Metropolitan Opera & Art Galleries of New York

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA & GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS OF NEW YORK

FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAYS | 17 APRIL & 5 JUNE 2023

We are looking forward to returning to one of the world’s greatest opera houses and have planned two visits to the 2023 season. Our itinerary will include visits to New York’s leading art collections including The Museum of Modern Art and The Frick Collection. Although performances from the Met’s stage are now enjoyed by millions thanks to high definition broadcasts, there is nothing to match the thrill of entering the Met’s plush auditorium and settling down into your seat in person. We will discover just how an opera house of this size and international standing functions on our enthralling backstage tour. Like many performing arts organisations, recent events have paved the way for changes and we are looking forward to returning to the Met to share their renewed vision and energy.

the itinerary

In addition to the included opera performances, we will have a backstage tour of the Met (subject to regulations at the time) and visit a selection of the city’s fascinating museums and galleries. Highlights include the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Morgan Library and Museum and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). We shall also see the matchless Frick Collection, temporarily exhibited in a new venue while the elegant Fifth Avenue Gilded Age mansion where Frick lived undergoes some changes. It will now be displayed for two years in the former Whitney Museum of American Art building around the corner on Madison Avenue. We shall also visit the New York Botanical Garden. Three dinners are included at The Grand Tier, the Met’s own restaurant.

TOUR INFORMATION

DEPARTURE DATE & PRICES

DATE PRICE SINGLE SUPP

17 April 5 June £3,540 £598

Our prices are per person, based on the shared occupancy of a twin/double room. Supplement for single occupancy as shown.

FLIGHT DETAILS

Flights with British Airways: Depart from Heathrow 11.40, arrive New York JFK 14.25 Depart from New York JFK 20.10, arrive Heathrow 08.20 the following day Flight times subject to change.

WHAT WE INCLUDE

• Return flights • Five nights’ accommodation on room only basis • Tickets in the rear stalls with uninterrupted views of the stage • Three dinners at the Met’s Grand Tier • All sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities as described • The services of the Kirker Tour Leader and local guide N.B. Biometric passports are required for entry to the USA

the hotel

Located on the Upper West Side with numerous restaurants and cafés close by and 15 minutes’ walk from the Lincoln Center, the Wallace is a sophisticated boutique hotel with 124 rooms and suites. Fresh from a recent renovation, the rooms include all the latest amenities such as Nespresso machines and are decorated in an understated, modern style with luxurious bathrooms.

OPERA PROGRAMME

19 April: L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti Conductor: Michele Gamba Adina: Aleksandra Kurzak Nemorino: Jonah Hoskins Belcore: Joshua Hopkins Dulcamara: Alex Esposito 20 April: Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss Production is by Robert Carsen. Conductor: Simone Young The Marschallin: Lise Davidsen Octavian: Isabel Leonard Sophie: Erin Morley Baron Ochs: Gunther Groissböck

21 April: La bohème by Puccini Conductor: Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the Musical Director of the Met Mimi: Eleonora Buratto Rodolfo: Stephen Costello Marcello: Davide Luciano Musetta: Kristina Mkhitaryan 7 June: Der Fliegende Hollander by Wagner Conductor: Tomasz Guggeis The Dutchman: Tomascz Konieczny Senta: Elza van der Heever Erik: Eric Cutler

8 June: Die Zauberflote by Mozart Conductor: Nathalie Stutzmann Pamina: Erin Morley The Queen of the Night: Kathryn Lewek Tamino: Lawrence Brownlee Pagageno: Thomas Oliemans 9 June: La bohème by Puccini Conductor: James Caffigan Mimi: Susanna Phillips Rodolfo: Charles Castronovo Musetta: Latonia Moore Marcello: Quinn Kelsey

Our programme of Cultural Tours has been carefully designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests – including art, architecture, archaeology, history, battlefields, gardens and wine. Each holiday is led by an expert lecturer who will help you experience the best of your chosen destination, and reveal additional insights which you might otherwise miss. Every itinerary is meticulously planned to include visits, not only to the most noteworthy museums and monuments, but also to less-visited points of interest which most visitors overlook. A number of meals are included in both hotels plus good local restaurants, which allow you to sample the regional cuisine, but most tours also allow for some free time for independent exploration as well – of course your Tour Leader or the Kirker Concierge would be delighted to recommend our favourite local restaurants.

