2019 AUSTRIA AND BUDAPEST TOUR
MAY 24 – JUNE 2, 2019
Open to members of Lehigh University Choral Arts, alumni and families.
Lehigh University Choral Arts will be touring to Vienna, Graz, Eistenstadt and Budapest!
All Lehigh singers and alumni singers will be involved in singing during the concerts. Rehearsals will take place at Lehigh prior to departure.
Please make checks payable to:
Deb Ruthrauff
Lehigh University Music Dept.
Zoellner Arts Center
420 East Packer Ave
Bethlehem, PA 18015
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY CHORAL ARTS TOUR SCHEDULE
Presented by Firebird Fine Arts Tours
www.firebird-tours.com
Friday May 24– Depart USA
6:05 PM AA flight #96 departs Philadelphia, direct to Budapest
6:10 PM BA flight #184 departs Newark to Heathrow, transfer to BA flight #866 to Budapest
Bording in Philly
in reference to her box of stuff from college she shipped home
Her caption says it all!
Eating last meal in USA
Saturday May 25 ARRIVAL IN BUDAPEST transfer to VIENNA
9:15 AA flight arrives at Budapest airport
12:15 BA flight #866 arrives at Budapest airport
10:30 Approximate departure from the airport for the AA flight
1 PM Approximate departure from the airport for the BA flight
Lunch stop along the way
3:30 PM Approximate arrival in Vienna at our hotel for the AA flight; check-in https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-8564-ibis-wien-hauptbahnhof/index.shtml
5:30 PM Approximate arrival in Vienna at our hotel for the BA flight; check-in
7 PM Dinner near hotel
Sunday May 26 VIENNA – CONCERT
Buffet breakfast.
9 AM This morning begins with a guided walking tour of the historic city center, where you’ll walk by Mozart’s famous “Figaro” apartment, as well as the mansion of the Lobkovitz family, one of Beethoven’s most loyal supporters. (He dedicated his Third Symphony to them.) Surely you’ll fall under the spell of this cultural Mecca. Around nearly every bend are musical landmarks, ranging from theaters that premiered Mozart operas and “The Merry Widow” to residences of some of the world’s greatest composers.
Also see the Hofburg, the winter palace of the Habsburg kings and queens, who ruled Austria for over 700 years, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and the most historic Viennese coffee houses. For centuries coffee houses have not only produced delightful sweet concoctions, but they have been institutions of Viennese cultural and political life
11 AM We board our buses with guides and travel along the Ringstrasse, the majestic avenue that encircles the city center. Along the avenue are grand structures, which speak of the cultural, political and military might of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, most constructed at the zenith of power in the nineteenth century. We continue on to the Vienna Woods, tothe town of Heiligenstadt, a landmark in Beethoven’s life and work, where we enjoy a visit to the newly restored Beethoven haus a veritable pilgrimage site. 12:30 Lunch on your own in the city
1:45 PM Board buses and proceed to your concert venue, the concert hall of the Vienna Boys’ Choir https://muth.at/en/
2:30 PM Rehearsal at our concert site
5 PM Return to the hotel to change and freshen up
6:30 PM Depart the hotel for the concert venue
7:30 PM CONCERT
9:30 PM Proceed to dinner at the Rosenberger Restaurant, close to our hotel.
Monday May 27 VIENNA – EISENSTADT – ESTERHAZY PALACE CONCERT
Buffet breakfast
Free time to enjoy a leisurely morning in Vienna
11:30 Depart our hotel for Eisenstadt, an hour’s drive away. Eisenstadt is the capital of the Austrian State of Burgenland, which is the easternmost in the country; it’s also the second largest region of wine production in Austria.
12:30 PM Buffet lunch in the Haydn Bräu Restaurant.
2:00 PM Tour the Esterházy Palace in small groups; time to browse in the palace bookshop and wine boutique. (Here you are in the Burgenland wine district.) Esterházy Palace is a most prominent cultural monument and landmark. Its origins can be traced back to an l3th-century gothic fortress, which was acquired by the Esterházy family in 1649. Under Prince Esterházy Paul I the estate was converted into a baroque castle. It was their principal residence and cultural center for over 300 years. Apart from their political, diplomatic and military successes, they enjoyed an outstanding reputation in the field of culture as acknowledged patrons of the arts, drama and music and came to enjoy a premiere standing in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was also Paul I who invited Joseph Haydn to serve as court musician and composer. The musical fame of the palace is attributed to the composer Joseph Haydn and the Haydn Hall, whose acoustics are among the finest in the world. Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, and so many other great musicians have all performed here. Visiting the palace and performing in the Haydn Hall, you can appreciate the magnificent atmosphere and acoustics of this cultural monument
https://esterhazy.at/en/esterhazypalace/index.do
4:30 – 6:30 PM Rehearsal in the Haydn Hall of the Esterházy Palace
7 PM Concert in the Haydn Hall of the Esterhazy Palace
9 PM Return to Vienna for dinner on your own.
-
- Long awaited dinner
Video of Heather soloing in Haydn Hall named after Joseph Haydn
The video of our opening piece called O Virtus Sapientiae (Hildegard von Bingen) and we transition into our second piece called Bogoroditse (Argo Pärt) which we performed in Esterházy Palace, Haydn Hall. I am the first soloist to sing and second in from the left.
