Join friends of Minnesota Public Radio and fellow music lovers of classical music and celebrate the life of Chopin, Dvorak, Smetana and Mozart! On this eleven day classical music pursuit you’ll walk in Chopin’s footsteps and relive his extraordinary life. Visit the very places where Frederic lived, loved and worked: the family home where he was born, the village church where he was baptized and the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Discover Poland’s stunning cultural capital, Krakow. Visit the cathedral where the kings of this ancient land are buried, stroll the campus of the University of Copernicus and marvel at one of Europe’s largest medieval squares. Our musical quest culminates in the Czech Republic, where we’ll walk in the footsteps of the Czech Republic’s greatest composers, Smetana and Dvorak! And to top things off, you’ll attend the legendary Prague Spring International Music Festival. Don't miss out on this extraordinary musical adventure!
You are cordially invited to celebrate the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven and composers of the region with Performance Today ® host Fred Child. Designed for lovers of nature, culture and, of course, classical music, this customized adventure of food, music, art and sheer fun will thrill you. Enjoy live performances in special event spaces and venues. As we cruise the Rhine River through Holland, Germany, France and Switzerland on our privately chartered river ship, we’ll enjoy intimate classical music “Perf Chats” with PT Artists in Residence violinist Blake Pouliot and pianist Aleksandra Kasman. Stroll through festive village streets and sip delicious wines with the locals in Germany’s Rhine region and in Alsace, France. Enjoy lakeside café views of the towering Alps in Switzerland. Your journey ends on a high note in the High Alps of Switzerland on the shore of beautiful Lake Lucerne.
Join MPR News Editor and former Cube Critic Host Euan Kerr on an enchanting 12-day tour of his native Scotland! Experience sweeping glens, crystal-clear lochs, iconic castles and rolling highlands: providing inspiration for many a poet, artist, musician and filmmaker. The journey begins in the vibrant capital of Edinburgh and ends in the culturally rich city of Glasgow. Engage in lively discussions of Scottish films and books from Euan’s custom-curated list over delicious meals and perhaps a wee dram. See famous film locations, savor fine Scottish whisky and gain an in-depth appreciation for Scotland. See for yourself what one Scottish writer describes as “the sights for which eyes were invented”. Space is limited on this amazing journey, so don’t “fouter aboot”…reserve your space today!
Escape winter on an active, culturally rich adventure to New Zealand with Minnesota Public Radio.
Explore New Zealand’s magnificent landscape and fascinating culture with MPR News Host Kerri Miller. From bush hikes to bike paths; from boat rides in ice-carved fjords to walks around mirror-like lakes, you’ll be immersed in New Zealand’s South Island’s beautiful geography and unique biosystems including Milford Sound which Rudyard Kipling dubbed “the eighth wonder of the world.” Make your way through the rugged beauty of the Rangitata Valley which served as “Middle Earth” filming site for many Lord of the Rings movies. You’ll even have the opportunity to turn your adventure up a notch with optional glacier walk. Kerri’s curated book list and discussions over delicious meals are the perfect way to unwind from your daily adventures. Escape the cold days of winter with Minnesota Public Radio in New Zealand next January!
WAIT LIST STARTED
In January of 2019, you are invited to join Kerri Miller for an experience of a lifetime to a destination unlike any other exploring the fascinating culture, history and habitats of South Africa. Spend the year preparing for the adventure with your own personal hiking and reading goals, including Kerri’s book recommendation list.
South Africa with Kerri Miller has an adventurous activity level taking guests off the beaten path and immersing them in the beauty of the region. Each day involves walking, hiking, many stairs and uphill/downhill passages and an option to bike. This trip is suitable for reasonably fit first-time hikers, but the trip will be made more enjoyable by a certain degree of personal fitness and an adventurous spirit.
Tour Overview
1 overnight flight to Cape Town, South Africa
3 nights Cape Town
3 nights Stellenbosch wine country
3 nights Safari Lodge
1 overnight flight to USA
Base Trip - January 23 – February 3, 2019
Optional - Victoria Falls Post-Tour Extension– February 3-6, 2019
Optional – Victoria Falls & Chobe National Park, Botswana Tour – Extension - February 3- 8, 2019
WAIT LIST STARTED
It’s April in Paris! Join Performance Today host Fred Child on a classical music adventure from Paris to Normandy on the Seine River April 23 – May 3, 2018. Enjoy two nights of art, cuisine and classical music performances in the City of Light. Then board the privately chartered MS Amadeus Diamond River Ship for seven-night journey through Normandy. Drift from one stunning landscape to the next, stopping and exploring villages, markets, D-Day Beaches and Monet’s Garden. Enjoy a robust program of classical music performances, private recitals and “Perf Chats” with a special Performance Today artist-in-residence both on-board and in unique settings including chateaux and gardens.
