Thursday, June 25

Departure from Canada. We will be happy to arrange flights for you.

Friday, June 26

Arrival in beautiful Rome. There will be a 10:30AM transfer by private motor coach from Rome Airport to the historic Umbrian City of Perugia. Check into the splendid Brufani Palace Hotel, your home for the next 9 nights.

This 120-year-old hotel boasts old-world charm complete with multiple sitting rooms and restaurants with exquisite antique fixtures and furniture. The Brufani Palace is perfectly located on the Corso Vannucci, Perugia’s famous walking street.

Enjoy an evening of leisure or take in the free concert featuring gifted young musicians in the Piazza of San Savino which overlooks Lake Trasimeno. The concert will begin at 9:00PM and a buffet dinner will be offered beforehand by the local townspeople.

After a full breakfast in the formal Brufani breakfast room, take the day for yourself! Venture on your own into town to view the sights and sounds of beautiful Perugia!

Evening transfer from your hotel to experience the event you came for: The Trasimeno Music Festival! Take a seat in the world renowned Castle of the Knights of Malta in Magione to observe and enjoy the music festival’s Opening Concert performed by Angela Hewitt and the Sacconi Quartet. This will be a truly unforgettable experience!

Transfer back to your hotel after the performance for your overnight at the Brufani Palace Hotel.

Following breakfast this morning, you will be whisked away for a morning guided tour of Todi.

Founded between the 8th and 7th century BC, this small Perugian town holds legend that it was built by Hercules and is the location in which he killed Cacus. True or not, Todi is a town with great historical significance and has been coined the “world’s most liveable city” due to its scale and ability to reinvent itself over time.

Situated on the east bank of the river Tiber, the entire landscape of the city is sited over huge Roman cisterns, with more than 500 pits, which remained in use until 1925. The most notable medieval monuments include the Todi Cathedral, Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo de Capitano, Palazzo dei Priori and the San Fortunado Church (among others).

This evening, you will attend a lecture at the Aula Magna, Facoltà di Agraria in Perguia, followed by a lovely Gala Dinner in the Cloister at the Basillica di San Pietro followed by an incredible concert at 9:00 (for additional information, please see program).

Transfer back to hotel after the performance for your overnight at the Brufani Palace Hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for a guided tour of the ancient town of Assisi.

The birth place of one of the most famous saints, St. Francis of Assisi, this is a town rich in history that dates back as far as 1000BC. As it has been a town largely inhabited by Roman Catholics since its inception, numerous notable churches inhabit Assisi, as well as the Roman amphitheatre and the Abbey of St. Benedict.

Though the town is most recognized for its incredible architecture, it is also known to have an impressive art culture. From emotive painted displays in many churches by Pietro Lorenzetti and Simone Martini to a unique embroidery known as Assisi Embroidery.

Late afternoon, depart for the Sala Podiani, Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, for another amazing performance at 4:00 followed by a second performance at 9:00 (see program for details).

Following the performances, transfer back to the hotel for your overnight.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel this morning and then depart for a guided tour of Cantina Fuccelli, Montefalco. Fondly referred to as “the balcony of Umbria,” Montifalco in an impressive medieval city perched atop a hill overlooking olive groves and, most prominently, many vineyards and wineries.

One such winery, Cantina Fucelli, is rated in the top 10 wineries in all of Italy, according to Trip Advisor, and their Fucelli wine is just as impressive. Tour the winery, get an in-depth look into how it’s made and speak with the very people who create this wine masterpiece.

Dinner will be on your own this evening before transferring to Basilica di San Pietro for a solo piano performance by Angela Hewitt.

Breakfast at your hotel and a full day of leisure. If you missed anything on your list of "things to do in Perugia", this second day of leisure will give you ample opportunity to fulfill those wishes. Relax at the hotel or wander through the city meeting the locals or marvelling at the exquisite architecture

This evening, return to the Castle of the Knights of Malta forWinterreise with Bostridge (see program for additional details).

Transfer back to the hotel after the performance for your overnight.

Today will be your last day of leisure. Enjoy the entire day to yourself before a Baroque Dance at the Teatro degli Illuminati, Città di Castello (see program for additional details) followed by another delicious Gala Dinner.

Transfer back to your hotel after dinner for your overnight.

Enjoy a morning of leisure in the historic and magical city of Perugia before attending a special event with Salman Rushdie mid-afternoon.

After dinner on your own, transfer to the Castle of the Knights of Malta for the Carnival of Animals (see program for additional details).

Transfer back to hotel after the performance for your overnight

After your wonderful day, transfer to Oratorio di San Francesco dei Nobili in Perugia for the Closing Concert performed by Angela Hewitt! After this amazing performance, you will all join for a Farewell Gala Dinner.

Transfer back to your hotel for your overnight.

Sunday, July 5

Early morning transfer by private motorcoach to Rome Fiumicino Airport for your departure home. Depart Rome remembering the splendid sights that make Angela Hewitt's Trasimeno Music Festival so memorable.