I feel very privileged to have performed in such a historical place.
Heather Keyser 🙂
Tuesday MAY 28 VIENNA – GRAZ
Breakfast buffet
10 AM Depart the hotel for Graz
Our route takes us through the state of Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) into the state of Styria (Steirmark), of which Graz is the capital. It is known as the “Green Heart of Austria” with its gentle, thickly forested slopes.
12:30 Arrival in Graz, have lunch in the hotel
2:30 PM Check in to our hotel, Star Inn Hotel Premium Graz
https://starinnhotels.com/en/star-inn-hotel-premium-graz-by-quality/
3:30 PM Depart for rehearsal for tomorrow’s concert
5:30 PM Enjoy an old town walk in one of the best-preserved historic town centers in Europe. What is most striking about Graz is the beautiful architecture of its medieval and Italian Renaissance buildings. With a population of 270,000 Graz is Austria’s second largest city. Its 40,000 students, spread out over four universities, also contribute to its vibrant and culturally lively atmosphere. Of particular interest to us is the Kunst Universität Graz for music and the performing arts. We will be involved with singers from this university. Here is a photo presentation with information about this university as well as the city of Graz: Slide Show about the KUG
7:30 PM Evening free to enjoy Graz and have dinner on your own
Wednesday MAY 29 GRAZ – CONCERT
Breakfast buffet
10 AM Proceed to the Kunst Universität Graz to meet their choir and participate together with them in a master class conducted by Dr. Sametz on choral traditions in America, highlighting his own works.
1:30 PM Free time for lunch on your own and to explore the sights of Graz, perhaps get in some shopping.
4 PM Return to hotel to change and freshen up
6 PM Opening ceremony of “VOICES OF SPIRIT”, the 6th International Festival of Choral Music in Graz in which Lehigh is invited to participate
“The Long Night of Choral Music”
6:15 PM Lehigh is scheduled to sing 2 songs as part of the opening ceremony
6:45-9:00 PM Lehigh will sing two 20-minute segments in historic sites in tandem with two other choirs. Downtown Graz will be filled with music and eager audiences
Dinner on your own after the event
Thursday May 30 GRAZ – BUDAPEST
Breakfast buffet
10:00 AM This morning a Lehigh Ensemble, at Dr. Sametz’s discretion, is invited to sing during a special service at an historic church, Stadtpfarrkirche
11:30 AM At the conclusion of the service, the Lehigh Choir is invited to sing a Concert (30 minutes)
12:00 Lunch on your own
1 PM Depart Graz for Budapest
6 PM Approximate arrival time in Budapest, upon arrival we check into our two hotels.
ibis Styles Budapest City
https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-2025-ibis-styles-budapest-city/index.shtml
ibis Styles Budapest Center
https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-2997-ibis-styles-budapest-center/index.shtml
7:30 PM Dinner in Karpatia Restaurant, accompanied by live Gypsy music
Friday May 31 BUDAPEST
Buffet breakfast
Budapest offers spectacular old World splendor and a flourishing Cultural life. It is situated on both banks of the Danube River, with the colorful hills of Buda on the left bank, and the wide, structured boulevards of Pest on the right-bank of the Danube. Buda and Pest were not united until November of 1873. Although some 30,000 buildings were lost in WWII and in the 1956 Revolution, much of the beauty and ornateness have survived
9:30 – 11 AM Rehearsal for tomorrow’s concert in the Basilica of St. Stephen www.bazilika.biz
11 AM Walking tour, which will include a visit and tour of the Great Synagogue
1 PM Free time on Vaci Street (outdoor mall), where you will also have lunch on your own in downtown Pest
4 PM Return to the hotels to freshen up
5:30 PM Dinner
7 PM Evening of folk music and dance at the Fonó, http://www.fono.hu/en
Saturday June 1 BUDAPEST – CONCERT
Buffet breakfast
10:00 Depart our hotel by bus for Fisherman’s Bastion and Matyas Templom on Castle Hill, which is located on the Buda side of the river, with a spectacular panoramic view
Return to the Pest side and visit Heroes Square and the Andrasy Boulevard.
12:30 Lunch on your own
4:30 PM Return to hotels to rest and change for concert
6 PM Depart for Basilica
7:30 CONCERT
Dinner
Sunday June 2 BUDAPEST – USA
5 AM People on BA flight #865 depart the hotel for the Budapest airport for a 7:25 AM departure, flying via Heathrow, arriving in Philadelphia 3:35 PM
8:30 AM People on AA flight #97 depart the hotel for the Budapest airport for an 11:25 departure, arriving in Philadelphia at 3:40 PM
