Pro Musica presents an extraordinary tour to the leading opera houses of South America.  On this tour, we will visit six very different cities, while enjoying opera, recital and dance amidst the natural splendour and unique vitality of the South American continent.  This tour will be led by Pro Musica director Larry Edelson, along with local English speaking guides in each city.  Registration is strictly limited on this tour  in order for us to enjoy many sights not generally open to the public and larger tour groups.

 

Friday October 19th

 

Evening departure from your city of origin to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

 

Saturday October 20th -Buenos Aires

 

Arrival at the Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini (Ezeiza), Buenos Aires.  Transfer to the five star Crowne Plaza Panamericano located in the heart of Buenos Aires facing the Obelisk and the Teatro Colón.  The afternoon is free for rest and relaxation.  This evening, we will assemble together for a welcome dinner prior to our transfer to the Teatro Roma in the suburb of Avellaneda.  Our first performance is a new production of Verdi’s rarely seen Ernani, featuring José Azocar, Patricia Gutiérrez, Luis Gieta, and Ariel Cazes. 

 

Sunday October 21st - Buenos Aires

 

This morning we embark on our tour of the great city of Buenos Aires following the ‘Steps of Passion’ set to music by the tanguistas Carlos Gardel, Astor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Pugliese.  Our tour revolves around the Italian district of La Boca, famous for its colourful houses, and the artists’ quarter of San Telmo with a unique colonial atmosphere.  Following our tour, the afternoon is at leisure to explore the Sunday antique market in San Telmo’s main square, or some of the city’s other fascinating sights.

 

This evening, we have the honor of attending the premiere of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem at the world renowned Teatro Colón (formal attire required).  Teatro Colón has perhaps the greatest acoustics of any opera house in the world.  Our singers this evening include Julia Varady, Markella Hatziano, and Frank Lopardo.  Following the performance we will dine together at 9 de Julio, next to our hotel.

 

Monday October 22nd - Buenos Aires

 

This morning, our private tour will trace the footsteps of an idol:  “Evita” Duarte de Perón.  Included among the sights this morning are Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, The Presidential Palace, City Hall, Metropolitan Cathedral, Palacio del Congreso, along with the spacious parks of Palermo including the picturesque Rose Garden, and the cemetery of La Recoleta with Evita’s tomb in a crypt of black marble.  Following our tour, we will enjoy a private tango lesson at the tangueria El Viejo Almacén.  After transferring back to our hotel through the posh Puerto Madero district, the remainder of the afternoon is a leisure.  You may wish to explore the exclusive boutiques at Galerias Pacifico.

 

This evening we return to El Viejo Almacén for dinner and an authentic tango show.

 

Tuesday October 23rd - Buenos Aires, La Plata

 

This morning we will enjoy a private backstage tour of the Teatro Colón.   The 2500 seat, seven tier theatre opened in 1908 and has hosted the greatest artists of the century.  Our tour of the Italianate building with French decoration will include a look behind the scenes of this remarkable house.  We then transfer to the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires which houses the outstanding private collection of wealthy arts patron Eduardo Costantini.  The inauguration of this collection is slated just prior to our arrival.  Latin American artists featured wlil include Antonio Berni, Lygia Clark, Emiliano di Cavalcanti, Tarsila do Amaral, Fernando Botero and Frida Kahlo. Following a private tour of the museum, the afternoon is at leisure for continued personal exploration of the collection, or for independent activities.

 

Prior to our performance this evening, we will enjoy fabulously fragrant coffee, and delicious cakes at L’orangerie in the Alvear Palace Hotel, Argentina’s pinnacle of elegance and great sophistication.  We then continue on to Teatro Argentino in La Plata, 35 miles south-east of Buenos Aires.  We will attend  another premiere this evening - Britten’s The Turn of The Screw in a co-production of the Teatro Regio Torino.  The international cast in this haunting opera includes Kevin Anderson, Raina Kabaivanska, Cecilia Layseca, Anne Wilkens, and Maria Bugallo. 