Trasimeno Music Festival Program

Castle of the Knights of Malta, Magione

Angela Hewitt, piano

Sacconi Quartet

Ludwig van Beethoven

• Six Variations on an original theme in F major, Op. 34
• 32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80
• Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme “Eroica”, Op. 35
• String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 (played from memory)

Aula Magna, Facoltà di Agraria, Perugia

Jane Glover, conductor and musicologist Eric Friesen, interviewer

A conversation with British conductor and musicologist Jane Glover, and Canadian broadcaster Eric Friesen.

Gala Dinner—6:30 pm

Cloister of the Basilica of San Pietro

Beethoven 250 Celebration—9:00pm

Basillica di San Pietro, Perugia

Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe Verdi Soloists to include tenor Michael Schade

Angela Hewitt, piano Jane Glover, conductor

Ludwig van Beethoven

• Mass in C major, Op. 86
• Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
• Choral Fantasy in C minor, Op. 80

Sala Podiani, Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, Perugia

Three Italian premieres

• Jonathan Dove: ‘Out of Time’, string quartet
• John Woolrich: ‘The path is winding’, string quartet from ‘A Book of Inventions’
• Roxanna Panufnik: String Quartet (new commission for the Sacconi Quartet)

Dmitri Shostakovich

• Two Preludes and Fugues for piano
• Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57

An hour with jazz pianist Iiro Rantala—9:00pm

Sala Podiani, Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, Perugia

Iiro Rantala, piano Finnish jazz sensation Iiro Rantala performs his own compositions, as well as his takes on Bernstein, Bach, and Lennon.

Basillica di San Pietro, Perugia

Three Italian premieres

Angela Hewitt, piano J.S. Bach: The Art of Fugue (complete)

Pre-concert talk at 8:15 pm

The concert will last 90 minutes without interval.

Castle of the Knights of Malta, Magione

Ian Bostridge, tenor Angela Hewitt, piano

Franz Schubert: ‘Winterreise’, 24 Lieder for voice and piano, D. 911

Pre-concert talk at 8:30 pm

The concert will last 80 minutes without interval.

Teatro degli Illuminati, Città di Castello, PG

with Opera Atelier / Artists of Atelier Ballet Mireille Asselin, soprano Angela Hewitt, piano “…There will be Dancing and Singing.” Baroque Dance and the Music of Bach, Couperin, Rameau, and Purcell. (further details to be announced)

Gala Dinner following the concert

Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori, Perugia

Salman Rushdie, author Eric Friesen, interviewer An exclusive interview with renowned British author Salman Rushdie, led by Canadian broadcaster Eric Friesen.

The Carnival of the Animals—9:15pm

Castle of the Knights of Malta, Magione

Pianists: Jonathan Ferrucci, Julia Hamos, Dimitri Malignan, Mishka Rushdie Momen and Angela Hewitt

Other instrumentalists include

• Bryan Cheng—cello
• C. Debussy: En blanc et noir, for two pianos
• E. Chabrier: Trois valses romantiques, for two pianos
• C. Saint-Saëns: Variations on a Theme by Beethoven, Op. 35, for two pianos
• C. Saint- Saëns: The Carnival of the Animals

Oratorio di San Francesco dei Nobili, Perugia

Angela Hewitt, piano

J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988

Pre-concert talk at 5 pm

The concert will last 85 minutes without interval.

Gala Dinner in the gardens of the Oratorio at 7:30 pm

Trasimeno Music Festival — General Conditions

RESPONSIBILITY

Executive Cultural Tours and/or their agents, affiliates, or subsidiaries act only as agents for the hotel, airlines, bus companies and operators providing accommodation, transportation, meals, tours or other services and all coupons, exchange orders, receipts, contracts and tickets issued by the Company are issued subject to all tariffs, terms and conditions under which the forgoing or any other services whatsoever are provided by such hotels, airlines, bus companies. By the acceptance of such coupons, exchange orders, receipts, contracts and tickets, the tour member agrees that the Company shall not become liable or responsible for any loss, injury or damage to the person, firm or corporation. Further, the Company shall not become liable or responsible for any loss, injury or damage due to an Act of God or Act of War. The tour operator reserves the right to withdraw a tour, to refuse to accept or retain any person as a member of the tour at any time or to make changes in the itinerary whenever in their sole judgment conditions warrant or if such changes result from circumstances beyond the control of the tour operator. Executive Cultural Tours and/or their agents shall not be responsible for the injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or other, or through the acts or default of any company or person engaged in conveying or providing transportation to the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour or otherwise in connection therewith, or of any other hotel proprietor or employee. The aforesaid and their agents can accept no responsibility for losses or accidental expenses due to delay or changes in schedules or hotel overbookings or other causes. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger

CONDITIONS

BOOKING

Both a 20% deposit, as well as the optional package tour insurance cost, are required upon reservation. Final payment will be due May 1, 2020.

Credit card payments are accepted with Visa and Mastercard.

CANCELLATION

Back page Cancellation – Deposit is non-refundable. 60 – 30 days prior to departure 50% penalty. Less than 30 days cost is totally non-refundable.