Barcelona to Paris

• Enjoy 7 performances of opera, orchestral music and dance in premier venues in Spain and France

• Get the most out of the experience with pre-performance talks by tour leader Robert Gay

• Explore the architecture of Antoni Gaudí and art of Joan Miró over three nights in Barcelona

• Delight in the wealth of art in Madrid, from masterpieces by Velasquez and Goya to Picasso’s seminal Guernica

• Spend two nights in Bilbao, including a visit to Frank Gehry’s spectacular Guggenheim Museum, and enjoy a stop in the delightful Basque seaside town of St-Jean-de-Luz

• Discover World Heritage-listed Bordeaux, an elegant regional centre on the Garonne and a true gastronomic capital

• Explore the extraordinary collections in two of the less frequented Paris museums – the Musée de Cluny and the Musée Carnavalet

Performance 1
Venue: Gran Teatre del Liceu
Program: Bellini, La sonnabula
Performers: Nadine Sierra (Amina), Xabier Anduaga (Elvino)

Performance 2
Venue: Palau de la Musica Catalana
Program: Schoenberg, Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op.9; Schoenberg, Pierrot lunaire, Op.21
Performers: Patricia Kopatchinskaja & Friends

Performance 3
Venue: Teatro Real
Program: Handel, Jephtha
Performers: Francesco Corti (conductor), Michael Spyres (tenor), Joyce DiDonato (mezzo soprano)

Performance 4
Venue: Teatro Real
Program: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, The Tale of Tsar Saltan
Performers: Karel Mark Chichon (conductor), Dmitri Tcherniakov (director), Ante Jerkunica (Tsar Saltan), Svetlana Aksenova (Tsarina Militrisa), Bogdan Volkov (Prince Gvidon), Nina Minasyan (Princess Cisne)

Performance 5
Venue: Opéra Bastille
Program: Puccini, Il trittico (Gianni Schicchi, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica)
Performers: Asmik Grigorian (Lauretta, Giorgetta & Angelica), Karita Mattila (The Princess)

Performance 6
Venue: Palais Garnier
Program: Delibes, Sylvia
Performers: Kevin Rhodes (conductor), Manuel Legris (choreographer)

Performance 7
Venue: Philharmonie de Paris
Program: Robert Schumann, Paradise and the Peri, Op. 50
Performers: Jordi Savall (conductor) and Les Concert des Nations

SUNDAY 27 APRIL - ARRIVAL

Group members arrive during the day. In the early evening, gather to meet your tour leader, tour manager and fellow travellers in the hotel for welcome drinks. Overnight Barcelona.

MONDAY 28 APRIL - ART OF CATALONIA, PERFORMANCE 1 (B, L)

This morning, after a talk in the hotel, we travel by private coach to Montjuïc, a prominent mountain overlooking Barcelona and its harbour. In 1929, it was the site of an International Exposition, and a number of its pavilions were later transformed into museums and art galleries. We begin at the Fundació Joan Miró, where audioguides introduce us to this authoritative collection of work by the innovative and influential abstract artist. Close by is MNAC, the National Museum of Catalan Art, with superlative collections spanning the Romanesque, Renaissance and birth of modern art. After our welcome lunch in the museum’s highly regarded restaurant, we take a short, guided tour of the museum’s main collections before returning to the hotel. In the evening we attend our first performance – Bellini’s La sonnambula in the Gran Teatre del Liceu, starring two young singers in the leading roles. Overnight Barcelona.