 

 

Wednesday October 24th - Buenos Aires, Igaçu Falls

 

After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Puerto Igazú, Argentina.  Upon arrival, we  will transfer to La Garganta del Diablo, the world renowned restaurant at the Sheraton International at the “feet of the falls”.  Following lunch we will enjoy an expert guided tour of one of the wildest wonders of the world.  The grandeur of this Cinemascopic sheet of cascading white water  makes Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls seem sedate.  Igazú is made up of over 300 separate cascades that plunge more than two hundred feet onto the rocks belcow.  By the falls, rainbows and butterflies are set off against vast walls of red earth. Today we tour  the Argentinean side of the falls. Following our tour, we will check in at the Tropical das Cataratas Hotel and Resort set in the midst of the subtropical forests of the national park.  The evening is at leisure.

 

 

Thursday October 25th - Igaçu Falls, São Paulo

Following breakfast, we explore the  Brazilian side of the falls, and the Parque Nacional Foz do Igaçu.  Rare flora including bromeliads and orchids are protected here, and we will explore the stunning trails and visit the real  Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat) with our expert guide.  We continue on to the airport for our afternoon flight to São Paulo, the largest city in South America.

 

Upon arrival in São Paulo we transfer to the hotel Transamerica São Paulo, affiliated with “The Leading Hotels of the World”, and conveniently located adjacent to Teatro Alfa.  The balance of the afternoon has been left free for rest and relaxation.

 

This evening, we are delighted to attend a solo recital by soprano Jessye Norman at the Teatro Alfa (Program to be announced).

 

 

Friday October 26th - São Paulo

 

Our guided tour this morning uncovers the cultural layers of this cosmopolitan city. Highlights of our touring today include Bela Vista, Liberdade, Catedral Metroplitan da Sé, BOVESPA (the busy São Paulo Stock Exchange), Basilica de São Bento, Edíficio Itália, and Praça da Repùblica.

 

The balance of the afternoon has been left free.  You may wish to visit the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, containing the best collection of Western art in Latin America.

 

This evening, we will attend a performance of Verdi’s Il Trovatore at Teatro Municipal, São Paulo’s most distinguished public building.  Another stellar cast will be singing this evening, including Vladamir Bogachov, Cynthia Makris, Larissa Diadkova, Giancarlo Pasquetto, and Dimitri Kavrakos. György Györiványi Ráth conducts.

 

 

Friday October 27th - São Paulo, Manaus

 

No other structure better represents the opulence and splendour of the Amazon’s age of rubber (1890-1914).  Marble doorways from Italy, wrought-iron banisters from England, 32 chandeliers of Murano Crystal and French bronze, and striking panels of French tiles and Italian frescoes depicting Amazon legends are among the many treasures of this extraordinary opera house.  In 1997, after a 90 year hiatus, the theatre reopened to great acclaim.  After our tour, we will continue on to the Hotel Tropical Manus to check in.  The remainder of the afternoon is free for rest and relaxation.  Nothing in the Amazon can match the majesty of the Tropical Manaus.  This resort is a sprawling complex overlooking the Rio Negro with a short path that leads to the beach.  In addition to the on-site zoo, there are two gorgeous pools and numerous other amenities.

 

This evening we return to the Teatro Amazonas for a real treat  -  Villa-Lobos’s ballet Floresta Amazônica. Under the baton of Luiz Fernando Malheiro, the Corpo de Dança do Amazonas and the Coral do Amazonas will be accompanied by the Amazonas Filarmônica.  Heitor Villa-Lobos brought avant-garde techniques from Europe and undertook the challenge of transplanting Brazilian folklore melodies and rhythms to his symphonic compositions.  This performance is sure to be one of the many highlights of our tour.

 

 

Sunday October 28th - Manaus

 

This morning, our expert guide takes us on a boat ride to the Meeting of the Waters.  About nine miles south-east of Manuas, the light coloured Rio Solimões meets the inky black flow of the Rio Negro to form the Rio Amazonas, the planet’s most voluminous river.  The two rivers run side by side for about four miles without their waters mingling, and is a playground for pink river dolphins.  Following our cruise, we stop at the Mercado Municipal and lunch at the nearby Churrascaria Búfalo.

