It is a great pleasure to officially announce the exciting opportunity to join John Mangum and fellow Houston Symphony supporters in Europe this September, when Maestro Andrés Orozco-Estrada will lead one of the world’s most renowned orchestras at two prominent Summer music festivals, BBC’s Henry Wood “Proms” and the prestigious Lucerne Festival.

We gather in London for four nights, during which we will attend performances at the Royal Albert Hall and then we transfer to Zürich and on to Lucerne for another four nights to make the very most of the exceptional lakeside festival. The time together is punctuated by many highlights, with performances by some of the world’s finest artists and days that include interesting sightseeing and other intriguing events.

We have partnered with Act 1 Tours in developing the details of the enclosed program and trust that you will find

it attractive. Act 1 Tours is an established specialist in patron travel within the performing arts sphere. One of the company’s partners will accompany the tour throughout to ensure smooth running and complete satisfaction.

HOTELS:London: Brown’s Hotel, part of the Rocco Forte luxury hotel group, is an alluring combination of tradition and modernity and is the epitome of British hospitality, located off Piccadilly in an enviably prime location. www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/browns-hotel

Lucerne: The Hotel, part of the Autograph Collection was designed by the noted French architect Jean Nouvel during the same period that he designed the KKL concert house complex, and offers a contemporary take on luxury with its art and movie themed presentation and fine dining. www.the-hotel.ch

Patrons of Houston Symphony

Visit LONDON & LUCERNE

August 31 - September 9, 2019

Left: Royal Albert Hall (courtesy David Samuel; Above: KKL, Concert Hall interior (courtesy KKL Luzern, Switzerland)

withJOHN MANGUM

ITINERARYSATURDAY, AUGUST 31Independent air departures for London from Houston. Arrivals at London Heathrow (LHR) or London Gatwick (LGW).

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1Independent arrivals and transfer to the hotel. Relaxation and free time before gathering in the early evening for a Welcome Reception with invited local guests in the hotel.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2Full breakfast is included each day. Mid-morning departure for an intriguing walking tour of the original Roman Settlement that became the famous “Square Mile”, also known as The City of London, led by Richard Roques, Londoner, playwright and inimitable guide. Lunch today is at The Jugged Hare, a well-regarded gastropub located close to the Barbican. Return to the hotel after lunch to relax and refresh. 7:00pm Royal Albert Hall: Berlioz’ Benvenuto Cellini (concert performance) with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Post-performance dining TBD.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3This morning we experience Handel & Hendrix in the heart of Mayfair with a private tour of Handel House and a look at Jimi Hendrix’s flat on the top floor. A recital is in the planning.

Lunch is independent today. We meet again in the early afternoon to transfer to the Tate Modern on Bankside for a privately guided visit by Frank Wasser, artist and exceptional educator. Frank will focus on selective pieces of art and will introduce us to the expanded gallery space that makes this museum a world leader. The late afternoon is at leisure.7:30pm Royal Albert Hall: Vienna Philharmonic with Maestro Bernard Haitink and piano virtuoso Murray Perahia. Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 and Bruckner 7th Symphony (subject to confirmation).

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Mid-morning we enjoy a curated tour of the Wallace Collection, perhaps London’s finest private art collection, with the rest of the day open for personal preferences.7:30pm Royal Albert Hall: Vienna Philharmonic with Maestro Andrés Orozco-Estrada and violin soloist Leonidas Kavakos in a Dvořák and Korngold program. We celebrate BBC Proms style with pre-performance canapés and champagne followed by an intermission supper. Note: We plan to include a tour of the Royal Albert Hall at some point in the itinerary.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Leave for London’s Heathrow airport after breakfast, in good time for the 12:05pm Swissair flight to Zürich, arriving by 2:45pm. From there the private coach takes us to The Hotel in Lucerne (about one hour and a quarter).We have a drinks and finger food reception in the hotel before leaving on foot for the 7:30pm performance at the KKL.This evening Andrés again leads the mighty Vienna Philharmonic, with Leonidas Kavakos in a reprise of the Korngold and Dvořák program. We meet Andrés back at the hotel to close out the evening.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 A morning introduction to Lucerne, with a guided walking tour and private visit behind the scenes at the KKL complex and concert halls. After, we stay in the KKL complex for lunch at Red, the stylish restaurant specializing in sophisticated fusions of market fresh ingredients. Stay on and visit the Museum of Art Lucerne on your own, located on the top floor of the KKL.The rest of the day is open for individual interests, with recommendation from your Act 1 Tours’ host.

Brown’s Hotel, London

The Square Mile, London (courtesy Diliff/Wikimedia)

Tate Modern, London

P.O. Box 1137 ❘ New York, NY 10159-1137 Tel: 646.918.7401 ❘ Fax: 646.478.9740

www.act1tours.com ❘ finetravel@act1tours.com

PRICING $8,950 per person with shared room occupancy $10,900 with single room occupancy

PAYMENTA deposit of $3,250 at registration ($2,000 is non-refundable to cover advance ticket, air fare and hotel commitments). The balance is due by June 30, 2019. At this date the total balance becomes non-refundable.

INSURANCETrip cancellation is strongly advised to avoid financial loss in the event that the need to cancel arises after registration for insurable reasons. Act 1 Tours can arrange this coverage on your behalf and some policies do waive pre-existing medical conditions if purchased within fifteen days of the initial deposit.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 This morning an art historian/curator will guide the party through the highlights of the nearby Sammlung Rosengart, boasting a fine Classic Modernism collection that includes works by Picasso, Klee, Matisse, Cézanne, Modigliani and Chagall, among others. In the afternoon a Wagner specialist leads a special visit to the Richard Wagner Museum at Tribschen, the lakeside villa where the composer lived and worked from 1866-1872.The evening performance starts at 6:30pm and showcases the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, led by its Music Director and rising star Lahav Shani, with Norwegian solo violinist Vilde Frang in a Bruch and Bruckner program. Lunch and dinner plans to be decided.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8After a relaxed start for the day we walk to the KKL for the 11:00am performance by the renowned pianist Maurizio Pollini in a recital that includes works by Brahms, Luigi Nono and Beethoven. Lunchtime and the afternoon are open.In our final 6:30pm concert finale at the KKL Riccardo Chailly leads the Orchestra of the Lucerne Festival Alumni, with works by Mosolov, Maderno, Schoenberg and Rihm. After, we dine together at the Wilden Mann, a restaurant with iconic Swiss cuisine, a fitting way to bring the trip together to a memorable conclusion.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9Independent departures or continuation.

INCLUSIONS• Eight nights’ hotel London and Lucerne• Daily breakfast• Seven concert performances, with first or best

available category seating• Seven lunches, dinners or receptions• London-Zürich flight, coach class, with private coach

transfers and baggage assistance • One full and four half-day guided sightseeing • Museum and other site entrance fees• Private coach transfers, as required• Driver, guide and dining gratuities• In-tour services of Act 1 Tours’ partner

Airport Transfers on Arrival and Departure:These are not included as part of the core content; however, we would arrange these on request through the hotel’s preferred supplier or through our own recommended service providers.

Lucerne (courtesy Lucerne Festival)

Sammlung Rosengart, Lucerne

The Hotel, Lucerne