EXCLUSIVE GROUPS

We operate our tours with a smaller number of participants to ensure a more personal experience. Typically, there will be between 10 and 20 passengers, with a maximum number of 22 – the only exceptions to this rule are our Exclusive Kirker Music Festivals. All our cultural tours are in the company of a guest lecturer and, where necessary, there will also be a local guide available to help with the smooth running of your holiday.

TOUR SUBJECTS

All our holidays are designed to include a wide range of sights and subjects, from art and architecture to history and archaeology, but certain itineraries have a particular focus, and we have highlighted a few key themes below: Art Tours

Art & Architecture of Munich & Bavaria, page 55 Art Galleries of the Netherlands, page 61 Art of the Cote d’Azur, page 31 Palladian Villas & Art of the Veneto, page 39 The Flemish Art Cities of Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp, page 62 Garden Tours

Gardens of Marrakech, page 59 Gardens of the Riviera, page 30 Gardens of Scotland’s West Coast, page 66 Glorious Gardens of the North, page 67 The Gardens & Galleries of Cornwall, page 64 The Gardens of Dorset & Somerset, page 63 The Italian Lakes, page 45 Villas & Gardens Around Lisbon, page 50 Villas & Gardens Around Rome, page 47 Archaeology Tours

Jordan – The Land of T. E. Lawrence, page 57

History Tours

Ávila, Salamanca & Historic Castille, page 51 Byzantine & Ottoman Istanbul, page 60 Carcassonne & Albi, page 33 Liguria & the Cinque Terre, page 38 Parma, Cremona & Mantua, page 41 Puglia – A Land of Conquest, page 42 Ravenna, Urbino & Ferrara, page 40 Sicily – An Enigmatic Island, page 43 Tenerife – The Nature & History of a Volcanic Island, page 52 The Bay of Naples, page 48 The Heritage & History of Malta & Gozo, page 58 Umbria – The Essence of Italy, page 46 Architecture Tours

Nuremberg & Franconia, page 56 Seville & Andalucia, page 53 The Grandeur of Rome, page 44 Military History & Battlefields

The D-Day Landing Grounds in Normandy, page 34 The Duke of Wellington & the Peninsular War, page 49 The Fall of France 1940, page 32 Wine Tours

Bordeaux – Wine Capital of the World, page 36 Reims & Champagne, page 37 The Vineyards of Kent, page 65 Wines of Alsace, page 35 Wines of Rioja & Northern Spain, page 54

Christmas Tours

Christmas on the Côte D’Azur, page 68 Christmas in Vienna, page 69

New Scientist Tours

Geneva & Cern, page 70 Megalithic Malta, page 72 Renaissance Astronomy in Kepler’s Prague, page 71 The Scottish Enlightenment: Edinburgh and Glasgow, page 73

OUR TOUR LEADERS

Each of our Cultural Tours is led by a lecturer, chosen not only for their expertise in their chosen field, but also for the charm and character which allows them to share their knowledge with ease and to look after the needs of all members of the party. Visit our website for full biographies – www.kirkerholidays.com. • Alex Koller

• Andrew Allen

• Andrew Biggs • Andrew Taylor • Caroline Howard

• Charlie Hall

• Christopher Monckton • Declan Hamilton

• Ger van den Munckhof

• Graeme Coles

• Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan • Jane McNamara • Jonathan Ray • Juliet Rix • Kirsty Fergusson • Oliver Condy • Paddy Scott • Patrick Bade

• Simon Monckton

• Stephen Nelson • Tim Clarke