Performance 1
Venue: Gran Teatre del Liceu
Program: Vincenzo Bellini, La sonnambula
Performers: Nadine Sierra (Amina), Xabier Anduaga (Elvino)

TUESDAY 29 APRIL - A DAY WITH GAUDÍ, PERFORMANCE 2 (B, L)

In the late nineteenth century, Barcelona was transformed by a cultural movement that led to a renaissance in Catalan architecture, painting and sculpture, and the decorative arts. Comparable to France’s Art Nouveau or Germany’s Jugendstil, Barcelona’s Modernisme is exemplified in the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, and today we explore his legacy with a local guide. We start at the Sagrada Família, with its ‘sacred forest’ of columns breathtakingly illuminated by countless stained-glass windows. We then have a light lunch together before a guided visit of the fantastical façade and roofscape of Casa Milà, one of Gaudí’s early masterpieces. The later afternoon is at leisure, before we attend an evening performance at the gloriously decorated Palau de la Música Catalana. Overnight Barcelona.

Performance 2
Venue: Palau de la Música Catalana
Program: Arnold Schoenberg, Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op.9; Pierrot lunaire, Op.21
Performers: Patricia Kopatchinskaja & Friends

WEDNESDAY 30 APRIL - TO MADRID (B, L, D)

Today we travel to Madrid by the AVE high-speed train, during which we have a light lunch on board. In the afternoon, we begin our exploration of the stunning art collections of Madrid with a relaxed visit to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which contains one of Europe’s finest collections of Old Masters – from Jan van Eyck, to Holbein, Titian, Caravaggio and El Greco – as well as modern masterpieces by Degas, Van Gogh and Franz Marc. In the evening, we have dinner together in the hotel. Overnight Madrid.

THURSDAY 1 MAY - REINA SOFÌA, PERFORMANCE 3 (B)

We begin the day’s activities with a talk in the hotel, after which we walk to the nearby Reina Sofía Museum, which contains an outstanding collection of modern art, the centrepiece of which is undoubtedly Picasso’s Guernica. After a guided tour of the collection, there is time to explore the museum’s collections independently. The afternoon is at leisure before we attend a concert performance of Handel’s last oratorio Jephtha at the Teatro Real, featuring two outstanding singers, Michael Spyres and Joyce DiDonato, in the leading roles. Overnight Madrid.

Performance 3
Venue: Teatro Real
Program: Handel, Jephtha
Performers: Francesco Corti (conductor), Michael Spyres (tenor), Joyce DiDonato (mezzo soprano)

FRIDAY 2 MAY - THE PRADO, PERFORMANCE 4 (B)

This morning we walk to the Prado, which houses the collection of Old Masters amassed by members of Spain’s royal family over 400 years. Here, our guided tour focuses on the Golden Age of Spanish painting, when artists from Velasquez to Goya took Spanish portraiture to the forefront of European art. After our guided visit, there is time to explore the museum independently. The afternoon is at leisure before we attend Dmitri Tcherniakov’s new production of The Tale of Tsar Saltan – the score of which contains, rather surprisingly, the dazzling orchestral showpiece, ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’ – at the Teatro Real. Overnight Madrid.

Performance 4
Venue: Teatro Real
Program: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, The Tale of Tsar Saltan
Performers: Karel Mark Chichon (conductor), Dmitri Tcherniakov (director), Ante Jerkunica (Tsar Saltan), Svetlana Aksenova (Tsarina Militrisa), Bogdan Volkov (Prince Gvidon), Nina Minasyan (Princess Cisne)

SATURDAY 3 MAY - TOLEDO (B)

Today we visit Toledo, a well-preserved city that perfectly encapsulates the complex history medieval Spain. Once the capital of the Visigoths, Toledo became a key centre of Christianity in the Iberian Peninsula, even during the long period of Arab and Berber rule. Our walking tour of Toledo unpacks the layers of its history to reveal a period of unexpected, but nevertheless inspiring, cosmopolitanism. Our tour includes a visit to the El Greco Museum, which contains numerous paintings by the artist who settled in Toledo in 1577 and died here in 1614. After a break for lunch and some free time to explore the city independently, we return to Madrid where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Madrid.

