The finest small-group opera and classical music tours. Exclusive curated music festivals and chamber music weekends. Stunning locations, exquisite food and wine, and luxurious accommodation.

Since 2014, Hayllar Music Tours has been curating the very best in classical music travel. With premium tickets to the world's most prestigious opera houses and concert venues, sumptuous hotels, private guided tours and expert tour leaders, we have something on offer for every lover of art, history, good food, and of course, fine music.

WHAT HAYLLAR MUSIC TOURS OFFERS

Australian-based Hayllar Music Tours is dedicated to providing the very best music and cultural tours.

• One of the special aspects of our tours is that Elizabeth Hayllar’s experience, personal contacts and inside knowledge of the classical music industry allows unique additions to the programme of concerts including private recitals with artists, talks with those artists and with other experts in the industry – special events that are usually off limits to those outside the industry.

• The tours include introductory talks about the music to be heard on the tour to enrich your listening pleasure.

• The maximum number of people on a tour is 20. This was decided in the belief that a smaller group contributes to making the whole experience more relaxed, more personal and more enjoyable. (With the introduction of our Hayllar Chamber Music Weekends and Hayllar Music Festivals in 2021, the maximum attendance at these events has been increased to 35.)

• From the start to the finish of your Hayllar Music Tour you will have one dedicated consultant, eliminating potential confusion and cross communication and consequently adding to your positive experience of the tour.

• Hotels used on Hayllar Music Tours have each been personally visited and assessed by a Hayllar Music Tours staff member. They have been carefully selected not just for their comfort but for their charm and atmosphere. The convenience and, with many, the natural beauty of their location, are key factors.

• A crucial element in the appreciation and enjoyment of any tour is the food and, in addition to ensuring that you have a delicious breakfast at your hotel every morning, Hayllar Music Tours takes you to personally selected restaurants which feature excellent quality local cuisine and local beverages which contribute to your knowledge and appreciation of each particular geographical area.

• While the focus of the tour is the evening music performances, the days are carefully planned to incorporate a variety of interest in the visits we make.

STAFF LIST

ELIZABETH HAYLLAR, DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Hayllar has enjoyed an international career working and touring with the world’s greatest orchestras and artists, collaborating with renowned opera houses and festivals. Drawing on her vast experience she crafts expertly planned tours which provide guests with unique and unforgettable experiences of classical music as well as rich encounters with history, art, architecture and culture.

During her time as a core member of the Touring Department at London-based international classical music agency Intermusica Artists’ Management, Elizabeth managed high-profile orchestral and choral tours around the world. This work relied upon close collaborative working relationships with the world’s most respected and renowned orchestras, choirs, festivals and classical music venues including, in the UK - the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Edinburgh International Festival, London’s Barbican and Southbank Centre; in Asia - Hong Kong Arts Festival, Beijing Music Festival, National Centre for the Performing Arts Beijing, Shanghai Grand Theatre and Singapore Esplanade; and in continental Europe - the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Berlin Festival, Gergiev Rotterdam Festival, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Théatre des Champs-Élysées, Budapest Palace of Arts and the Vienna Konzerthaus.

Elizabeth has also maintained a long relationship with Musica Viva Australia, the world’s largest chamber music promoter, serving for many years as Operations Manager. Liaising with major concert halls throughout Australia, managing all arrangements and logistics of touring international and local artists, she ensured every aspect of each tour ran perfectly.

Elizabeth’s in-depth knowledge of Europe, the European classical music industry and her expertise in operations combine to produce tours filled with the finest music performances, unique access to the classical music world and the most efficient, stress free organisation available.

Steve Polydorou, Marketing, Finance & Events Director

Steve Polydorou looks after the marketing and finance at Hayllar Music Tours, which extends to brochure and promotional design, website building and all other marketing. In addition to this, he works on planning Hayllar Music Tours’ events which include the Chamber Music Weekends, Music Festivals, talks and one-off performances. He has a background in classical music, having studied the piano, violin and composition at university in the UK and he continues to compose and record his music. He also regularly appears as Tour Manager for some of our tours so you may well meet him on your next trip.