Former Performance Today Young Artist in Residence, violinist Anthea Kreston will be sailing with us on our privately chartered river ship in Italy this spring! Anthea is an American, recently relocated to Berlin to become a member of the distinguished Artemis Quartet. PT host Fred Child and Anthea will hold several “perf-chats” about the lives and times of Italian composers and perform arrangements exclusively for our guests both on-board as well as in private venues.
Dear Friends,
2017 marks Performance Today’s 30th Anniversary and you are invited to celebrate with me and public radio classical musical enthusiasts from around the country and the world as we set sail on an exquisite and private chartered river ship through the cradle of classical music — Northern Italy, May 26 – June 4, 2017!
From the invention of the piano, to the system of musical notation, music lovers know that Italy made huge contributions to the development and establishment of what we today call "classical music." From "Perf Chats" aboard the ship to private recitals in iconic settings like the Stradivarius Museum and the Basilica of Saint Mark, we’ll deepen our understanding and appreciation for some of the most iconic of all Italian classical composers, including Vivaldi, Paganini, Verdi, Pergolesi, Corelli, Puccini, just to name a few. We’ll share delicious meals, fine wines and great conversation as we experience the cultural and panoramic splendor of this rich and luxurious country.
As the host of Performance Today®, I am both honored and humbled to host America’s most-listened-to classical musical program. I believe this classical music adventure is truly worthy of Performance Today’s 30th Anniversary, and your travels will support the programming that you enjoy all year-long. I hope you join me for this once-in-a-lifetime celebration in Italy next year!
Ciao!
Fred
Host, Performance Today
Join Minnesota Public Radio’s chief meteorologist Paul Huttner on an in-depth exploration of Cuba’s unique history and climate. Discover the island’s beautiful geography and unique biosystems. From organic farms, lush botanical gardens and the agricultural region of Las Terrazas, to historic old Havana and beloved haunts of Hemingway, we will spend time with Cuban meteorologists, naturalists, historians, biologists, musicians and more. Escape the cold days of winter with Minnesota Public Radio and enjoy the magic of Cuba before it changes forever.
Fellow Book Lovers —
Book lovers know that Argentina and Chile is a paradise for readers. Here is your invitation to join me February 3 - 14, 2017 on Roaming Patagonia: A Literary Adventure in Chile and Argentina. This custom-designed trip is a literary exploration of the history, people and landscape that has staged the best pages of Argentine, Patagonian and Chilean literature.
Our journey begins in Santiago, home to literary giants Isabelle Allende, Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral. We’ll deep dive into Chile’s rich and complex history through book discussions in Chilean vineyards and delicious locally-sourced meals.
Our adventure will then take us to the southern tip of South America to the famed Patagonia region. From the Andes to the ocean, our small group will come to understand the writings of explorers who wrote of this immense, rugged and exotic area of the world.
Our adventure continues as we fly north to Buenos Aires. While there we will visit the homes and haunts of authors like Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortazar. The city overflows with bookstores and cafes - from fancy and irresistible to well-worn shelters, including the breathtaking El Ateno Grand Splendid, a renovated 100-year-old theater-cum-bookstore that appears on every Top 10 Best Independent Bookstore in the World list.
The goal of all my literary-themed trips is for each guest to have a greater understanding of a destination…and yourself…through the words, sights and streets of the authors who wrote there. Like F. Scott’s Paris, Italy’s Literati, and Hemingway’s Cuba, this adventure will be “one for the books.”
Spots are limited for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure so reserve yours today. This trip will be take place over Valentine’s Day next year – what a way to celebrate! See the full itinerary and trip details at publicradiocustomtravel.org/patagonia or by calling Earthbound Expeditions at 1-800-723-8454 today.
Sincerely,
Kerri
Join Classical MPR Host Brian Newhouse for an experience of a lifetime – a trip to South Africa featuring performances with the Minnesota Orchestra. This fully-supported tour begins in Cape Town with excursions to the Cape of Good Hope, Table Mountain, Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned) and a Minnesota Orchestra performance. Our journey continues to gorgeous Stellenbosch wine country and on to Johannesburg for multiple safaris and orchestral performances, including a Minnesota Public Radio broadcast from Soweto. Brian will lead in-depth discussions about the orchestra’s current place in the international music community and the remarkable repertoire that will be performed to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s Centenary. \n\nTRIP AT A GLANCE - includes three Minnesota Orchestra Performances\n1 Overnight flight to Cape Town via Amsterdam \n4 Nights Cape Town\n3 Nights Safari Lodge \n3 Nights Pretoria- Johannesburg \n1 Overnight flight home via Amsterdam \n\nSpace on this once-in-a-lifetime trip is very limited and will fill quickly, so reserve your spot today.
