ITINERARY

DAY 1 | FRIDAY 9 MAY 2025

1ST OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

ARRIVE AMSTERDAM (D):

Guests arrive at the 4-star Park Centraal Amsterdam, a modern luxury hotel conveniently located in the centre of Amsterdam’s art and culture precinct. Check-in is at 3:00pm and we recommend arriving at this time.

We meet in the early evening for an informative talk by Graham Abbott, about Mahler’s First Symphony. We then enjoy a welcome dinner together.

At 8:15pm, we attend our first concert of the tour, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 performed by the renowned Concertgebouw Orchestra and conductor, Klaus Mäkelä.

CONCERT 1 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Anders Hillborg New Composition (commissioned by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and the Mahler Foundation)
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 1 in D major

Concertgebouw Orchestra
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

DAY 2 | SATURDAY 10 MAY 2025

2ND OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

EXPLORING AMSTERDAM (B):

This morning we have our second informative talk by Graham Abbott, this time about Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.

After the talk we are going to spend a few delightful hours discovering Amsterdam. We take a walk with an expert guide which includes the Begijnhof where we visit a hidden church in a large charming enclosed courtyard, Dam Square at the heart of the city, the famous Zeedijk Street home to some of the city’s oldest pubs, Nieuwmarkt where the old Amsterdam city gate can be found and the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam’s oldest building. As we stroll our expert guide tells us all sorts of interesting facts about the city’s history and geography. We then relax in luxury on a canal cruise where we can admire the city, its iconic streets and buildings and its history from the water.

The afternoon is free for further exploration or rest, and in the evening at 8:15pm, we attend our second performance, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 performed by the celebrated Budapest Festival Orchestra and Conductor, Iván Fischer.

CONCERT 2 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Resurrection

Budapest Festival Orchestra
Netherlands Radio Choir
Iván Fischer, conductor
Christiane Karg, soprano
Anna Lucia Richter, mezzo-soprano

DAY 3 | SUNDAY 11 MAY 2025

3RD OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM & THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM (B, L):

This morning begins with a talk by Graham Abbott about Mahler’s third symphony.

Following this we visit the Van Gogh Museum where we have the opportunity to see the world's largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh, including masterpieces such as Sunflowers, The Potato Eaters, Almond Blossom and The Bedroom. We enjoy a private tour in which we learn about the artist’s working methods, and hear stories about the paintings as we view them.

Following our visit, we enjoy lunch together. The late afternoon is free to rest or for further exploration of Amsterdam. The hotel is next to a canal and a large park so there are attractive walks close by.

This evening, at 8:15pm, we will hear Mahler’s third symphony performed by the celebrated NHK Symphony Orchestra and Conductor, Fabio Luisi.

CONCERT 3 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 3 in D minor

NHK Symphony Orchestra
Women of the National Radio Choir
National Children's Choir
Fabio Luisi, conductor
Olesya Petrova, mezzo-soprano

DAY 4 | MONDAY 12 MAY 2025

4TH OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM & THE RIJKSMUSEUM (B):

This morning we visit the Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands which reflects the story of 800 years of Dutch History. The museum has displays of 8,000 objects of art and history from their vast collection of 1 million objects from the years 1200–2000. Among these are many masterpieces, including works by Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer. We have a private guided tour of some of the greatest art treasures in the museum.

The afternoon is free but you might consider having lunch at the museum, which has both a restaurant and a café, and then enjoying more of its spectacular collection, including an exhibition about Willem Mengelberg, the initiator of the first Mahler Festival in 1920.

We come together in the evening for Graham Abbott’s talk about Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.

At 8:15pm we will hear the celebrated NHK Symphony Orchestra perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.

CONCERT 4 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 4 in G major

NHK Symphony Orchestra
Fabio Luisi, conductor
Ying Fang, soprano
Matthias Goerne, baritone

DAY 5 | TUESDAY 13 MAY 2025

5TH OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

DAY TRIP TO THE HAGUE (B):

This morning we set out on a private guided tour to the Hague, the capital city of the Netherlands. In The Hague we first visit The Mauritshuis, an art museum containing a superb collection of Dutch Golden Age (17th-century) paintings, including works by Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael, Hans Holbein the Younger, and others. We enjoy a private guided tour of some of the most famous and fascinating works.

After our visit to the art gallery, we have some free time to have lunch; there is a restaurant in the gallery and there are many only a few minutes away. You might also like to stroll around the attractive site of the Netherlands government, The Binnenhof, a complex of buildings in the centre of The Hague, and only about 2-minutes walk away from The Mauritshuis. The buildings back onto a beautiful lake where there are plenty of seats to relax and take a break.

We then meet together to travel to the Mesdag Panorama, a cylindrical painting more than 14 metres high and about 40 metres in diameter (120 metres in circumference) by Hendrik Willem Mesdag. From an observation gallery in the centre of the purpose-built edifice, the cylindrical perspective creates the illusion that one is in 19th-century Scheveningen, a fishermen’s town, that has not yet grown into The Hague. Standing in the middle of the painting makes you feel like you are viewing the Netherlands of a bygone era from a watchtower.

