ITINERARY

DAY 1 | THURSDAY 17 APRIL 2025

1ST OF 4 NIGHTS AT BYNG STREET BOUTIQUE HOTEL, ORANGE

SYDNEY CENTRAL STATION AND SYDNEY DOMESTIC AIRPORT TO ORANGE (D):

Guests are collected by private air-conditioned coach. The coach will make one stop at Sydney Central Station at 10:30am and a second stop at Sydney Domestic Airport at 11:00am. We then travel west from Sydney, over the picturesque Blue Mountains and through beautiful NSW countryside to the thriving country town of Orange. The journey takes approximately four hours. We will make a stop at charming Blackheath in the Blue Mountains during the journey for guests to stretch their legs and to pick up a bite to eat if required.

After arriving at our hotel and checking into our rooms, we have time to settle in before gathering for dinner. We enjoy a delicious dinner with our Tour Leader, Simon Moore and fellow music lovers.

DAY 2 | FRIDAY 18 APRIL 2025

2ND OF 4 NIGHTS AT BYNG STREET BOUTIQUE HOTEL, ORANGE

ORANGE AND OPERA AT MILLTHORPE (B, D):

After breakfast, we gather for an exclusive Q&A with Festival Artistic Director & CEO, Lyndon Terracini, hosted by our Tour Leader Simon Moore. Following this, Simon Moore will give a talk on the music we will hear today at the exciting inaugural Handa Opera at Millthorpe.

We then have free time for exploration and lunch in Orange. Orange was named by explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell who, with the Prince of Orange was an aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars. Agriculture thrived in the district, and in 1851 gold was discovered in nearby Ophir, so the village of Orange flourished. The railway from Sydney arrived in 1877, and in 1946 Orange was proclaimed a minor city. The region has a cool climate which with its rich produce-yielding soils, and cool-climate wines, is renowned for its excellent produce and gourmet food. Orange was one of the proposed sites for Australia's national capital city, prior to the selection of Canberra. Orange is now a busy regional centre and you can enjoy a stroll through the shops and cafes that abound.

In your free morning you might like to visit Cook Park, a 4.5-hectare green space in the heart of Orange. In 1873 the park was laid out in a traditional Victorian design, with straight paths and rows of trees and much of the original design is still in place. From February to April, hundreds of begonias bloom in the 'Blowes Conservatory'. This National Trust area also has charming duck ponds, an aviary featuring predominantly native birdlife, the peaceful Lattice Fernery and the Cook Park Guildry. The Guildry is located in 'Bastick Cottage', a Victorian-style heritage building where visitors can find a wide range of unique handcrafted goods, including pottery, knitting, woodwork, homemade jams and freshly baked goods.

In the early afternoon we travel by private coach to the beautiful, historic village of Millthorpe, a 30-minute journey from Orange, for our first event in the festival, an Open Rehearsal.

OPEN REHEARSAL - MILLTHORPE HALL, 2:00pm

There will be free time between the Open Rehearsal and the Gala Opera Concert at 6:00pm. Millthorpe has great coffee shops and restaurants, even the pretty railway station has a café and charming place to sit down and admire the town vista.

For those who may like to return to our hotel in Orange, the coach will depart following the Open Rehearsal and return to Millthorpe in advance of the Gala Opera Concert.

At 6:00pm we attend the Gala Opera Concert, where we are privileged to enjoy performances by this brilliant gathering of world class singers and musicians.

GALA OPERA CONCERT - MILLTHORPE HALL, 6:00pm

Natalie Aroyan soprano
Luke Gabbedy baritone
Agnes Sarkis mezzo Soprano
Thomas Strong tenor
Jun Yi Ma violin
Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra
Paul Terracini conductor

Following the concert we enjoy a gourmet meal at Millthorpe’s Tonic Restaurant.

Established in 2003 by owners Tony and Nicole Worland, Tonic is located in the centre of the village, next door to Millthorpe Hall. The menu has a seasonal focus and showcases the best from local producers. Over the last seventeen years the restaurant has regularly been awarded a chef's hat by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

After dinner we return by private coach to our hotel in Orange.

DAY 3 | SATURDAY 19 APRIL 2025

3RD OF 4 NIGHTS AT BYNG STREET BOUTIQUE HOTEL, ORANGE

OPERA AT MILLTHORPE AND LUNCH AT A VINEYARD (B, L):

After breakfast, we gather for a talk by Simon Moore about the music we will hear this evening.

We then travel to Millthorpe for our first In Conversation hosted by Lyndon Terracini, Artistic Director and CEO of Handa Opera at Millthorpe, who chats with Natalie Aroyan, a world class, much awarded soprano who is a principal with Opera Australia, and who will be performing in this evening’s concert.

IN CONVERSATION - MILLTHORPE HALL, 11:00am

An informal chat hosted by Lyndon Terracini with Natalie Aroyan

After the In Conversation we travel to one of Orange’s renowned vineyards for a gourmet lunch enjoyed in the picturesque Orange countryside. Following lunch we return to our hotel where we have time to freshen up before this evening’s concert.