It's our pleasure to welcome you aboard Discover Danube's Finest. This classical cruise from Performance Today features stops in Berlin, Leipzig, Salzburg, Vienna, and more. We'll be joined by special guest Andrew Staupe, a PT Artist in Residence who debuted to rave reviews at Carnegie Hall and has performed with symphonies nationwide.
Join us as we explore the capital cities of classical music, wandering local streets, strolling through marvelous museums, and savoring unique dining. We'll celebrate history's greatest composers, from Bach and Mozart to Beethoven and Schumann, visiting their homes, seeing the locations that inspired them, and following in their footsteps.
Who said dinner parties had to be held at home?
Consider this your invitation to the ultimate *roving* dinner party in one of the most intriguing travel destinations in the world: Cuba!
Every week on our show, we introduce you to the most interesting and up-to-the-minute people in the culture, food and cocktail worlds. This November, join us as we introduce you to an entire country! With the help of friends on the island we’ve arranged a fun and creative trip through the essential and unique parts of Cuba’s societal fabric. On the itinerary: music, arts, gastronomy, history, natural beauty and, of course, cocktails!
From late-night jazz and perfectly crafted cocktails to conversations with authors and multi-course meals, together we’ll explore and experience this unique island that is currently at the intersection of timelessness and change.
The table is set but chairs are limited. This trip will sell out quickly, so reserve your spot today. See full trip itinerary and trip details by visiting https://www.earthboundexpeditions.com/contact/ or call Earthbound Expeditions at 1-800-723-8454.
Sincerely,
Brendan & Rico
Calling all Classical Music Enthusiasts,
It would be my pleasure to host you on A Waltz Down the Danube, a classical music adventure on the beautiful blue Danube River next spring, 2016. We will explore some of the capitals of classical music including Berlin, Potsdam, Leipzig, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest. We’ll examine the lives and hear the works of the world’s most influential composers including Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Wagner, Beethoven, Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Mahler.
Get insider access to spectacular venues, concerts and activities, including a private concert at both the Schumann home in Leipzig and the Liszt Academy in Budapest. You will also attend a concert in Vienna, at either the world-renowned State Opera House or Musikverein. Plus live classical performances and musical interviews aboard our intimate river ship, and an exclusive private concert with champagne at Vienna’s Mozarthaus, where Mozart lived for three years.
The 2015 trip sold out in 11 days. Space is limited. I look forward to sailing with you April 28 – May 9, 2016. Reserve your spot before November 15 and save!
Dear Adventurous Music Lovers —
I’d love for you to join me for a trip-of-a-lifetime. We’re going to embark on a musical exploration of Cuba. Our trip, Rhythm of Cuba, is set for November 5 – 13, 2016. Despite its relatively small size, Cuba has made some of the most influential contributions to music of any country in the world. With a unique history and a vibrant culture, Cuba holds an opportunity for a truly memorable musical adventure.
We’re taking a small group of Classical MPR music lovers. We’ll walk Havana’s streets where the windows are always open to let the Caribbean breeze in and music — all kinds of music — sails out and into the streets. We’re crafting a custom itinerary for you that includes private performances, music schools, jazz clubs, artist interviews, and university recitals. We’ll meet some of Cuba’s most talented, passionate, resourceful and resilient musicians. And no trip to Cuba would be complete without flavorful cuisine, a classic car ride, and a crisp beverage at one of Ernest Hemingway’s haunts. If you’ve always wanted to try a Cuban cigar, we can take care of that, too!
Last May, I was honored to host the historic live broadcasts of two Minnesota Orchestra concerts from Havana. From the moment I arrived, the Cuban people wrapped us in a surprising and genuine warmth. It will remain a highlight of my life — having grown up during the Cold War — to hear the Cuban and American national anthems played one after the other by the Orchestra in Havana’s Teatro Nacional; to see thousands of Cubans in tears at that moment; and to have my ears ring from the wild ovation afterward.
As a country, Cuba is at a historic intersection of timelessness and change. So many of the Cubans I met in May are eager for this new world. They’re intensely and justly proud of their country and its rich culture, and they want to meet and make friends with their northern neighbor. It will be a career highlight and a deep pleasure to host you on this trip and create one-of-a-kind experiences for our passionate and dedicated MPR audience.
This trip is a unique opportunity and will fill quickly, so reserve your spot today. See full trip itinerary and trip details by visiting http://www.earthboundexpeditions.com/contact/ or call Earthbound Expeditions at 1-800-723-8454.
Viva la Musica!
Brian Newhouse