LEIPZIG BEETHOVEN FEST

All 9 Beethoven Symphonies plus String Quartets, Piano & Violin Concertos, Piano Sonatas and other major works. Opera in Dresden. 15 nights in Deluxe Rooms at the Steigenberger GrandHotel Handelshof. Day trips to Weimar and Dresden. Gourmet cuisine & wine.

Following Mahler in 2023 and Shostakovich in 2025, the next festival at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig will take place in May of 2027. To mark the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, over 20 concerts featuring works by the great Viennese classicist will be presented over two weeks. These include eight major concerts with stars such as Lang Lang and Leonidas Kavakos, conducted by Andris Nelsons with the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

The Beethoven Festival in Leipzig is a rare opportunity to immerse in the master's music for an extended stay in one city, with performances by the stellar Gewandhaus Orchester and some of the world's finest soloists: Lang Lang, Giorgi Gigashvili and Igor Levit, soprano Anna Prohaska and violinists Leonidas Kavakos and Julia Fischer. Symphonies 1, 2, 4, 6 & 9 will be performed, in addition to various piano works and string quartets. We will include several lectures during the week as well.

Leipzig has become one of the most popular destinations in Europe, ever since the New York Times listed it as one of its “places to go” in 2010, touting its music scene and burgeoning artist community. The historic central area of Leipzig features a renaissance-style ensemble of buildings from the 16th century, including the old city hall in the market place. There are also several Baroque trading houses and former residences of wealthy merchants. Our spectacular "Old World" hotel in Leipzig is the Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof. With it as our base, we explore the city and region through private, guided touring, including day trips to Dresden and Halle. As always, we will enjoy superb

Only 16 spaces are available for this Beethoven experience of a lifetime.

Our recent tours to the Mahler Festivals in Leipzig and Amsterdam were loved by attendees and filled up quickly, so don't miss out!

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ITINERARY

SATURDAY, MAY 8

Independent departures for overnight flights (from North America) to Leipzig.

SUNDAY, MAY 9

Upon arrival (Leipzig, Dresden or Berlin) you are met and transferred to the Steigenberger Handelshof Hotel in Leipzig.

19.00 Once settled in our rooms, we gather in the hotel lobby for a Reception before our Welcome Dinner at the hotel’s Brasserie Le Grand.

MONDAY, MAY 10

10.00 Following breakfast (included each day) we gather in the lobby and depart for a private guided walking tour of Leipzig (Marketplace, Old City Hall, Stock Exchange, church of St. Nicholas).

13.00 Lunch is included at the nearby Restaurant Auerbachs Keller, made famous in Goethe’s Faust.

19.30 Following a pre-concert talk in English at 6:45 pm in Schumann Corner, we take our seats as Andris Nelsons conducts the Gewandhausorchester in a concert featuring Beethoven's Egmont Overture for soprano, speaker and orchestra op. 84. Textual revision by Michael Lentz, musical arrangements by Gunnar Geisse/Michael Lentz, world premiere, commissioned work of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Anna Prohaska, soprano; Tobias Moretti, speaker. After a pause, we hear the 5th Symphony in C minor op. 67.

TUESDAY, MAY 11 

10.00 This morning we meet and tour the Museum of Musical Instruments and Leipzig University, one of the oldest in the world.

13.00 Following our tour, lunch and the afternoon are at leisure.

19.30 Early dinner is included before we take our seats at the Gewandhaus, where members of the Orchestra perform a unique improvised recomposition of Symphony No. 9.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12

10.00 Today we tour the Egyptian Museum.

13.00 Gourmet lunch is included.

19.30 Tonight, Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhaus Orchestra & Choir perform the 1st & 8th Symphonies, as well as the Fantasy in C minor op. 80. Giorgi Gigashvili, piano.

THURSDAY, MAY 13

10.00 Today we attend a service at Thomaskirche, a Lutheran church dating back to the 12th Century, where J.S. Bach was musical director. We then tour the Bach Museum, with interactive musical displays and original manuscripts.

17.30 Tonight we enjoy an early dinner before taking our seats in Mendelssohn Hall for a concert featuring the Gewandhaus Octet and Giorgi Gigashvili, piano. The programme features the Eleven Bagatelles op. 119, Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat major, Op. 16, and Septet in E flat major op. 20.

FRIDAY, MAY 14

Enjoy the day at leisure.

19.30 Early dinner is included before tonight's concert: Andris Nelsons leads the Gewandhaus Orchestra and special guests Leonidas Kavakos (violin) and Anna Prohaska (soprano) through the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, Ah! Perfido – Scene and Aria for Soprano and Orchestra, Op. 65, and the 4th Symphony in B major op. 60.

SATURDAY, MAY 15

10.00 Today we visit Mendelssohn-Haus, a museum opened in honour of Felix Mendelssohn on the 150th anniversary of his death.

13.00 Lunch is at leisure. 

15.00 This afternoon we hear the Gewandhaus Quartet (Frank-Michael Erben, violin; Yun-Jin Cho, violin; Vincent Aucante, viola; Isang Enders, cello) play the String Quartet in F major, Op. 18/1, String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 74 ("Harp Quartet") and String Quartet in E minor, Op. 59/2.

17.30 Dinner is included at the Gewandhaus before our evening concert (19.30): piano virtuoso Igor Levit plays Sonata in F minor op. 2/1, Sonata in D minor op. 31/2 ("The Storm") and Sonatina in G major op. 79.

SUNDAY, MAY 16

11.00 This morning we enjoy a very special concert: the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome Lang Lang. Together, they will perform the Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 and the 3rd Symphony in E flat major op. 55 ("Eroica").

