A Musical Christmas:
Prague & Vienna

OVERVIEW

The festive season in Europe is a delight: Christmas markets, picture-postcard towns surrounded by snow-covered peaks, and, of course, performances appropriate to the season. This tour brings you the best of Prague and Vienna at this special time of year, with a carefully-curated program of performances complemented by special Christmas and New Year’s Eve events, and a long-stay touring program that focuses on the region’s rich musical legacy.

The tour begins in Prague, a superbly situated historic city famous for its multiple towers and spires and the impressive Charles Bridge spanning the fast-flowing Vltava (‘Moldau’) river. In addition to three performances in historic venues, we explore the magnificent Gothic and Renaissance architecture of the Castle District, including the stunning St Vitus Cathedral.

We then continue to Vienna, to enjoy four excellent musical performances that include bringing in the New Year with Beethoven’s Ninth, Champagne and panoramic views of Vienna’s amazing city-wide firework displays. The program is rounded out by a delightful New Year’s Day concert in the lovely Stadttheater in Baden, as well as visiting three of Vienna’s superb art museums – the Kunsthistorisches, the Belvedere with its Klimts, and the fine Jugendstil collection in the Leopold Museum – while excursions to Heiligenstadt and the Vienna Woods introduce us to several sites associated with Beethoven and Schubert.

Your tour leader is well-known music lecturer and tour leader Robert Gay.

TOUR LEADER

Robert Gay has significant expertise as a music history educator and tour leader, having designed and led more than 100 tours to the great musical cities of Western and Central Europe and North America.

Known for his popular music history courses, which have been offered at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Continuing Education for more than 30 years, Robert’s musical expertise extends from the Baroque period through to the great composers of the modern era.

Robert trained as a lyric baritone in London and Munich, and he was also President of the Sydney Schubert Society for many years. He has been a guest lecturer for the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society (ADFAS), and is regularly invited to present talks on opera and music history to organisations such as the Wagner Society NSW.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Delight in seven performances of opera and orchestral music in fine historic venues in Prague and Vienna

• Unpack your bags for long-style touring, at only two comfortable hotel bases

• Enjoy the festive atmosphere of central Europe in winter, with Christmas markets, fireworks and Champagne suppers

• Discover sites associated with musical greats in Vienna, including Beethoven’s tiny Heiligenstadt apartment and the Schubert House Museum

• Enhance your appreciation with pre-performance talks by music educator and tour leader Robert Gay