PARMA, MILAN, NAPLES

Il trovatore, Nabucco, Falstaff and I Lombardi at the Verdi Festival in Parma; Le nozze di Figaro at La Scala; Anna Netrebko in recital and an evening of Beethoven, Prokofiev and Gershwin at Teatro di San Carlo.

VIP Verdi tours (Sant’Agata, Busseto), The Last Supper, Pompeii and Ercolano. Stendhal Hotel in Parma; Mandarin Hotel in Milan; Grand Hotel Vesuvio in Naples.

This is an exclusive opportunity that delivers the finest Verdi experience possible. We will have preferred access to Verdi historical sites, and we will also have special events with the Club of the 27, the famous "Verdi fanclub" in Parma. These special events combined with superb art and historical tours, great cuisine and wine and the communal aspect of travelling with fellow opera, and Verdi, lovers makes for an unforgettable experience.  

Our annual pilgrimage to the Verdi Festival in Parma is a trip to the soul of Italy, and also to the soul of Italian opera. In Parma, we hear three Verdi works. There are definitely many stranieri at the performances in Parma’s glorious Teatro Regio and Busseto’s miraculously tiny Teatro Verdi, but there are also locals, and although the peanut gallery at La Scala has the reputation, the Parmagiani are a tougher crowd. Yes, they can crush the spirit of a singer not yet ready for the big stage, but they can also warmly reward the deserving. Witnessing a performance at Teatro Regio is the ultimate Verdi experience—an orchestra and conductor with Verdi in their blood, singers born to sing the maestro’s lines, and an unforgettable electricity in the auditorium. This is a highlight in our year, every year. Our hotel is the central Stendhal, a short walk to all of the city's major sites.

Milan is the essence of Italian style, and is of course home to La Scala, opera’s mecca. We will hear Le nozze di Figaro from best orchestra seats, as well as a concert conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta. We will also enjoy private tours of the La Scala Museum and Ricordi collection, as well as a private viewing of The last Supper. Our hotel is the elegant and perfectly-located 5-Star Mandarin Oriental Milan.

In Naples, we hear Anna Netrebko in recital and an evening of Beethoven, Prokofiev and Gershwin at Teatro di San Carlo, which some say is the most beautiful opera house in the world. Our hotel is the elegant and "Old World" Grand Hotel Vesuvio (where I once rode an elevator with Maestro Mehta himself!), with views of the Bay of Napoli and Mount Vesivius. We will tour the regions antiquities at the Archeological Museum and enjoy a day trip to Pompeii and Ercolano.

Click here to register.

ITINERARY

Tuesday, October 3

Independant dpartureas on overnight flights to Italy (flights should be booked to arrive at Bologna BLQ).

Wednesday, October 4

Arrive in Bologna and transfer to the Hotel Stendhal in Parma (45 mins). Tonight we meet for introductions over cocktails and then enjoy dinner a Welcome Dinner at Il Trovatore.

Thursday, October 5

10.00 Meet for a guided tour of Parma, including the Duomo, Baptistry and Teatro Farnese.

13.00 Lunch is included at Corale Verdi.

20.00 Il trovatore at Teatro Regio.

Leonora ELEONORA BURATTO

Manrico RICCARDO MASSI

Conte di Luna MARKUS WERBA

Azucena CLEMENTINE MARGAINE

Ferrando MARCO SPOTTI

Conductor FRANCESCO IVAN CIAMPA

Director DAVIDE LIVERMORE

Friday, October 6

Enjoy the morning at leisure in Parma.

13.00 Transfer for a reception with The Club of the 27, the famous local

Verdi fan club.

20.00 Nabucco (concert version) at Teatro Magnani di Fidenza.

Nabucco VLADIMIR STOYANOV

Conductor GIAMPAOLO BISANTI

FILARMONICA ARTURO TOSCANINI

CORO DEL TEATRO REGIO DI PARMA

Chorus master MARTINO FAGGIANI

Saturday, October 7

10.00 Today we enjoy a wonderful food tour of Parma and its surroundings.

13.00 Lunch is included.

20.00 I Lombardi at teatro Regio.

Giselda LIDIA FRIDMAN

Oronte ANTONIO POLI

Pagano MICHELE PERTUSI

Arvino GIOVANNI SALA

Conductor FRANCESCO LANZILLOTTA

Director PIER LUIGI PIZZI

Sunday, October 8

10.00 Meet in the lobby for a full-day Verdi tour (Roncole, Sant’Agata, Busseto).

12.45 Light lunch and tour at Antica Corte Pallavicina.

15.30 Falstaff at Teatro Verdi in Busseto.

19.00 Dinner at Trattoria Campanini.

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Monday, October 9

09.00 Baggage pick up (have bags waiting outside your door).

10.00 Depart for Milan, where we check in at the Mandarin Oriental. We store our

bags and stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, with a private

tour of the magnificent Duomo.

19.30 This evening we meet for a special dinner at Restaurant Boeucc.

Tuesday, October 10

10.00 This morning we meet for viewing of The Last Supper and a visit to the Casa Verdi, the retirement home for musicians that was Verdi's brainchild.

13.15 Lunch is included at Viva, followed by a short amble on the Corso Como.

19.00 Walk to La Scala for a performance of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro (19.30).

CAST

Conte d’Almaviva Ildebrando D’Arcangelo

Contessa d’Almaviva Olga Bezsmertna

Susanna Benedetta Torre

Figaro Luca Micheletti

Cherubino Svetlina Stoyanova

Wednesday, October 11

Enjoy the morning at leisure in Milan.

13.00 This afternoon we meet for a special lunch followed by a backstage tour at La Scala and then the Ricordi collection.

20.00 Tonight we see the legend, Zubin Mehta, conduct the Filarmonica della Scala in a concert featuring superstar pianist Yuja Wang.

PROGRAMME

Olivier Messiaen

Turangalîla-Symphonie for piano, ondes Martenot and orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony No. 38 in D major K 504

Thursday, October 12

09.00 This morning we take the fast train to Napoli, where we check in at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio. In the afternoon, we enjoy a coach tour of city.

19.30 Meet for an elegant dinner at the hotel.

Friday, October 13

10..00 Today we tour the stunning Museo Archeologico, enjoy the best pizza in the woprld for lunch, and then hear Anna Netrebko in recital at Teatro di San Carlo (Music by Michail Ivanovič Glinka, Sergej Vasil'evič Rachmaninov, Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and others).

Saturday, October 14

Today we tour to Pompeii, enjoy lunch at Bettola del Gusto, and return to Napoli for an evening at leisure.

Sunday, October 15

The final day is at leisure.

18.00 Tonight we hear a concert at Teatro di San Carlo and then enjoy Farewell Dinner at Il Ristorantino dell'Avvocato.

Monday, October 16

Transfers to the aiport are included.

TOUR INCLUDES

• Top Category seats for 5 operas and 3 concerts

• 12 nights in Deluxe rooms (5 in Parma, 3 in Milan, 4 in Naples)

• Full breakfast plus 10 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 arrive in Bologna (BLQ) on October 4, 2023, with departure from Naples (NAP) on October 16.

TRANSFERS

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

MOBILITY

There is minimal walking with some stairs and cobblestones 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.