SUNDAY 4 MAY - TO BILBAO, VIA SEGOVIA (B, D)

Today we travel by coach to Bilbao, stopping for a brief visit to Segovia en route. Here we take a short walking tour of the city and its monuments, including the Roman aqueduct – with 160 of its arches amazingly still intact – and the splendid Gothic cathedral. After free time for lunch, we continue to Bilbao, where we have dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Bilbao.

MONDAY 5 MAY - BILBAO AND BASQUE CUISINE (B, L)

Bilbao is the largest city on the Bay of Biscay, and we spend this morning exploring its history on a walking tour with a local guide. A significant historic port, thanks to its trade in wool and iron, modern Bilbao suffered from over-industrialisation, but the so-called ‘Guggenheim effect’ and a proud local identity have ensured a contemporary urban renewal. We discover more of the Basque Country’s unique culture over lunch in a restaurant specialising in the innovative regional cuisine. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Bilbao.

TUESDAY 6 MAY - MUSEO GUGGENHEIM, TO BORDEAUX (B, D)

This morning we walk to the nearby Museo Guggenheim, for a guided introduction to the collection. The building itself – formed by a partnership between the Basque government and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York – was designed by Frank Gehry, and is routinely voted one of the most important contemporary buildings in the world. Afterwards, we travel by coach to Bordeaux, roughly following the Atlantic Coast and breaking our journey for a lunch stop in the prosperous Basque seaside town of St-Jean-de-Luz, before continuing to Bordeaux. In the evening, we have dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight Bordeaux.

WEDNESDAY 7 MAY - IN BORDEAUX (B)

After a talk in our hotel, we meet our local guide for an introduction to the history of Bordeaux, second only to Paris in the number of its listed monuments. From the Gothic spires of the Cathedral of St Andrew to the expansive eighteenth-century Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux is enjoying a cultural renaissance and has recently developed an international reputation for ‘slow tourism’. We also take a guided tour of the Grand Théâtre, to understand the history of this fine theatre. (No suitable performances are scheduled during our stay in Bordeaux.) The afternoon is at leisure, and you might like to visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts, which has an excellent collection of Flemish, Italian and French masterpieces. Overnight Bordeaux.

THURSDAY 8 MAY – THE VINEYARDS OF SAINT-ÉMILION (B, L)

Bordeaux is a celebrated capital of viticulture and gastronomy, and hosts the world’s largest wine exposition every two years. Today we travel by private coach into the Saint-Émilion district, which was established with a unique monoculture of vines in the Roman era and grew in prominence during the Middle Ages, thanks to its location on the famed pilgrimage road to Santiago de Compostela. Four estates in this small district produce wines with France’s highest level of appellation, and we enjoy a lunch combined with a fascinating cellar visit at a highly regarded winery. Returning to Bordeaux, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Bordeaux.

FRIDAY 9 MAY - TO PARIS, PERFORMANCE 5 (B, D)

In the morning, we take the TGV to Paris, arriving in the early afternoon. After checking in to our hotel, the rest of the afternoon is free to relax before an early dinner, followed by the performance of Puccini’s Il trittico at the Opéra Bastille. This production by Christof Loy premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 2022 and stars the remarkable Asmik Grigorian singing all three soprano roles, in a specially re-ordered sequence of the three 1-act operas that make up Puccini’s ‘trilogy’. Overnight Paris.

Performance 5
Venue: Opéra Bastille
Program: Puccini, Il trittico (Gianni Schicchi, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica)
Performers: Asmik Grigorian (Lauretta, Giorgetta & Angelica), Karita Mattila (The Princess)

SATURDAY 10 MAY - CHÂTEAU DE MALMAISON, PERFORMANCE 6 (B, L)

This morning, we travel by private coach to the Château de Malmaison, where audioguides introduce us to the elegant estate created by Joséphine de Beauharnais. Enduringly remembered for its rose garden, Malmaison was the Empress’s personal retreat after her divorce and was carefully restored in the twentieth century. Lunch is in a local brasserie, before we return to our hotel for time at leisure. In the evening, we attend a performance of Delibes’s ballet Sylvia at the Palais Garnier. This ballet was the first new work to be staged in Charles Garnier’s new Paris Opéra in 1876, so it will be delightful to see it performed where it was first performed almost 150 years ago. Overnight Paris.