Following our visit to the Mesdag Panorama we return to our hotel in Amsterdam, with time to refresh prior to Graham Abbott’s talk which will focus on Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, which we will hear performed at 8:15pm by the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

CONCERT 5 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Kindertotenlieder
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp

Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iván Fischer, conductor
Anna Lucia Richter, mezzo-soprano

DAY 6 | WEDNESDAY 14 MAY 2025

6TH OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM (B, L):

In the morning Graham will give a talk about Mahler’s sixth symphony. Following this, we will enjoy lunch together.

The afternoon is then free and you might like to visit the Anne Frank House, which is around a 30-minute walk away, or a 5-minute journey in a taxi. This museum, the Anne Frank Huis, is a biographical museum dedicated to the Jewish wartime diarist, Anne Frank, who hid from the Nazis in secret hidden rooms, the Secret Annex, at the back of the house during World War II.  She did not survive the war but her wartime diary was published in 1947. Ten years later the Anne Frank Foundation was established to protect the property from developers who wanted to demolish the block. The museum, opened on 3 May 1960, preserves the hiding place, has a permanent exhibition on the life and times of Anne Frank, and has an exhibition space about all forms of persecution and discrimination. In 2013 and 2014, the museum had 1.2 million visitors and was the 3rd most visited museum in the Netherlands after the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.

At 8:15pm we hear the remarkable Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform Symphony No. 6.

CONCERT 6 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 6 in A minor

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden, conductor

DAY 7 | THURSDAY 15 MAY 2025

7TH OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM & THE ROYAL PALACE (B):

In the morning we visit the heart of Amsterdam to have a private guided tour of the Royal Palace, the King’s official reception palace, which plays a major role during state visits, and other royal occasions, such as New Year’s receptions, gala dinners and award ceremonies. The Palace is the largest and most prestigious building from the 17th-century, making it one of the Netherlands’ most important monuments. It was originally built as Amsterdam’s town hall, its design by architect Jan van Campen intended to reflect the power and wealth of 17th-century Amsterdam, and the grandeur of that time is still alive in the Citizen’s Hall and marble galleries. Impressive sculptures and paintings by famous artists such as Rembrandt’s students, Govert Flinck and Ferdinand Bol, tell the story of Amsterdam as the centre of the universe. In 1808, King Louis Bonaparte made a triumphal entry into Amsterdam as his brother Emperor Napoleon had made him King of Holland in order to increase French influence in Holland. The new king found only the Amsterdam Town Hall worthy to be his palace and his stay is still tangible today, particularly in his magnificent Empire furniture, one of the most beautiful collections in the world, which is still used during royal receptions.

The afternoon is then free.

We come together in the evening for Graham Abbott’s talk which will focus on Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. At 8:15pm we once again hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Jaap van Zweden perform the Seventh Symphony.

CONCERT 7 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 7

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden, conductor

DAY 8 | FRIDAY 16 MAY 2025

8TH OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM & THE MUSEUM VAN LOON (B):

This morning Graham Abbott’s talk will focus on Mahler’s Eighth Symphony.

We then encounter some of the fascinating history of Amsterdam on our private guided tour of Museum Van Loon which, with its unique ensemble of canal house, interior, collection of portraits, beautiful furniture, fine silverware and porcelain from different centuries, and with its garden and coach house, is one of the most beautiful and often visited historic houses in the Netherlands. The museum, located in the heart of Amsterdam's canal ring, was designed in 1672 and the first occupant was the painter Ferdinand Bol, a pupil of Rembrandt. The Van Loon family, which originally came from Loon op Zand in Brabant and settled in Amsterdam in the 17th-century, were the last residents of the canal house and the founders of the museum. The family was linked for centuries to the trade and administration of the city. Willem van Loon was one of the founders of the VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or The United East India Company) which was a chartered company established on 20 March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock company in the world, granting it a 21-year monopoly to carry out trade activities in Asia. Several other family members later became mayors of Amsterdam, among others. In the 19th-century, the family was ennobled. Museum Van Loon is one of the most beautiful and best-visited historic houses in the Netherlands.

Our afternoon is free.

At 8:15pm we attend Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 performed by The Concertgebouw Orchestra and soon-to-be chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä.

CONCERT 8 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major, Symphony of a Thousand

Concertgebouw Orchestra
National Radio Choir
Laurens Symfonisch
Le Chœur de l'Orchestre de Paris
National Children's Choir
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor
Golda Schultz, soprano
Miriam Kutrowatz, soprano
Jennifer Johnston, alto
Okka von der Damerau, alto
Giorgio Berrugi, tenor
Michael Nagy, baritone
Tareq Nazmi, bass

DAY 9 | SATURDAY 17 MAY 2025

9TH OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM & THE REMBRANDT HOUSE (B):

This morning’s talk by Graham Abbott will explore Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.