At 6:00pm we attend Gioachino Rossini: The Art of the Virtuoso Baritone, which will be performed by baritone, Giorgio Caoduro, one of the leading Italian baritones of his generation and one of the reigning bel canto singers of today, and pianist, Jonathon Wilson who holds a Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Montreal.

GIOACHINO ROSSINI: THE ART OF THE VIRTUOSO BARITONE - MILLTHORPE HALL, 6:00pm

Giorgio Caoduro baritone
Jonathan Wilson piano

After the concert we return to our hotel in Orange where the remainder of the evening is free.

DAY 4 | SUNDAY 20 APRIL 2025

4TH OF 4 NIGHTS AT BYNG STREET BOUTIQUE HOTEL, ORANGE

OPERA AT MILLTHORPE (B, D):

After a leisurely breakfast, we travel to Millthorpe for our second In Conversation, hosted by Lyndon Terracini with the magnificent baritone we heard yesterday evening, Giorgio Caoduro.

IN CONVERSATION - MILLTHORPE HALL, 11:00am

An informal chat hosted by Lyndon Terracini with Giorgio Caoduro

We have a delightful afternoon and evening of music, with two performances, one at 2:00pm and the finale at 6:00pm. The time between the In Conversation and the concerts is yours, and you are free to enjoy Millthorpe, to have lunch and dinner, and also to rest over a drink or a coffee.

Millthorpe, part of the renowned Orange gourmet food and wine region, is a heritage listed village in Central West NSW. It has an eclectic variety of shops, country pubs, historic houses and buildings, beautiful gardens and countryside views, and also a range of food and wine experiences on offer. It has the comprehensive and fun Golden Memories Millthorpe Museum, with an extensive collection of local memorabilia, interactive displays, a huge collection of rural machinery and social history.

At 2:00pm we attend Stars of Tomorrow.

STARS OF TOMORROW - MILLTHORPE HALL, 2:00pm

Robert Adam countertenor
Bronwyn Douglass soprano
Imogen Faith-Malfitano soprano
Nicholas Paul tenor
André Desponds piano

For those who may like to return to our hotel in Orange, the coach will depart following the afternoon concert and will return to Millthorpe in advance of the festival finale.

At 6:00pm we attend the Cole Porter and George Gershwin Concert, bringing our Opera at Millthorpe to a magnificent close.

COLE PORTER AND GEORGE GERSHWIN CONCERT - MILLTHORPE HALL, 6:00pm

Noëmi Nadelmann soprano
André Desponds piano

After the final concert we return to Orange for a farewell dinner to celebrate the end of our wonderful long weekend.

DAY 5 | MONDAY 21 APRIL 2025

ORANGE TO SYDNEY DOMESTIC AIRPORT AND CENTRAL STATION (B):

Following our final breakfast at the hotel we travel in our private coach back to Sydney. The journey takes approximately four hours, and we will make a stop for guests to stretch their legs.

We will arrive at Sydney Domestic Airport at approximately 3:30pm and Sydney Central Station at approximately 4:00pm.

INCLUSIONS

17–21 April 2025 (5 DAYS)

AUD$4,750 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE

Single supplement: AUD$780
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 17 December 2024)
Final payment due: 12 February 2025

INCLUSIONS:

• Performances: A Festival Pass to Opera at Millthorpe. This includes access to 4 concerts, 1 Open Rehearsal and 2 In Conversations. Please note: All performances at the festival are general admission and seating is not allocated.

• Tour Leader: Tour Leadership and private talks about the music by Simon Moore OAM.

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

• Hotel: Four nights' accommodation at Byng Street Boutique Hotel in Orange in a Guest Room.

  Upgrade options are available as follows:

  • Upgrade to a Guest Suite for AUD$310 for the full duration of your stay (subject to availability).
    Generous in size, these suites feature raked ceilings and spacious bathrooms separated from the bedroom by a walk-through robe. All suites have stair and elevator access and views over the private gardens.

  • Upgrade to the Beech Tree Room for AUD$310 for the full duration of your stay (allocation exhausted).
    Tastefully designed to bring elements of the outside in, this suite is located in the original heritage building and features a separate lounge area with views of the gardens and the established Beech Tree. Accessible via the heritage staircase only (16 steps).

  If you would like hotel upgrade options please contact us on 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181.

• Travel: Land travel by private air-conditioned coach from Sydney to Orange on 17 April 2025 and from Orange to Sydney on 21 April 2025, and all coach travel throughout the tour.

• Meals/Drinks: Breakfast each morning at the hotel. Three dinners and one lunch 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.

• Travel Insurance: Please note that travel insurance is recommended for tours within Australia. Hayllar Music Tours can organise your travel insurance for you. 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.

OPERA AT MILLTHORPE