 

This afternoon, our touring continues as we explore the glory and glamour of Manaus during the Tropical Belle Époque.  We will enjoy a guided tour of the Palácio Rio Negro, an imposing palace built at the end of the 19th century as a home for an extravagant rubber baron; Mercado Municpal, designed by Gustave Eiffel; Alfândega customs house; Porto Flutuante, the British-made floating docks; Catedral da Nossa Senhora da Conceição; and Palácio da Justiça, modelled on Versailles. The evening is at leisure.

 

Monday October 29th - Manaus, Rio de Janeiro

 

After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and transfer to the Museu do Índio for a glimpse of the lost Indian cultures of the Amazon region.  The museum was constructed, and is run, by Salesian Sisters, an order of nuns with missions along the upper Rio Negro and Rio Amazonas.  Its collection includes fine ceramics, utensils, inter-village communication drums, clothing, palm-frond carvings, sacred ritual masks and replicas of Indian dwellings.

 

Following our tour, we continue to Manaus airport for our flight to Rio de Janeiro.  Our flight will arrive in the early evening, when we will transfer to the hotel Caesar Park Ipanema.   Affiliated with “The Leading Hotels of The World”, this five star beachfront property has established itself as a favorite of celebrities and heads of state for its impeccable service and beautiful location.  Facing the finest and safest stretch of Ipanema Beach and surrounded by elegant boutiques, the Caesar Park is an elegant home base for our time in Rio. The balance of the evening is at leisure.

 

 

Tuesday October 30th - Rio de Janeiro

 

This morning, we transfer to the rack-railway station at Rua Cosme Velho for our thirty minute journey through the Tijuca National Park, the world’s largest urban forest, to the top of Corcovado hill where you will enjoy an exhilarating view of Ipanema and Leblon, as well as Pão d’Açucar.  We then transfer to the Teatro Municipal in central Rio for a backstage tour of this  scaled-down version of the Paris Opera House, first opened in 1909.  The theatre is known for its outstanding sightlines and stunning décor.

 

 

After our backstage tour, we wil lunch at the Confeitaria Colombo, evoking Rio’s Belle Époque with its ornate interior decoration and air of tradition.  We then continue our touring with visits to the Igreja de NS da Candelária, the largest church in Rio, and the Ingreja de São Bento, one of the finest Benedictine complexes in Brazil.  The balance of the afternoon and evening are at leisure.

 

 

Wednesday October 31st - Rio de Janeiro

 

Our touring this morning begins with a cable-car ride to the summit of the Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar), providing an all-encompassing view of Rio’s natural and man-made attractions. Our panoramic tour along the sun-kissed sands of Rio include a quick break for some coconut water from fresh green shells.  Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Vidigal, São Conrado, Pepino, Barra da Tijuca, and Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas are among the stunning sights we will enjoy today.

 

Prior to returning to our hotel, we will enjoy a guided museum and workshop tour of the world headquarters of the German born jeweler Hans Stern.  Brazil produces 90% of the world’s supply of gems, including diamonds, aquamarines, topazes, amethysts, tourmalines and emeralds.   The afternoon is at leisure.  You may wish to visit Rio’s majestic Botanical Garden.  Founded in 1808, the sprawling gardens contain over 7,000 varieties of plants from around the world and more than 140 species of birds. 

 

This evening, we transfer to the Teatro Municipal.  Prior to our performance, we have planned a special pre-theater champagne and canapés reception at the opulent Café do Teatro with its original décor of sarcophagi, sphinxes and Assyrian inspired mosaic tiles.  Our opera this evening is Verdi’s beloved La Traviata.  Krassimira Stoyanova, Giorgio Casciarri and Rodrigo Esteves are featured in tonight’s cast.

