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Our visits to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City each season are amongst our most popular tours. Our itinerary will include visits to New York’s leading art collections including The Museum of Modern Art and The Frick Collection. Since the arrival of Peter Gelb, the Met’s General Manager, performances from the Met’s stage are now enjoyed by millions thanks to high definition broadcasts, but there is nothing to match the thrill of entering the Met’s plush auditorium and settling down into your seat in the company of up to four thousand other opera lovers. There is a performance at the Met six nights a week and every Saturday afternoon so the organisation required to put on this numberof performances every season is nothing short of miraculous. We will discover just how an opera house of this size and international standing functions on our enthralling backstage tour.
We stay at the Hotel Empire (4*), located just across the street from the Lincoln Center, and a couple of minutes’ walk from the Met – the perfect place to stay for opera lovers. The Empire has comfortably furnished bedrooms, a lobby bar and an enclosed roof top bar, a restaurant serving breakfast and dinner and a branch of the iconic New York restaurant, P J Clarke’s. There are also a great number of restaurants within walking distance.
...when you travel with Kirker
Flights with British Airways:
Depart from London Heathrow at 13.10 arrive New York JFK at 16.20.
Depart from New York JFK at 19.20 arrive London Heathrow at 07.15.
N.B. Flight times are subject to change.
Christopher was a choral scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford where he developed a passion for both performing and teaching.
This led to a life-long interest in history, music and art history. He has led countless tours all over the world covering many subjects and periods. He is equally at home in the ancient world as he is in the major art galleries of Europe. Christoher Monckton is also a professional musician and a distinguished organist.
Andrew Biggs read Music and the History of Art at Leeds University. He has led cultural tours throughout the world for over twenty years.
Recent tours include The Metropolitan Opera & the Art Galleries of New York as well as tours to many summer music festivals in the UK including Cheltenham and Buxton Festivals. A teacher and performer, Andrew is currently Head of Prep Music at Berkhamsted School.
18 November 2019 departure: This trilogy of audience favourites covers the full range of human emotions.
20 November: Le nozze di Figaro by Mozart
Luca Pisaroni is Figaro, the lustrous Nadine Serra is Susanna, Adam Pisaroni is Figaro, the lustrous Nadine Serra is Susanna, Adam Plachetka is the Count and Susanna Phillips is his long-suffering wife, Marianne Crebassa is Cherubino and Antonello Manacorda conducts.
21 November: La bohème by Puccini
Ailyn Perez is Mimi and Matthew Polenzani is Rodolfo with Susanna Phillips as Musetta and David Bizic as Marcello. Marco Armiliato conducts.
22 November: Madama Butterfly by Puccini
Hui He sings the title role and Elisabeth DeShong is her faithful maid Suzuki. Andrea Care is Pinkerton and Paolo Szott is Sharpless. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts
30 March 2020 departure: Two Puccini dramas are performed alongside Rossini’s Two Puccini dramas are performed alongside Rossini’s sparkling La Cenerentola.
1 April: Madama Butterfly by Puccini
Ana Maria Martinezis the betrayed Co-Cio-San, Andree Care is the cynical Pinkerton and Markus Bruck is Sharpless. The conductor is Pier Giorgio Morandi.
2 April: Tosca by Puccini
Anna Netrebko is the diva Tosca, Najmiddin Mavlyanov is Cavaradossi and George Gasnidze isthe lustful Baron Scarpia. The conductor is Bertrand de Billy.
3 April: La Cenerentola by Rossini
Irish soprano Tara Erraugh takes centre stage in the title role. She is joined by Javier Camarena, Davide Luciano, Maurizio Muraro and Christian Van Horn. The performance is conducted by James Gaffigan.
28 April 2020 departure: The world’s most popular opera is performed alongside a relative Puccini rarity together with the most dramatic of Donizetti’s Tudor Queens trilogy.
30 April: Maria Stuarda by Donizetti
Diana Damrau is Mary Queen of Scots and Jamie Barton is her cousin and rival, Queen Elizabeth Stephen Costello is The Earl of Leicester, Michele Pertusi is Talbot and Andrej Filonczyk is Cecil. Maurizio Bernini conducts.
1 May: Manon Lescaut by Puccini
The title role is sung by Sonja Yoncheva, Elchin Azizov is her cheating brother and Marcelo Alvarez is Des Grieux. Brindley Sherratt is Germonte.Richard Farnes conducts.
2 May: La bohème by Puccini
Mimi is sung by the Met’s favourite diva, Ailyn Perez and Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja is Rodolfo, Jennifer Rowley is Musetta and Donald Maxwell is Benoit. Emmanuel Villaume conducts.
All the guided tours, including the Metropolitan Art Gallery and the Morgan library were first class. A wonderful & memorable holiday.
View DetailsA good, clear, reliable & knowledgeable leader. Good allocation of group time & free time. I would like to repeat this tour - so much yet to experience and enjoy.
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Tour Leader
Christopher was a choral scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford where he developed a passion for both performing and teaching.
This led to a life-long interest in history, music and art history. He has led countless tours all over the world covering many subjects and periods. He is equally at home in the ancient world as he is in the major art galleries of Europe. Christoher Monckton is also a professional musician and a distinguished organist.
All the guided tours, including the Metropolitan Art Gallery and the Morgan library were first class. A wonderful & memorable holiday.
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.
