveling to Madrid, and that the group performed a gig for the students at Brewster Madrid School.
“We sang for the first graders. Then, for some of the older students, we did a larger performance,” she shared. “That was a really special gig because the kids were really little and they loved it. It’s always very rewarding to sing at schools because the kids really appreciate it.”
Tigressions also gave an impromptu performance at Casa Benigna, a small, family-run restaurant in Madrid, on the last night of their trip. “We went to this small family-run restaurant … The owners were singers, and they invited us to sing,” Yerramilli-Rao explained.
The group performed an 80s medley, arranged by group member Julia Kingston ’25. “They loved that so much that they told us to sing for the rest of the restaurant.”
Their performance was met with much praise from the restaurant-goers. “We did another set: We sang ‘When We Were Young’ and ‘Elastic Heart’ for them, which was received very well, and that was really lucky because it was a spontaneous performance,” Yerramilli-Rao said. “Then, they gave us some dessert and champagne at the end to celebrate.”
Nassoons
The Princeton Nassoons, led by President Robert Mohan ’26, traveled to Puerto Rico over the break. This trip marked a significant change from the group’s usual Miami Beach winter tour.
Princeton’s oldest a cappella group decided on this change in venue in honor of their tour manager Arturo Cruz Urrutia ’27.
“One of our tour managers, Arturo Manuel Cruz … is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, so he actually proposed … to do this tour to San Juan to show us where he grew up and the institutions that really meant a lot to him; institutions he wanted to revisit with the Nassoons,” Mohan said.
From Jan. 1825, the Nassoons performed at five locations in San Juan, including the Union Church of San Juan, where Urrutia received a touching welcome from the clergy.
“One of the more sentimental moments of the tour was this concert we gave at the very end of it at the Union Church of San Juan, this beautiful church in the city,” Mohan shared.
“When Arturo went up to introduce himself, he got almost a standing ovation from the whole crowd, because it was his hometown and they went crazy for the fact that he came back and brought his whole a cappella group. That was just a really touching moment for all of us,” Mohan described.
Roaring 20
From Jan. 16–22, the Roaring 20 toured through Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.
President Angela Kwon ’26 shared that, among their multiple performances at schools and senior homes, one stand-out performance was at Google’s Seattle office.
Many of the Roaring 20’s performances accompanied collaboration with local a cappella groups. “We collaborated a lot with other acapella groups. Even Google had their own a cappella group: We spoke with them, and we sang with the Portland State University a cappella group [the Green Note],” Kwon told the ‘Prince.’
The collaboration with the Green Note has inspired Kwon, regarding the future of the group. “They told us about their competitions and the sets they have. I think something similar like that would be really cool in the future.”
Katzenjammers
The Princeton Katzenjammers (KJs) toured in Japan.
Bianca Del Campo ’27, business manager for the KJs, shared that they performed at the Tokyo American Club, the Princeton Club of Japan, and St. Alban’s Anglican-Episcopal Church. Among their extensive repertoire of songs, Del Campo shared that some of her favorites from the tour were “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Caught a Touch of your Love,” and “The Way You Look Tonight.”
The KJs were also invited to Yokohama City University by a Princeton alum to talk with some students and help them practice speaking English.
“He had a very small seminar-style class, teaching them how to communicate with foreigners. They were practicing speaking about their experience in Japan.”
Tigerlilies
President Hanna Hornfeld ’26 and former president Diana Savchyn ’25 of the Tigerlilies, Princeton’s oldest all-female a cappella group, spoke with the ‘Prince’ about their tour.
Hornfeld explained that, “instead of going to a different place, we stayed based in Princeton, and from here, we went and toured, performing at a couple of different schools in the area within driving or public transport distance. It was mostly performances in schools.”
“I think this was one of our more special tours,” Savchyn added. “Even though we’ve been to Paris, Greece, and Japan in the past, we really appreciate our local tours because it helps us stay really connected with our communities.”
Hornfeld shared that one high school that they performed at this tour was actually her alma mater. “One of the first schools that we went to on this tour … was actually my high school,” Hornfeld said. “My choir that I was in in high school is a high-voice choir, so there are no men in it. That choir was actually a big part of where my love for group singing came from, and a big part of why I ended up auditioning for the Tigerlilies.”
Savchyn shared, “It’s super special for us to connect with those students and show them that, yes, you can be interested in a cappella and in music, but also you can go to Princeton and you can study things like chemical engineering, which is what I do, or comparative literature or neuroscience.”
Footnotes
The Footnotes toured Belgium this winter break, giving many members their first opportunities to visit Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent.
Luke Barrett ’25, former president, and Braiden Aaronson ’25, former business manager, spoke with the ‘Prince’ about their experience.
“During our time there … we got to tour the EU council. We performed for the Canadian admission to the EU, which was also very fun,” Aaronson shared. “We got to perform for Princeton alum and Supreme Allied Commander of Europe for NATO Christopher Cavoli ’87. So lots of fun stuff.”
One of his favorite things about touring with the group, Barrett shared, is “bringing that same high level of music and musicianship, making memories that last a lifetime, and singing in places that otherwise you really wouldn’t have a chance to.”
Triangle Club
The ‘Prince’ also spoke with Lev Ricanati ’25, tour manager for Triangle. This winter break, the club took their original musical “Pageant Pending” on tour.
“We went to DC, then Charlotte, North Carolina, then Atlanta,” Ricanati shared. “We had a show in Nashville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Milburn … I looked it up, and it was like the perimeter of the map of Spain, basically, is how far you were driving.”
This tour, Triangle increased their number of shows. “We added two shows this year … We did eight this year to see how it went. And you know, it was really successful.”
Ricanati shared with the ‘Prince’ that “touring is a pretty incredible part of the Triangle experience. It’s like one of the quintessential parts of it.”
Luke Grippo is a staff News writer for the Prince. He usually covers administrative issues, including USG, the CPUC, and institutional legacy.
Read More
Fourth annual DEI report affirms commitment to DEI, presents new data and programs
Elisabeth StewartPrinceton’s fourth annual DEI report, which covers the 2023–24 academic year, includes new data on the University’s DEI programming, partnerships with Native American and Indigenous initiatives, outreach to transfer and veteran students, and the fostering of belonging across faith-based identities.
Princeton’s fourth annual DEI report, which covers the 2023–24 academic year, includes new data on the University’s DEI programming, partnerships with Native American and Indigenous initiatives, outreach to transfer and veteran students, and the fostering of belonging across faith-based identities.
Princeton receives the least NIH funding in the Ivy League. What is at stake?
Andrew Bosworth and Hellen LuoWe broke down Princeton’s fiscal year funding from the NIH and NSF.
We broke down Princeton’s fiscal year funding from the NIH and NSF.
In ‘Sapphire,’ eXpressions brings fresh perspectives to a familiar soundtrack
Audrey ZengContributing writer for the Prospect Audrey Zeng reviews a dress rehearsal for eXpressions’ 45th anniversary show “Sapphire,” with performances that bring a fresh take on familiar songs.