Performance 6
Venue: Palais Garnier
Program: Léo Delibes, Sylvia
Performers: Kevin Rhodes (conductor), Manuel Legris (choreographer)

SUNDAY 11 MAY - MUSÉE DE CLUNY (B, D)

Today we explore the art and architecture of medieval Paris. We head to the celebrated Musée de Cluny, which has undergone a major restoration in recent years. Housed in a fifteenth-century hôtel that was the Paris residence of the powerful abbots of Cluny, this museum contains a magnificent collection of artefacts, including seventh-century Visigothic crowns, a superlative collection of Romanesque ivories, and The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. After our guided introduction, there is time to explore the museum independently before we return to the hotel. The afternoon is at leisure, with the option to visit Notre Dame, which is on track to re-open at the end of 2024. This evening, we have dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Paris.

MONDAY 12 MAY - LE MARAIS, PERFORMANCE 7 (B, L)

After a morning talk, we travel to the Marais district, walking through the beautiful Place des Vosges to visit the newly-reopened Musée Carnavalet. This outstanding museum is dedicated to the history of Paris, and contains another remarkable collection of artefacts, which trace the city’s origins from the Gallo-Roman period, through to the redesign of the city under Baron Haussmann in the mid-nineteenth century. Predictably, there is a particular focus on the French Revolution and subsequent Napoleonic period. After our visit, we enjoy a farewell lunch in a typical local restaurant before returning to our hotel for some time at leisure. This evening we have a private transfer to Paris’s extraordinary new (2015) concert hall, the Philharmonie de Paris, designed by celebrated French architect Jean Nouvel, and built on the very outskirts of the city, to hear a fascinating but rarely performed secular oratorio by Schumann. The concert features a Spanish conductor, orchestra and choir, all of whom hail from Catalunya, bringing our tour nicely full circle. Overnight Paris.

Performance 7
Venue: Philharmonie de Paris
Program: Robert Schumann, Paradise and the Peri, Op. 50
Performers: Jordi Savall (conductor) and Les Concert des Nations

TUESDAY 13 MAY - DEPARTURE (B)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast in the hotel. Our partner, Mary Rossi Travel, will be pleased to assist with any onward travel arrangements, including flights, transfers and accommodation. Please contact us for more information.

The hotels have been principally chosen for their locations, which are central to our performance venues and to sight-seeing in the cities we visit.

H10 Urquinaona Plaza, Barcelona, 4*, 3 nights
www.h10hotels.com/en/barcelona-hotels/h10-urquinaona-plaza

Hotel NH Nacional, Madrid, 4*, 4 nights
https://www.nh-hotels.com/en/hotel/nh-madrid-nacional

Hotel Carlton, Bilbao, 5*, 2 nights
www.carltonhotelbilbao.com

Hotel de Sèze, Bordeaux, 4*, 3 nights
www.hotel-de-seze.com

Hotel Westminster, Paris, 4*, 4 nights
https://www.warwickhotels.com/hotel-westminster

NB: hotels of a similar standard may be substituted.

• Best available tickets to 7 performances at outstanding venues in Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona

• 16 nights’ accommodation in 4 and 5-star hotels

• All breakfasts, 12 lunches and dinners

• All ground transport, guided tours and entrances, and tipping

• Talks by music educator Robert Gay throughout

• Services of an experienced tour manager throughout
  

A $1,500pp deposit is required at the time of booking to hold your place on tour.

We will invoice you for a second deposit of $2,000 due on 29 December 2024.

We will invoice you for the final payment, due on 13 February 2025.

When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions. You can read our terms and conditions here.