Everyone convenes for check in and a Welcome Reception at 3:00 pm.  We’ll set up our rehearsal space and have a first read, then enjoy our first group dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner, take an evening stroll and hang out with new friends.

Sunday is a workshop day.  In the morning while the gentlemen work on their music, ladies will meet for a historical walking tour of the city.  We’ll learn more about Lucca’s place in Tuscan history and more about Italy overall.  After a combined group lunch, the ladies will rehearse, and gentlemen will tour the city. The evening is your so explore and find dinner on your own.

Monday is filled with intensive rehearsal time, but there will still be opportunities to explore Lucca. Grab lunch on your own and meet the group at the International Academy of Italian Cuisine where Chef Gianluca will be waiting for us.  Together we’ll prepare the perfect Tuscan dinner AND then we get to eat it!  Learn why Italian food is so popular all over the world.

Tuesday

After morning rehearsal and lunch on your own, meet at the Lucca Train Station for a trip to famous Pisa to visit the Piazza dei Miracoli with its magnificent Cathedral, an acoustically unique Baptistry, and the incomparable Leaning Tower.  Stop off at three gelato shops to do a comparison on your way to the center of the City: Ponte di Mezzo.  Dinner is at our favorite Spaghetteria where you can choose a dish representing one of Pisa's four quadrants.  Catch the last train back to Lucca after checking out Keith Haring's famous mural Tuttomondo.

One of our most popular activities is a visit to a regional winemaker where we will enjoy a tour of the facility and a fantastic wine-pairing lunch. In the afternoon, we will make a stop in Greve, the center of the Chianti region.  After, it’s a drive through the most beautiful countryside in the world on our way to Vinci.  We’ll have time for a light dinner before our concert and we are usually invited for a small reception after. 

This year, we will visit the heart of the Italian nursery industry.  Pistoia is not only home to a beautiful downtown with famous terracotta tiling and an classic campanile and baptistery, but also has the weather to grow anything from bonsai to full-size topiary.  From Abelia to Ziziphus, we’ll see how the Italians make their gardens grow. Up the hill, we’ll play right after mass in Gavinana and then head to dinner nearby.

During the day, we’ll visit a local frantoio (or mill) where they produce Tuscany’s liquid gold: olive oil.  Learn about its making and come to appreciate the subtle and not-so-subtle aspects of the endless varieties. We’ll culminate our week of concerts Saturday evening in Lucca, bringing together all of our musical efforts in a fantastic presentation at the cathedral of San Michele.

After breakfast on Sunday, we’ll pack up our stuff and head out.  We’ll get everyone off to airports and train stations as necessary and bid farewell to our lovely Tuscan locale.   Alla prossima!