We then have a private guided tour of the house of Rembrandt van Rijn. Located among the picturesque canal houses of central Amsterdam, the Rembrandt House is where Rembrandt lived and had his studio and art dealership, between 1639 and 1658. Built around 1606 and renovated around 1627, it was bought by Rembrandt in 1639 for 13 thousand guilders and auctioned for eleven thousand guilders in 1658 after his bankruptcy. In the following centuries it was used as a residence and was renovated several times. By the beginning of the 20th-century the building was in poor condition, and it was purchased by the municipality of Amsterdam in 1907, and donated to the Rembrandthuis foundation. Between 1907 and 1911 the building was redesigned on the basis of the inventory that was drawn up during Rembrandt's bankruptcy in 1656. The current museum shows Rembrandt's living and working quarters, including his living room, art room and the studio where he created his masterpieces. This gives the visitor an idea of Rembrandt's daily life, his studio practice and what a private house and artist's studio looked like in the 17th-century. The museum is dedicated to Rembrandt’s life and works and features a nearly complete collection of his etchings.

Our afternoon is free and at 8:15pm we attend Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker with Chief Conductor, Kirill Petrenko.

CONCERT 9 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D major

Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko, conductor

DAY 10 | SUNDAY 18 MAY 2025

10TH OF 10 NIGHTS AT PARK CENTRAAL AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM (B, L):

This morning we attend our final talk by Graham Abbott about Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 & Das Lied von der Erde.

Following this talk, we enjoy a farewell lunch together.

The late afternoon is free.

This evening we attend our final concert of the festival, Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 & Das Lied von der Erde performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Daniel Barenboim.

CONCERT 10 – THE CONCERTGEBOUW, 8:15pm
Gustav Mahler Adagio from Symphony No. 10
Gustav Mahler Das Lied von der Erde

Berliner Philharmoniker
Daniel Barenboim, conductor
Soloists to be announced

DAY 11 | MONDAY 19 MAY 2025

TOUR ENDS (B):

Following our final breakfast at the hotel, the tour concludes.

INCLUSIONS

9–19 MAY 2025 (11 DAYS)

AUD$13,750 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE

Single supplement: AUD$3,050
Deposit payment 1: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due at time of booking)
Deposit payment 2: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due on 1 March 2024)
Final payment due: 6 March 2025

INCLUSIONS:

• Performances: Rank 1 tickets to 10 world class performances at the prestigious Mahler Festival in Amsterdam.

• Tour Leader and Talks: Tour Leadership and 10 exclusive private talks by Graham Abbott.

• Tour Manager: An experienced Tour Manager to accompany the group throughout the tour.

• Hotels: 10 nights' accommodation at the centrally located 4-star Park Centraal Amsterdam, in a Deluxe Room. Porterage of one piece of luggage at the hotel.

• Travel: Land travel throughout our tour by private air-conditioned coach. Shorter journeys in Amsterdam will be on foot.

• Meals/Drinks: Breakfast each morning at the hotel. Four lunches/dinners with wine, water and tea/coffee.

• Entry Fees and Guided Tours: Entrance fees for museums, art galleries etc as stated in your itinerary. Expert local guides at some sites.

• Tips: Tips for drivers, local guides and meals included in your itinerary.

• Information Pack: Comprehensive pre-tour information pack.

EXCLUSIONS:

• International/Domestic Travel: Hayllar Music Tours can provide you with a quote. Phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com

• Airport Transfers: Transfers to/from airports and hotels at the beginning and end of the tour. These can be arranged at an additional cost.

• Special Taxes: Special taxes and airport levies that can only be paid in cash at the destination. We will endeavour to advise you of these charges (if any) before you depart.

• Visas: Costs associated with obtaining visas for countries visited on your tour. From mid-2025, travellers entering European countries will be required to obtain an ETIAS travel authorisation. For further information on ETIAS applications visit https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

• Travel Insurance: Please note that you are required to have comprehensive travel insurance to cover you for the duration of your tour. If you live in Australia, Hayllar Music Tours can organise your travel insurance for you. Please contact them at phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com

• Meals: Lunches and dinners not nominated in your itinerary.

• Personal Expenses: Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls and mini-bar.

• Activities in Free Time: Costs associated with any activities suggested for you in your free time.

SMALL GROUP SIZE

The tour will operate with 8 people. The maximum number on the tour will be 20 people.

FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED - LEVEL 1

All members of the group must feel comfortable walking for 1–2 hours, standing for long periods of time in museums, art galleries etc. and embarking/disembarking coaches.

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

Please note that booking terms and conditions apply. Click here for the booking terms and conditions.

MAHLER FESTIVAL IN AMSTERDAM

SOLD OUT | WAITLIST ONLY

This tour is now sold out. To register your place on the waitlist, please fill out the form below, or contact us on 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or contact@hayllarmusictours.com