Nixon In China
Thomas Hampson
Friday, April 11
Opera de Paris
Renee Fleming
Friday, April 11
Opera de Paris
La Fille du Regiment
Jodie Devos
Wednesday, April 5
Theatre des Champs-Elysees
Sahy Ratia
Wednesday, April 5
Theatre des Champs-Elysees
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April (opera) in Paris! April 4-10-2023
April in Paris! It’s not just a song title! Join us for this very special opera trip to one of the great cultural capitals of the world - so special that there will even be a fourth performance to attend. At the Opéra de Paris - Bastille we will see John Adams’ iconic Nixon in China, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel with Thomas Hampson as Richard Nixon and Renee Fleming as his wife Pat. We will also see Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet there, a rarity on American stages. The concert performance of Donizetti’s lovely La Fille du Regiment is at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, and features Jodie Devos as Maria, Sahy Ratia as Tonio and Felicity Lott as the Dutchess of Cakentorp. Finally, a vocal and choral treat of Pergolesi and Vivaldi in the sublime Royal Opera at Versailles. Truly a Parisian experience that not many have!
About Your Instructor
Larry Axelrod has traveled to four continents for fun and cultural purposes. He has been arranging Opera Adventures in the United States and abroad for ten years. He taught at the Music Center of the North Shore (now Music Institute of Chicago), different Elderhostel venues and the Newberry Library. He taught many different classes over the course of fifteen years at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe, including an opera class and music theory at Columbia College in Chicago. Larry is a composer, pianist and conductor, whose musical activities have taken him around the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. His compositions have been performed on composers’ festival concerts around the United States and abroad.
For more information please call Larry at (773)680-8811 or email larry223@aol.com.
Opera Adventure Dates
April 4-10, 2023
About the Class
We will be attending:
Wednesday, April 5 — La Fille du Regiment (Donizetti)
Thursday, April 6 — Pergolesi/Vivaldi concert
Friday, April 7 — Nixon in China (Adams)
Sunday, April 9 — Hamlet (Thomas)
Saturday, we will have a private group tour of
one of the cultural jewels in the Paris region.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
mornings from 9 AM to about 11 AM, we will
gather to watch DVD performances, listen to
CDs and learn about that evening’s
performance. There will be time for discussion
and questions. Class participation is
encouraged! The class will be held in a meeting
room in the hotel.
The operas all begin at 7:30 PM. The Pergolesi/Vivaldi concert begins at 9 PM. We will share a
group dinner Saturday evening after our tour.
Useful links:
Best Western Hotel Empire Elysees
Opera de Paris
Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
Chateau de Versailles
Hotel and Amenities
Our hotel will be the Best Western Hotel Empire Elysees. Conveniently located on a quiet street not far from the Arc de Triomphe, the hotel will be a comfortable place for our six nights and classes. The hotel has free wifi and restaurant. Breakfast is included. Public transit is close by.
About your arrival and departure
Arrival in Paris will be on Tuesday, April 4. We will meet briefly in the late afternoon to greet one another and discuss the logistics of our stay. Check out will be on Monday, April 10. If you wish to add nights at the beginning or the end of our trip, please contact me directly and I will make sure that it is handled properly. There are non-stop flights to Paris from most major cities in the US on many different carriers. Check in time is 2 PM. If you arrive early and rooms are not available, your luggage can be securely held at the front desk. Check out time is 11 AM.
Other activities
Paris is a true cultural paradise. There are
museums for every taste, amazing
neighborhoods to walk, boat rides on the Seine
and gorgeous parks to stroll. Comfortable
walking shoes and intellectual curiosity are a
must!
Transportation to the performances
There are direct train and bus lines from near the hotel to the Opera Bastille. The Theatre des
Champs-Elysees is either a 1.9 km walk or a direct bus ride. For the concert in Versailles, we
will arrange a time for the group to take the suburban train. You may choose to go earlier to
visit some of the amazing things at the chateau itself. The theater is a ten-minute walk from the
train station.
Transportation to/from the airport
RER trains run from Terminal 2 at Charles de Gaulle airport into the city very regularly. With
one change of train, you will be very near the hotel. There is also train service from Orly
airport, with a change of trains. Of course, there are taxis and ride-share services as well.
Fee and fee schedule
Double occupancy will be $1700 per person. Single occupancy will be $2300. This includes:four opera/concert tickets, six nights hotel stay, daily breakfast, trains to/from Versailles, one lunch, one dinner and one private walking tour. A 50% deposit ($850 per person double, $1150 single) will hold your place. The balance will be due on or before February 4, 2022.
Cancellation policy:
Before February 4, a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee will be issued. Before March
4, a 50% refund will be issued. Before March 20, a 25% refund will be issued. Any cancellation
later than March 20, no refund will be issued.
Not included:
Five dinners, five lunches, all air travel, airport transfers, transport to/from performances in Paris.
Travel Insurance
Sometimes our personal libretti give opera a run for its money. Plans need to change quickly,
forcing cancellation of an eagerly anticipated trip. I try to make my refund policy as clear, fair
and straight-forward as possible, in line with what I see on other travel sites. However, as a
single-person enterprise, I have little leeway with goods and services already purchased and time
already invested. For this reason, I recommend travel insurance
for those “just in case” moments. I can promise I really don’t want you to cancel once you have
signed up for one of my great opera adventures. I also don’t want you to lose money. However I
really must stay with my refund policy. So, consider travel insurance. It’s a small investment
that you really hope you won’t need, but might be very worthwhile.
www.insuremytrip.com
www.travelguard.com
Registration - Please sign me up for April (opera) in Paris, April 4-10, 2023!
Payment will be done electronically.
To register, please send an email to Larry at Larry223@aol.com. Please fill out, scan and attach the downloadable registration form here. I will then send an invoice through PayPal for the appropriate deposit amount.
Larry is also able to receive payment through Zelle. If you wish to pay this way, please email Larry before doing so, so that it is clear where this money is coming from.