Preliminary Schedule (subject to change)

Sunday, August 6 - Arrive in Vienna, capital of the Habsburg Empire and center of classical music. A Festival representative will meet flight arrivals for your transfer in air-conditioned buses to your hotel in Eisenstadt. The trip to Eisenstadt takes approximately one hour. Take time to unpack and enjoy a brief walk around this beautiful, small city. At 7:30 pm, a 30-minute house orientation meeting will be held at each hotel.

Monday, August 7 - Begin with breakfast at your hotel. Then head to the Esterhazy Palace for a short orientation meeting in the Haydn Hall before rehearsals begin for in preparation for the matinee performance on Wednesday. Following a lunch break, the chorus, orchestra and soloists will return for afternoon rehearsals. While the performers are rehearsing, there will be activities planned for the Observers including a tour of the Esterhazy Palace. At 5:00 pm, everyone is invited to attend the Mayor's Reception at the Rathaus (City Hall), welcoming festival participants to Eisenstadt with some light refreshments.  A short evening rehearsal may be scheduled if needed.

Tuesday, August 8 – Morning rehearsals will continue for chorus, orchestra, and soloists while Observers tour the Melinda Esterházy exhibit at the Esterházy Palace. Before the lunch break, Prof. Holzschuh will have original manuscripts from the Esterházy archives of the Lord Nelson Mass available for viewing. After lunch, rehearsals will continue in the afternoon for the chorus, orchestra and soloists while Observers tour the ancient Judengasse. Following dinner, a short evening rehearsal may be scheduled if needed.

Wednesday, August 9 - The chorus and orchestra, will have a brush up rehearsal before the 11:00 matinee performance in the Haydnsaal of the Esterhazy Palace. All festival participants are invited to attend. Following the matinee, enjoy some free time before we enjoy an Austrian meal at a local heuriger. The evening is open to do as you wish.

Thursday, August 10 –  Chorus, orchestra and soloists will have morning and afternoon rehearsals in preparation for three performances of Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass while Observers have an opportunity to tour the Bergkirche and Stations of the Cross during this time. The evening is open to do as you wish. For those who want to enjoy an evening of opera in nearby St. Margarethen featuring a performance of Carmen, you may want to sign up for the optional tour being offered which includes transportation, backstage tour, and opera ticket. A bus will pick you up at your hotel and festival personnel will accompany you to the opera.

Friday, August 11 - This is a free day which you can use for relaxing, to do some exploring on your own or you may want to join one of the optional tours offered that day. Optional tour destinations are still being finalized and information should be available by February 1.

Saturday, August 12 – There will be a morning rehearsal for the chorus, orchestra and soloists. Late afternoon, festival participants will travel a short distance by bus to Mattersburg, where the festival orchestra, chorus, and soloists will perform Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass at the parish church as apart of the Saturday evening mass. Following the mass, we will be guests for dinner at a country inn in the quaint village of Pöttelsdorf.

Sunday, August 13 - Buses will take us to Vienna's historic St. Stephen's Cathedral for a performance of Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass as a part of the Sunday morning liturgical mass.  The afternoon is free in Vienna for sightseeing on your own or as part of a tour at the Vienna Opera House.  Late afternoon buses return to Eisenstadt, with a short stop at Zentralfriedhof and Composer's Corner where many famous composers are buried. 

Monday, August 14 -  Chorus and orchestra members will be able to tour the Esterhazy Palace rooms of the Princess Apartments. Morning and afternoon are open for sightseeing or rehearsals. This is your last day for shopping since August 15th is a religious holiday and most stores will be closed. In the evening, is a casual evening of music presented by festival participants.

Tuesday, August 15 - In the morning we will perform Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass at the Bergkirche, the Esterhazy's church where Haydn's last six masses and Beethoven's Mass in C Major were first performed and where Haydn is now buried. This mass celebrates the holy day of Maria Himmelsfahrt Festgottesdienst (Ascension of Mary) which is always on August 15.The evening is free to do as you like, including packing.

Wednesday, August 16 - Buses will begin departing early for your return to the Vienna International Airport. Bus departure times will be scheduled in May after we have everyone's flight information. The bus ride takes approximately one hour so we will make sure that you are at the airport a minimum of three hours before your scheduled departure.