Itinerary

Photo: Dave Shumway

The Tenth Varna International Conductors Workshop

Featuring Ein deutsches Requiem

(May 26 – June 2, 2008)

Daily Schedule

Sunday, May 25 – Participants arrive. Welcome at the airport by Varna International Conductors Workshop representative and transfer to Edelweiss Hotel at the Golden Sands Resort.

Participants who made their own flight arrangements should make their way to Hotel Edelweiss on their own. Cabs are normally available right outside the Varna Airport and you would need to ask the driver to take you to Hotel Edelweiss at the Golden Sands Resort. The phone number of Hotel Edelweiss when calling locally is 052- 356005 and the web site address is http://www.edelweiss-bg.com

19:30 – Welcome Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Passengers whose flight lands in Varna later than 20:00 will have missed the dinner. We will arrange for you to have sandwiches at the bar on the second floor, as the kitchen is closing at 21:00.

Monday, May 26

10:00 – 12:00 – Orientation. Meeting for participating conductors, faculty and organizers at Hotel Edelweiss. We will discuss the format of the workshop, rehearsals plan, schedule and make specific assignments for the first two rehearsals.

16:45 – Bus pick up at Hotel Edelweiss for the rehearsal hall.

18:00 – 21:30 – Rehearsal of The Tenth Varna International Conductors Workshop.

Rehearsal room 1: Rehearsal with pianist, faculty and all conductors at the “Morski Zvutsi” Varna City Choir rehearsal hall

Rehearsal room 2: Professor Marin Chonev will rehearse with the choirs.

21:30 – Bus pick up near the rehearsal hall for the hotel.

Tuesday, May 27:

10:00 – 12:00 – Detailed score study for the conductors with the faculty and pianist.

12:00 – 16:00 – The optional Varna tour.

12:00 – Bus will pick us up from Edelweiss Hotel for The Varna tour.

12:30 – 13:45 - Lunch at a local restaurant which features unique recipes representing authentic Bulgarian cuisine (included in the cost for those who registered for this optional day tour).

14:00 – 16:00 – We will visit the Roman Ruins archeological site and the Archeological Museum where the oldest gold in the world is displayed.

16:00 – 17:15 – The guide will be available to introduce us to the main shopping area of Varna, point out ATM machines and money exchange booths for our convenience.

18:00 – 21:30 - Rehearsal of The Tenth Varna International Conductors Workshop. This rehearsal will be held with the participation of the conductors, faculty, soloists, pianist, “Morski Zvutsi” Choir and US guest singers.

21:30 – Bus pick up near the rehearsal hall for the hotel.

Wednesday, May 28:

10:00 – 12:00 – Private session of all participating conductors with the clinicians at Hotel Edelweiss.

14:15 – Bus pick up at Hotel Edelweiss for the rehearsal hall.

15:00 – 18:30: Rehearsal of The Tenth Varna International Conductors Workshop. This rehearsal will be held with the participation of the orchestra, clinicians, conductors, soloists and guest choirs.

19:00 – 20:15 - Performance of Douglas Renfroe with musicians from Florida and New York at the Bach Hall of the Episcopal Methodist Church of Varna. All participants of the workshop are invited.

20:15 – Bus pick up from the Methodist Church to the hotel.

Thursday, May 29:

9:30 – 13:00 – Rehearsal with the conductors, clinicians, soloists and orchestra. No choirs.

17:15 - Bus pick up at Hotel Edelweiss for the rehearsal hall.

18:00 – 21:00 – Rehearsal of The Tenth Varna International Conductors Workshop. This rehearsal will be held with the participation of the conductors, clinicians, soloists, pianist and choirs.

21:00 – Bus pick up near the rehearsal hall for the hotel.

Friday, May 30: free day!

Today we offer the optional trip to Nessebar, an ancient coastal semi-island in South East Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast (approximately two hours drive from Varna).

09:00 - Bus pick up from the hotel to Nessebar.

11:00 – 12:30 – Guided tour (archeological museum, panoramic guided tour on foot to see this beautiful semi-island, including visiting art galleries and churches representing different historical eras.)

12:30 – 14:00 - Lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Black Sea.

14:00 – 16:00 - Free time to walk by yourselves, meet the artists who paint beautiful paintings of Bulgaria, shop or enjoy the outdoors cafés.

16:00 –Departure for Varna.

18:00 - Arrival at the “Golden Sands” resort.

Saturday, May 31:

Today we will offer an optional trip to the beautiful ancient city: Balchik. The trip will include a visit to the Botanical gardens where the former Queen of Romania used to have her summer residence.

9:30 - Bus pick up at Hotel Edelweiss

10:15 – 12:00 – Visit the Botanical gardens with an English speaking tour guide.