VENNISA SANTORO, Head of EDUCATIONAL & ENSEMBLE TOURS

Before joining Hayllar Music Tours, Vennisa was selected for the 2015 Arts Administration (since renamed Orchestra Management) program with the Australian Youth Orchestra and was awarded the Musica Viva Regina Ridge Fellowship. Soon after her fellowship, Vennisa joined Musica Viva Australia full-time and has gained valuable experience within the Education, Operations and Development departments. 

Vennisa holds a degree in Music from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Diploma of Arts and Cultural Management from Deakin University where she was awarded The Sue Nattrass Scholarship. Vennisa enjoys exploring new cities by engaging herself in new cultures and local cuisine. In her spare time she likes to spend time away from technology by adventuring on long hikes.

nicole howarth, Travel & Operations MANAGER

Nicole graduated from The University of Notre Dame, Sydney, with a B. Arts Hons with double majors in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Production - specialising in directing and production/stage management. Nicole has worked as a Digital Media Officer and marketing content creator for a cosmeceutical skincare company, filming and editing infomercials and as a barista/café manager - and certainly loves a good coffee.

Nicole’s passions in life are music, performing arts and travel. From a young age Nicole has sung with the Australian Girls’ Choir, learnt jazz and tap dancing and has played the trumpet since she was six. Currently Nicole plays trumpet in several community bands in Sydney - concert band and jazz big bands, with the occasional foray into orchestral ensembles, and she has been very lucky to participate in school orchestra tours to Europe. 

Nicole loves to travel and has seen some amazing sights in Europe, Alaska, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, plus she has visited many picturesque Australian destinations. In her spare time, Nicole can be found in the audience of all types of productions - from classical ensembles, musical theatre to jazz and rock.

Jordy Felix, Travel & Operations MANAGER

Prior to joining Hayllar Music Tours, Jordy worked within the Box Office administration and Front of House teams at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Theatre Company. Jordy oversaw the Sydney Symphony’s last year of performances at Centennial Hall within the Sydney Town Hall when she was promoted as Front of House manager and has also worked in various other classical performance venues across Sydney in ticketing and customer service roles.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Jordy enjoys both classical and contemporary music performance, along with a keen interest art history (particularly the Spanish Romantics) and song writing.

Vanessa Agius, Educational & Ensemble Tours Manager

Vanessa’s career has encompassed artistic operations, event management and client relations with a focus on delivering enduring cultural and interdisciplinary experiences and educational opportunities. She holds a Bachelor of Music Studies in Classical Voice from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a Diploma of Languages majoring in Italian Studies from The University of Sydney. Alongside Hayllar Music Tours, Vanessa works in Music Performance at the University of New South Wales and project manages the coordination of classical music presentations on campus working closely with both artists and patrons. Prior to this, Vanessa worked with Sydney Youth Orchestras as the Orchestral Training Coordinator, organising concerts, education and training programs for young musicians.

Vanessa is also an active performer, with some of her notable theatre credits including Footloose, Grease, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia! and Patti LuPone’s Don’t Monkey with Broadway Concert. She has a passion for Italian and Maltese culture and enjoys cooking dishes, learning languages and travelling to further engage in her heritage. In her spare time, Vanessa also has a love of film and film music, with some of her favourite film composers being Michael Giacchino, John Williams, James Newton Howard and Nino Rota.

Claudine Michael, Travel & Operations Coordinator

Before joining Hayllar Music Tours, Claudine worked as a producer, songwriter and performer in the contemporary music scene as well as a liturgical coordinator for services and events in an inner city parish in Sydney. She graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Graduate Diploma of Music. When she’s not at the Hayllar office, she enjoys weekend dinners with family and friends, swimming in Sydney’s rock pools, tennis, coastal walks, as well as playing the organ and music directing a small community choir.

Isabella Rahme, Client Services Coordinator

Isabella is a composer, performer and music enthusiast who is particularly passionate about new Australian music. A recent graduate of The Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she studied composition, Isabella spends her time working as part of the Hayllar Music Team and teaching composition at St Catherine’s School, Sydney.

Isabella’s practice as a composer includes writing for choirs and ensembles, creating sound art and installations, and improvising on her electroacoustic harp. She is also a harpist and vocalist, and often performs across many different styles and genres, from classical to jazz, pop to electronic, and even world music.