Moscow   ::   New York :: Buxton Festival :: Seattle Ring Cycle
Dresden & Leipzig :: Puccini Festival and Tuscany :: Wexford Festival

New York, 17 - 22 February

New York! New York! With a combination of guided tours and free time, and excellent Orchestra Prime seats for three great performances of tragic operas at the Metropolitan Opera House: Verdi's Otello, with Renee Fleming in one of her most acclaimed parts as the doomed Desdemona, Bizet's Carmen, where Marcelo Alvarez makes his Met debut alongside Olga Borodina, and Manon Lescaut, with Katita Mattila in the leading role.

Sunday 17 February: Our Virgin Atlantic flight is scheduled to leave Heathrow at 16.00, arriving at New York JFK airport at 18.55 local time (connecting flights available from a range of UK airports at additional cost). We transfer to the four-star Park Central Hotel in central Manhattan, just half a mile from the Met. The hotel benefits from a recent $65 million renovation. Guestrooms are considerably more spacious than is customary in New York and are well lit with light-coloured décor. There is a bistro style restaurant and a private health club.

Monday 18 February: Today we enjoy a city-wide tour of New York: the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan; the artist and boutique quarters of Greenwich Village, SoHo and TriBeCa; the ethnic neighbourhoods of Little Italy and Chinatown; the museum quarter around Central Park and a fascinating guided visit through the 18-acre United Nations Complex, where we may have the opportunity to hear some of the world's leading political figures speak. Our first opera at the Met is the work often considered Verdi's crowning achievement, Otello, with Renee Fleming and Johan Botha in the lead roles.

Tuesday 19 February: The Metropolitan Museum of Art is considered the most comprehensive in the Western World with works from prehistoric times to the present, including 2,500 European paintings. This morning we transfer by coach to the museum where curators will guide us through the treasures. After midday we can either remain at the museum to examine the collections or commence our individual exploration of the city. This evening we see an opulent production of Carmen, with Olga Borodina bringing her brooding mezzo-soprano to the title role and the acclaimed Argentinean tenor Marcelo Alvarez as Don Jose.

Wednesday 20 February: A full day at leisure. There is a vast array of museums to visit including the Museum of Modern Art (re-opened in 2005 after a $650 million regeneration), Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum, the Frick collection and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Alternatively, cruise to Liberty Island for a close encounter with the Statue of Liberty. Our final performance at the Met features two of the most exciting singers in opera today, Karita Mattilda and Marcello Giordini in Manon Lescaut.

Thursday 21 February: Time at leisure before late afternoon transfer to JFK. Flight is scheduled to arrive in London at 06.20 on Friday. Onward connections available.

The price in a twin/double bedded room is £1,370pp including flights and airport taxes, transfers, accommodation on a room only basis with porterage for 4 nights at the Park Central Hotel, sightseeing tours, entrance fees and opera tickets as described. Single supplement £350pp. (Connecting flights to Heathrow, alternative departure airports, extensions and flight upgrades on request). Deposit required with booking form £380pp.

Travel insurance for each holiday is £43pp for Friends aged up to 65 at time of booking. (Certain medical conditions may require a premium). Premium of 2 x adult rate applies aged 66 to 75, and 2.5x aged 76 to 79. There is an excess on most policy categories which can be waived for payment of an additional £15pp (no age-related supplement). Annual insurance is also available.