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

At 18:00, join your tour leader Phillip Sametz and fellow tour members for a welcome briefing at the hotel, followed by dinner.

(D)

After a pre-performance talk in the morning, enjoy a private, guided backstage tour of the Vienna State Opera. Experience the grandeur of the main auditorium, known for its acoustics and opulent design, and take a behind-the-scenes look at the areas typically off-limits to the public.

Enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant followed by the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

In the evening, transfer to the Volksoper Wien to attend a performance of Così fan tutte, directed by Lotte de Beer and conducted by Leo Hussain. Swedish soprano Matilda Sterby sings Fiordiligi with German mezzo-soprano Annelie Sophie Müller as Dorabella, American tenor Timothy Fallon as Ferrando and American soprano Jaye Simmons as Despina.

(BL)

After breakfast, embark on a private, guided tour of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna’s magnificent repository of European art, housed in a grand Renaissance Revival building on the historic Ringstrasse. Admire works by the great masters of European painting, including Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Vermeer, Rubens and Dürer.

After lunch, enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

In the evening, attend a performance of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at the Vienna State Opera, conducted by Axel Kober. Directed by Barrie Kosky, the cast features Slovak bass Peter Kellner in the title role of Figaro, alongside Polish baritone Andrzej Filończyk as Count Almaviva, South African soprano Pretty Yende as the Countess, German soprano Kathrin Zukowski as Susanna and Serbian mezzo-soprano Jana Marković as Cherubino.

(BL)

This morning, after a pre-performance talk, visit the State Hall of the Austrian National Library. Built in the 18th century and recognised as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, the State Hall features a 30-metre-high fresco-adorned dome painted by Daniel Gran and four large Venetian globes, all surrounding the central statue of Emperor Charles VI. The 80-metre-long hall houses over 200,000 historical books and manuscripts.

This evening, transfer to the Wiener Konzerthaus and delight in a performance of Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Philippe Jordan.

PROGRAM:
Mahler – Symphony No. 7 in E minor, Song of the Night

(BL)

Today, visit the Liechtenstein Garden Palace, an exquisite Baroque residence set within a former princely garden, renowned for its frescoed interiors, grand ceremonial rooms and distinguished collection of European art. Continue to the Siegmund Freud Museum, housed in the apartment where Freud lived and worked for almost half a century, offering an intimate insight into the origins of psychoanalysis and his life in Vienna.

Return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

After an early dinner, walk to the Musikverein for Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, performed by the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester under the baton of Kirill Petrenko.

PROGRAM:
Hindemith – Konzertmusik for String Orchestra and Brass, Op. 50
Mahler – Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor

(BD)

Begin the day with a private, guided tour of the Imperial Treasury, home to an extraordinary collection of Habsburg regalia, sacred treasures and objects of dynastic significance, including the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire.

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

In the evening, transfer to the Konzerthaus for a recital by acclaimed French pianist Hélène Grimaud, performing works by Beethoven and Schubert.

PROGRAM:
Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
Schubert – Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major, D. 960

(B)

After a pre-performance talk in the morning, visit the Leopold Museum, renowned for its exceptional collection of Viennese Modernism, including masterpieces by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt.

Return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

After an early dinner, return to the Konzerthaus and attend a performance by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert Blomstedt in his centenary year, featuring Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony.

PROGRAM:
Schubert – Symphony No. 7 in B minor, D. 759, Unfinished
Bruckner – Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107

(BD)

In the morning, drive to Baden bei Wien, south of Vienna, for a guided tour of this charming spa town. Nestled in the scenic Vienna Woods, Baden bei Wien has been renowned for its thermal springs since Roman times. The town used to be a popular destination for aristocrats and artists, including Beethoven, who visited Baden frequently for therapeutic purposes. Enjoy a tour of the house where the composer wrote parts of his famous Ninth Symphony, before lunch at a local restaurant.

Return to the hotel in the mid-afternoon and enjoy some time at leisure.

This evening, attend a special chamber performance in the intimate Brahms-Saal of the Musikverein, renowned for its superb acoustics and richly decorated historic interior. An ensemble of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, joined by Phillippe Jordan at the piano, performs works by Fanny Hensel, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

PROGRAM:
Fanny Hensel – String Quartet in E-flat major
Beethoven – String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95
Tchaikovsky – Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, À la mémoire d’un grand artiste

(BL)

After a pre-performance talk in the morning, enjoy the remainder of the day leisure to relax or further explore Vienna at your own pace.

In the evening, attend a performance in the Musikverein’s magnificent Golden Hall by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier and featuring cellist Anastasia Kobekina.

PROGRAM:
Ligeti – Concert Românesc
Schumann – Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

(B)

This morning, visit the Belvedere Museum, the magnificent Baroque palace built as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, for a tour of its outstanding collection of Austrian art. Admire masterpieces of Viennese Modernism, including Gustav Klimt’s celebrated The Kiss, alongside works by Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.

Afterwards, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell lunch with Phillip and fellow travellers.

Tonight, attend the final performance of the tour, Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, in Otto Schenk’s acclaimed production, conducted by Axel Kober. Polish tenor Piotr Beczała sings the title role, with Russian-Austrian baritone Boris Pinkhasovich as Gérard and American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky as Maddalena, joined by Slovenian-Austrian mezzo-soprano Monika Bohinec as Madelon.

(BL)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Vienna 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 a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)