Arrive in Hamburg on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

In the late-afternoon, join your tour leader Andy Bromberger and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing followed by dinner.

(D)

Begin the day with a visit to the Composers Quarter, where six dedicated museums bring to life the city’s rich musical traditions. From the exhibition on Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, to Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler, this ‘metropolis of music’ tells a diverse history, from Baroque to the early modern age.

After lunch, the afternoon is at leisure.

In the evening, attend a concert with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra conducted by Alan Gilbert at the Elbphilharmonie, renowned for its state-of-the-art philharmonic and chamber music halls.

PROGRAM:
Schoenberg – A Survivor from Warsaw for narrator, men’s chorus and orchestra, Op. 46
Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125

(BL)

Begin the day with a talk by Andy on the coming days’ performances. After a history-focused walking tour of Hamburg, discover the pinnacle of architectural design: the Elbphilharmonie.

Tonight, return to the Elbphilharmonie for a recital by young Japanese pianist Mao Fujita.

PROGRAM:
Mozart – Piano Sonata No. 13 in B-flat major
De Séverac – Les Cerdaña, Cinq Études pittoresques
Chopin – Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60
Prokofiev – Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 1
Schumann – Arabeske in C major, Op. 18
Schumann – Kreisleriana, Eight fantasies for piano, Op. 16

(BL)

In the morning, enjoy a private guided tour of the Kunsthalle, a treasure trove of art from the Renaissance to the present day including Old Masters’ paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens, works by German Romantic artists Caspar David Friedrich and Phillip Otto Runge, as well as works by Beckmann, Munch, Cézanne, Monet and Manet.

In the evening, enjoy a chamber music concert by Ensemble Polygon in the recital hall of the Elbphilharmonie.

PROGRAM:
Widmann – 180 Beats per Minute
Schulhoff – String Sextet
Brahms – String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 18

(B)

Depart Hamburg and travel south-east across Germany. Enjoy a talk by Andy on the following days’ performances on board the coach.

Visit the magnificent Schwerin Castle, a palace situated on an island in Lake Schwerin, and considered one of the most romantic castles of Germany. Inside the palace’s opulently furnished rooms, highlights include the throne room with columns made from Carrara marble and gilded cast-iron doors, the ancestral portrait gallery and a remarkable collection of Meissen porcelain.

After lunch at the castle, continue to Berlin, arriving in the late-afternoon.

(BL)

This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the Neue Nationalgalerie, reopened in 2021 after a six-year renovation. The modern art museum was designed by renowned architect Mies van der Rohe and features an impressive collection of artworks by 20^th-century artists such as Otto Dix, Max Ernst, Mark Rothko, Dalí and Miró.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before a free afternoon.

Tonight, hear the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of chief conductor Kirill Petrenko perform the complete version of Smetana’s Má Vlast (My Fatherland) at the Berliner Philharmonie.

(BL)

Depart on an excursion to Potsdam, best known for the magnificent palaces and parks dating back to its time as the former royal seat of Prussia. Begin with a drive through Sanssouci Park followed by a visit to the New Palace, situated on the western side of the park. Begun in 1763 after the end of the Seven Years’ War, it is considered to be the last great Prussian Baroque palace. Highlights include the shimmering Grottensaal (Grotto Hall) and the magnificent Marmorsaal (Marble Hall).

Tonight’s performance features the acclaimed Academy of St Martin in the Fields with violinist Julia Fischer at the Konzerthaus Berlin.

PROGRAM:
Beethoven – Romance for violin and orchestra in G major, Op. 40
Bartók – Divertimento for string orchestra
Beethoven – Romance for violin and orchestra in F major, Op. 50
Schubert – Symphony No. 5 in B major

(BL)

Begin the day with a talk by Andy on the coming days’ performances. Then, enjoy a walking tour of Museum Island on the Spree River. This unique ensemble of five world-famous museum buildings from the time of the Prussian rulers is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The tour ends at the Humboldt Forum, Berlin’s newest landmark and controversial cultural project which incorporates the Ethnological Museum of Berlin and the Museum of Asian Art.

In the evening, return to the Berliner Philharmonie for a performance by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Andris Poga with rising star cellist Anastasia Kobekina.

PROGRAM:
Boulanger – D’un soir triste
Dutilleux – Tout un monde lointain… for cello and orchestra
Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

(B)

The day is at leisure to further explore Berlin at your own pace.

Tonight, enjoy an early dinner at a local restaurant before returning to the Konzerthaus Berlin. See young sensation Tarmo Peltokoski conduct the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin featuring acclaimed soprano Camilla Nylund.

PROGRAM:
Strauss – Four last songs for soprano and orchestra
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93

(BD)

This morning, transfer to Berlin Airport for a flight to Amsterdam (flight included in tour price).

Arrive in Amsterdam in the afternoon and check in to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the historic centre of the Dutch capital.

(BD)

Following a talk by Andy, enjoy a morning visit to the Van Gogh Museum, featuring the world’s largest collection of works by Vincent Van Gogh and his contemporaries. The museum houses more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 of his letters, including masterpieces such as Sunflowers and The Potato Eaters, and several self-portraits.

In the evening, enjoy a recital by virtuoso pianist Lang Lang at the Concertgebouw, renowned for its unparalleled acoustics.

PROGRAM:
Schubert – Impromptu in G-flat major
Schumann – Kreisleriana, Op. 16
Chopin – Mazurkas, Op. 7, 17, 24, 30, 33 and 59
Chopin – Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44

(B)

This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the world-famous Rijksmuseum, which offers an excellent overview of Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages onwards, and of major aspects of European and Asian art. The remainder of the day is at leisure to further explore the Rijksmuseum or the Museum Quarter.

Return to the Concertgebouw this evening for a recital by the Z.E.N. Trio performing some of the best works of the High Romantic by Brahms and Dvořák.

PROGRAM:
Brahms – Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8
Dvořák – Piano Trio in F minor, Op. 65

(BD)

Enjoy a day at leisure to further explore Amsterdam at your own pace.

In the late-afternoon, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Andy and fellow travellers.

Then, return to the Concertgebouw for the final performance of the tour. Under veteran conductor Semyon Bychkov, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is joined by Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang.

PROGRAM:
Dvořák – Overture, Op. 92 ‘Carnival’
Shostakovich – Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77
Rachmaninoff – Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

(BD)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

If you are returning home today, make your way to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including any additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)