12:00 – 13:30 – Lunch at a restaurant overlooking the sea.

13:30 - 14:15 – Bus transfer back to the hotel.

16:45 – Bus pick up at Hotel Edelweiss for the rehearsal hall.

18:00 – 21:30 – Rehearsal of The Tenth Varna International Conductors Workshop. This rehearsal will be held with the participation of the orchestra, conductors, clinicians, soloists, and choirs.

21:30 – Bus pick up near the rehearsal hall for the hotel.

Sunday, June 1:

8:45 - Bus pick up at Hotel Edelweiss for the rehearsal hall.

9:30 – 13:00 and 17:30 – 21:00 - Double rehearsal with the orchestra, conductors, clinicians, soloists, and choirs

21:05 – Bus pick up near the rehearsal hall for the hotel.

Monday, June 2:

Free morning!

17:15 – Bus pick up at Hotel Edelweiss for the performance hall.

18:00- 19:15 – Dress rehearsal at the Varna Evangelical Pentecostal Church.

20:00 – Performance of Ein deutsches Requiem at the Varna Evangelical Pentecostal Church.

21:30 – Bus pick up for the hotel restaurant.

22:00 – Final Dinner celebration at the hotel restaurant.

Tuesday, June 3:

Free day to enjoy the resort and the city center of Varna.

The Rocky College Chamber Choir departs for Vienna in the late afternoon.

Wednesday, June 4:

All the participants depart for their next destination or to return home.

Important phone numbers when calling locally:

Hotel Edelweiss 052- 356005.

Kalin Tchonev cellular phone 0885-297-510

Sharon Cellular phone 0885-339-517

Taxi: 052-500-000 or 052-388-888

If you miss the bus pick up, please call a cab from the hotel reception and ask to be taken to Zala “Morski Zvutsi” (translated: “Morski Zvutsi” Hall), located across from Hotel Musalah (down town Varna). It is an approximate 30 minute ride with a private car and you should expect to pay about 20 leva (equal to approximately 16 USD).

Tuesday, June 3 -

After breakfast, we will have free time to enjoy the resort and do some last minute shopping. We will check out of the hotel at 14:30 and depart for the Varna International Airport for our flight to Vienna, Austria. The flight departs at 17:25 p.m. and will arrive in Vienna at 18:35 p.m.

Our tour guide, Ursula Klaus, will meet us at the airport.  She will point us to the private bus with which the group will transfer to the hotel.  We will check in the hotel and enjoy a welcome Dinner at the hotel restaurant (included in the cost).  The name of our hotel is: Hotel Sophienalpe. Telephone number of the hotel: +431-486-2432. Contact person at the hotel: Nicole or Michelle Allmayer. Sophienalpe is a family-run hotel in the Vienna woods. 

The mobile phone number of Ursula is: +43 676 421 4884.

Wednesday, June 4 – 

We will have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. At 9:30 a.m., the bus and tour guide: Ursula, will pick us up for a half day guided tour of Vienna.  Our guide will lead a walking tour of the center of Vienna.  

2,5 hours walking tour in the city:
centre : St. Stephans, pedestrian zones Graben & Kohlmarkt, walk through the Hofburg with a special focus on the music history (walking by the Figaro House, see the place there the original Hofburgtheater was, where Don Giovanni was premiered, pass by the place of the young Haydn.

Lunch is on our own in the city (not included in the cost). 

The bus will pick us up from the city center at 18:00 and take us back to the hotel. 

We will have Dinner at the hotel restaurant (included in the cost). 

Thursday, June 5 – 

We will have breakfast at the hotel restaurant and enjoy a free morning at the hotel and its vicinity. 

At 12:30 a.m., the bus and tour guide: Ursula, will pick us up for a half day guided tour of Vienna.  

3,5 hours tour with the bus : Drive along the Ring, but see also a little bit of the modern Vienna (Prater, Danube , UN, short photo stop at the Hunderwasser House). Including stops and little walks at the Belvedere and Schoenbrunn Palace (see the former summer residence and its
lovely gardens from outside ).

Lunch is on our own in the city. 

Dinner is on our own in the city center (not included in the cost). 

The bus will pick us up from the city center at 22:00 and take us back to the hotel. 

Friday, June 6 -

We will have breakfast at the hotel restaurant.  The rest of the day is free to enjoy Vienna on our own. We will have our farewell Dinner at the hotel restaurant (included in the cost). 

Saturday, June 7 – This morning, after breakfast, we will check out of the hotel and transfer to the Vienna International Airport for our flight back home. We will arrive at the airport at 8:00 a.m. (three hours prior to our flight’s departure time).

Our flight is scheduled to leave the Vienna Airport at 11:05 a.m. We will arrive back in Billings, MT at 22:23.