15.00 After lunch at leisure, we take our seats again as the Gewandhaus Quartet plays Sonata in E major, Op. 14/1 (arrangement for string quartet), String Quartet in G major, Op. 18/2, and String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130.

19.00 A special dinner is included after the performance.

MONDAY, MAY 17

11.00 This morning, pianist Igor Levit plays Sonata in C minor op. 10/1, Sonata in C minor op. 13 ("Pathétique"), Sonata in F major op. 54, and Sonata in F minor op. 57 ("Appassionata").

15.00 After lunch, the Gewandhaus Quartet plays String Quartet in D major, Op. 18/3, the Grosse Fuge in B-flat major, Op. 133, and String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 127.

19.30 Following early dinner (included), we hear another variation on the 9th Symphony: a version for soloists, choir, two pianos and timpani, based on the arrangement for two pianos by Franz Liszt. Gregor Meyer conducts.

TUESDAY, MAY 18

10.00 Today we visit the Botanical Gardens and also the site of the Battle of the Nations, where Napoleon was defeated at the hands of the combined forces (the Sixth Coalition) of Russia, Austria, Prussia, Sweden.

13.00 Lunch is included.

19.30 Tonight we hear a trio of stellar musicians performa a trio of Beethoven masterworks. Julia Fischer (violin), Marie-Elisabeth Hecker (cello) and Martin Helmchen (piano) are featured. Programme:

Sonata for Violin and Piano in D major, Op. 12/1

Sonata for Cello and Piano in A major, Op. 69

Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in D major, Op. 70/1

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19

09.30 This morning we depart for a trip to Weimar, for an immersion into German classicism. We visit the homes of Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, and tour the Bauhaus Museum.

13.00 Lunch is included in Weimar.

14.30 We board our coach and return to our hotel in Leipzig.

19.30 Tonight, Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester are joined by the incomparable

Lang Lang on piano.

Programme: Jörg Widmann — Overture on BACH after late sketches by Ludwig van Beethoven

(World premiere, joint commission by the Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Orquesta Nacional de España and the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra)

Beethoven — Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

Beethoven — 7th Symphony in A major op. 92

THURSDAY, MAY 20

Enjoy the day at leisure.

19.30 Early dinner is included before our stellar trio from Tuesday returns for three more Beethoven works. Julia Fischer (violin), Marie-Elisabeth Hecker (cello) and Martin Helmchen (piano).

Programme: Seven Variations on the Duet "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen" from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" for Cello and Piano in E-flat major, WoO 46

Sonata for Violin and Piano in C minor, Op. 30/2

Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in B-flat major, Op. 97 ("Archduke Trio")

FRIDAY, MAY 21

15.00 Following a morning at leisure, we hear the Gewandhaus Quartet play the String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18/4, String Quartet in C major, Op. 59/3 and String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132

17.00 Dinner is included.

19.30 Tonight, Lang Lang once again joins the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Andris Nelsons for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73. The 6th Symphony in F major op. 68 ("Pastoral") is also on the programme.

SATURDAY, MAY 22

09.00 Today you have the option of remaining in Leipzig to hear the Gewandhaus Quartet or joining us on a day trip by high-speed train to Dresden ($600 supplement). There, we will tour the Zwinger Palace and Frauenkirche, dine at the Kempinski Taschenbergpalais, and end with a performance of La bohème at the glorious Semperoper, returning to Dresden by midnight.

Cast:

Conductor: Adam Hickox 

Mimì Carolina López Moreno 

Musetta Natasha Gesto 

Rodolfo René Barbera

Leipzig Gewandhaus Quartet programme:

String Quartet in A major, Op. 18/5

String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 ("Quartetto serioso")

String Quartet in F major, Op. 59/1.

SUNDAY, MAY 23

The final morning is at leisure.

13.00 This afternoon, the Gewandhaus Quartet plays String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 18/6, String Quartet in F major, Op. 135, and String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131

18.00 Tonight we enjoy the final concert of the Festival: the Gewandhaus Orchestra and conductor Andris Nelsons are joined by Leonidas Kavakos (violin), Pablo Ferrández (cello), and Lang Lang (piano) for the 2nd Symphony in D major op. 36, Concerto for Piano, Violin, Cello and Orchestra in C major, Op. 56 ("Triple Concerto").

20.00 Farewell Dinner is included after the performance.

MONDAY, MAY 24

Airport transfers are included and will be arranged on-site.

TOUR INCLUDES

• Top Category seats for 20 performances including all 9 Beethoven symphonies, plus optional La bohème in Dresden

• 15 nights in Deluxe rooms at the Steigenberger Handelshof Hotel

• Full breakfast daily, plus 13 additional meals 

• Private tours as listed

• Airport-hotel transfers 

• On-site Tour Direction

• Comprehensive Tour Guidebook

FLIGHTS

Flights are not included in tour pricing. Return flights should be booked to Leipzig for arrival on May 9, departure on May 24.

TRANSFERS

We provide airport/rail station—hotel transfers for arrivals and departures within within 3 days of the start/end of our tour from the cities listed above. We also provide transfers for group meals and performances that are beyond a 10 minute walk.

MOBILITY

There is minimal walking with some stairs during the guided tours. As for all of our tours, we are happy to accommodate you regardless of your mobility level. Please make clear your mobility concerns at the time of registration. We provide transfers for group meals and performances that are beyond a 10 minute walk.

INSURANCE

We strongly recommend that all tour members purchase cancellation insurance upon registration. We can assist you with this, though you are welcome to purchase a policy at your own discretion. For more information about our travel insurance, click here.