 

Thursday November 1st - Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis

 

This morning we travel 41 miles north-east of Rio to the Salzburg of the Tropics, the imperial city of Petrópolis.  Upon arrival, we will visit the Imperial Museum in the former royal residence.  We will then continue on to the summer home of the air pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont and the Crystal Palace.  We have been invited today to lunch at Mr. and Mrs. Kallenbach’s private home.  Before returning to Rio in the mid afternoon, we will visit the Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara.  We have left the balance of the afternoon and evening free for your continued exploration of the fascinating city, or for rest and relaxation.

 

 

Friday November 2nd - Rio de Janeiro, Santiago

 

Following check-out from our hotel, we will transfer to the Airport for our flight to Chile.  We will arrive in Santiago at Arturo Merino Benitez Airport in the early afternoon.  Following our transfer to the centrally located five star Hotel Carrera, we will enjoy a wine and cheese reception at the hotel’s Roof Garden restaurant which features breathtaking views of the surrounding Andean peaks.  The remainder of the day is at leisure.

 

 

Saturday November 3rd - Santiago

 

This morning our city tour of Santiago will spotlight the Palacio de la Moneda; the Cathedral, Chile’s largest church with an impressive Baroque interior; the Palacio de la Real Audiencia; the Casa colorada, home of the governor in colonial days; the Iglesia San Francisco with Arab influences; Santa Lucia; and San Cristóbal hill.  We will transfer back to through the neighbourhood of Providencia, a modern area of shops, restaurants and offices.  The afternoon is free for personal exploration.  You may wish to visit the nearby Museu Chileno de Art Precolombino, boasting a representative exhibition of archaeological items from the pre-Columbian cultures of Central America and the Andean region.

 

This evening, we are thrilled to have obtained tickets to the Teatro Municipal for Verdi’s final opera, his comic masterpiece Falstaff.   A cast of world renowned interpreters is featured this evening including Alessandro Corbelli, Haijing Fu, Rachele Stanisci, Anat Efraty and Anne-Marie Owens.

 

Following the early curtain performance, we will enjoy dinner together at the hotel’s award winning Copper room restaurant.

 

 

Sunday November 4th - Santiago

 

Our final day together takes us to the wine producing estate Santa Carolina, founded in 1875.  We will enjoy an informative tour of the stately colonial mansion and its wine cellars that are now protected as a national monument.  Following a wine tasting, we will continue on to the Maipo Valley, Chile’s oldest and best wine region.  A fascinating tour of the wine growing estate Santa Rita will end with a generous tasting of their supple red wines over lunch.

 

Following our day touring, we will transfer to Arturo Merino Benitez Airport for mid-afternoon  flights home.

 

 

PLEASE NOTE:  Private Coach Transportation is included for tour and performance transfers.

 

PERFORMANCES

Buenos Aires: Ernani, Messa da Requiem, The Turn of the Screw, Tango Show

São Paulo:  Jessye Norman Recital, Il Trovatore

Manaus: Floresta Amazônica

Rio de Janeiro: La Traviata

Santiago: Falstaff

 

INCLUDED MEALS

Breakfast Daily; Five Lunches; Four Dinners; Three Receptions; Two Special Wine Tastings

 

TOUR PRICE

Land Arrangements (Based on Double Occupancy) US$ 6495

Single Supplement US$ 1800

$2500 Deposit is required to secure your space on tour.  Balance due on September 1st, 2001.

 

TRANSPORTATION

We are pleased to provide all tour members with a comprehensive air package that includes return transportation from major American Gateway Cities (New York, Miami, or Los Angeles), as well as all flights within South America as indicated on this itinerary.  We have chosen Varig Brazilian Airlines, South America’s finest air carrier, for our air travel.  All tour participants are required to purchase this air package, which is not only substantially less expensive than purchasing air arrangements independently, but has also been designed to compliment the land schedule we have arranged. 

 

The price for the comprehensive air package is between $1950 — $2300 (including all taxes) depending on the city of origin (New York, Miami, or Los Angeles).  Business/First Class Fare Upgrade available upon request. Pro Musica will assist all tour members traveling from other cities in securing the best flights to connect with our air package in South America.  Please call for further details of flight arrangements.