THE CARTAGENA FESTIVAL
Tuesday, January 12th through Sunday, January 17th
In response to the growing attraction of Cartagana as an international destination, Jet Blue initiated direct round-trip service from Kennedy Airport in 2013. Convenient direct service is also offered on Avianca Airlines from Miami.
The Cartagena Festival in Colombia was inaugurated ten years ago under the artistic direction of Charles Wadsworth, who led the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for many years. Now under the leadership of General Director Antonio Miscena, the annual Festival offers a plethora of Chamber Concerts, Recitals, and Vocal Concerts featuring international artists of the highest caliber. This year the Festival is celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season with the theme of a musical bridge between Europe and the Americas, exploring the influences each culture had on the other. Since Columbus’s journey from Spain and the arrival of others after him in the New World, music travelled across the Atlantic and back again. The programs include works by Vivaldi, Bach, Saint-Saëns, Dvorak, Villa-Lobos, Shostakovich, Copland, and Ginastera (and Latin American composers you will discover) – performed by such prestigious artists as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, harpist Xavier De Maistre, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, and violinist/conductor Maxim Vengerov.
Our hotel is in the heart of the ‘old town’, where the atmosphere is completely safe and comfortable, far removed from the high-rise commercial district in Boca Grande which serves a different international business clientele.
In January of 2016, we are enthusiastically returning for our sixth consecutive Tour to this unique Festival. The colonial Spanish-style ‘old town’ – designated a Unesco World Heritage Site – has become a well-kept secret for discerning travelers and a proud showplace for the Colombian government. The narrow streets of restored 18th century (and earlier) houses are lined with picturesque balconies overflowing with tropical flowers and vines. The Festival’s concerts are held in a variety of exquisite venues, ranging from intimate Catholic chapels to the grand tiered Teatro Adolfo Mejía. Festival visitors frequently walk from the hotel to the nearby venues, shops and cafés. Everyone who has joined us on our previous Tours has fallen in love with this Festival.
A busy program of six concerts is included in our package. IMPORTANT: Our arrangements include a per-person contribution to the Festival to support its education and social outreach program, including master-classes and instrument making workshops which we are invited to visit. We are also invited to enjoy two private parties for VIP’s during our stay (dates TBA).
We invite you to join us for an extraordinary musical and cultural experience in one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful old-world sites. We cannot imagine a more rewarding winter getaway within easy reach of U.S. airports. The January weather is glorious every day, with a welcome sea-breeze in the afternoons and not a cloud in the brilliant blue sky.
Deluxe accommodations for five nights with a generous buffet breakfast of Caribbean specialties included at Cartagena’s leading Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Hotel. This charming and historic property enjoys an ideal location near everything. The large outdoor swimming pool (and spa) are surrounded by several floors of rooms all featuring private balconies. The Festival maintains a welcome desk in the lobby to assist with any personal arrangements. During our stay, you will have the opportunity to compliment some of the Festival’s artists, as many of them stay at the Santa Clara and are frequently seen in the restaurant and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at the pool. The hotel’s dining room on the central courtyard serves light meals before and after the Festival performances; and a number of attractive restaurants and cafés are within a few minutes’ walk. Several morning events are conveniently planned in the Chapel on the hotel’s premises.
Price Per Person (based on Double Occupancy): $3,980
Price Per Person (based on Single Occupancy): $4,960