Speak to an expert
020 7593 1899
Our office is open 9-6 Mon to Fri and 9-4 Sat
The Buxton International Festival celebrated its 40th birthday in 2019. Originally founded to present little known operas in the town’s magical opera house, designed by Frank Matcham, the Festival has extended its remit considerably in the past decade or so with one of the most varied and wide ranging programmes of any UK festival. The operas still hold centre stage but throughout the day visitors can enjoy recitals, concerts and a dynamic literary festival, all taking place at different venues throughout the town. Buxton is a lovely spa town in the heart of the glorious Peak District.
...when you travel with Kirker
Declan Hamilton has been leading music tours for many years. He studied singing at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Music, and sang major roles in a number of operas both as a student and professional.
He worked in Education and House Management at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for many years and was subsequently based in Bristol, where he joined the Alumni Department at Bristol University. After a couple of years as Friends and Alumni Manager at the Royal College of Music, he took a new position at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he works as Development Officer.
Ciboulette by Hahn
July 3 and July 9
Reynaldo Hahn (1875 -1947) was born in Caracas and moved to Paris when he was three. He died in Paris having had an extraordinarily diverse career. His rarely performed operetta, Ciboulette, is a nostalgic gesture of farewell to the genre. First performed in Paris in1923 the far-fetched story of the eponymous heroine is brought to life by Hahn’s sparkling, frothy and refinished – a perfect piece for Buxton.
La donna del lago by Rossini
July 5 (matinee) and July 8
Here the Buxton Festival returns to more familiar territory with performances of Tchaikovsky’s best loved and most often performed opera based on the novel, written in verse, by Pushkin. The opera was first performed on 19 March 1879 at the Maly Theatre, Moscow.
Acis and Galatea by Handel
7 July
Handel’s delightful pastoral work was first performed as a one act work at Cannons, the Edgware home of the Duke of Chandos. It was given during the summer of 1718, reputedly on the terrace overlooking the magnificent gardens. The libretto was by John Gay. The work was changed into a two-act piece in 1731 and includes some of Handel’s best known arias.
A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim
4 July
Stephen Sondheim’s popular work was given its first performance at the Schubert Theatre, New York on 25 February 1973. It ran for more than 600 hundred performances in Manhattan. The London premiere took place two years later, in 1975 starring Hermione Gingold. Sondheim wrote both the lyrics and music for this work which is based on a Bergman film, Smile on Summer Night. It includes some of the composer’s best known songs - Send in the Clowns, The Miller’s Son, Weekend in the Country and many more.
All personnel I spoke to were efficient and inspired confidence that I was making a good decision to book. The Tour Leader was splendid, with just the right amount of kindly attention and help.
View Details
Tour Leader
Declan Hamilton has been leading music tours for many years. He studied singing at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Music, and sang major roles in a number of operas both as a student and professional.
He worked in Education and House Management at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for many years and was subsequently based in Bristol, where he joined the Alumni Department at Bristol University. After a couple of years as Friends and Alumni Manager at the Royal College of Music, he took a new position at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he works as Development Officer.
All personnel I spoke to were efficient and inspired confidence that I was making a good decision to book. The Tour Leader was splendid, with just the right amount of kindly attention and help.
Our expert reservations team regularly travel to a wide range of destinations to explore new cities, visit hotels and to research museums, galleries and restaurants so that we can offer the most up-to-date advice and recommendations.
