DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
BFLZ-27
COST
£2975
DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
BFLZ-27
COST
£2975
200 years since Beethoven's death, it is with great anticipation that the musical and cultural city of Leipzig prepares to celebrate this great composer's anniversary with a spectacular festival of recitals, chamber works and symphony concerts.
Music List
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartets No 4 in C minor, Op 18; No 5 in A, Op 18; No 6 in B flat, Op 18; No 7 in F, Op 59; No 9 in C, Op 59; No 11 in F minor, Op 95 ‘Serioso’; No 14 in C sharp minor, Op 131; No 15 in A minor, Op 132; No 16 in F, Op 135
Symphony No 6 in F, Op 68 ‘Pastoral’
Piano Concerto No 5 in E flat, Op 73 ‘Emperor’
Symphony No 2 in D, Op 36
Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C, Op 56 ‘Triple Concerto’
Optional late-night performance: ‘Beethoven’s Breakdown’ – Michael Wollny and the Vision String Quartet with Jazzrausch Bigband reimagine some of Beethoven’s most iconic music through modern improvisation and techno-jazz rhythms.
Overview
Leipzig lies at the heart of the classical music tradition: Wagner was born here, Mendelssohn died here and Bach spent nearly three decades as Kapellmeister at the Thomaskirche.
Beethoven paid his own visit to Leipzig in 1796 as a young pianist and composer, and the city later played a crucial role in the dissemination of his music through its publishing houses. The world’s oldest music publisher, Breitkopf & Härtel, was based in Leipzig’s Graphic Quarter and, as the city’s musical prestige flourished, it developed close connections with Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt and Wagner. Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra, which has delivered many world-class performances of Beethoven’s great symphonies, also retains a close connection with the composer, and we are delighted that they will be at the heart of this upcoming festival.
Beethoven’s music will come to life surrounded by Leipzig’s history and symbols of its musical legacy, with concerts taking place in different venues across the city. The calibre of the musicians is no less spectacular: alongside the Gewandhaus Orchestra, we plan to take in performances with pianist Lang Lang, violinists Leonidas Kavakos and Yun-Jin Cho, cellists Pablo Ferrández and Isang Enders, and conductor Andris Nelsons, with musical works spanning string quartets to symphonies and concertos.
Complementing the musical content, we look forward to enjoying a hand-picked selection of local visits to illuminate our understanding of Leipzig’s rich musical heritage, including the Bach Museum and Mendelssohn House Museum, the composer’s final home in the city.
Tour Director
Michael Downes
Conductor, lecturer and writer Michael Downes was awarded an OBE for services to music and education in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025. His latest book, Story of the Century: Wagner and the Creation of the Ring was published by Faber & Faber in November 2024.
Tour Director Michael Downes, MA, MPhil, DPhil, OBE, is a conductor, lecturer and writer who has lectured for most of the UK’s leading opera companies and writes programme notes for organisations including Wigmore Hall and Snape Maltings. He collaborated with Nike Wagner, great-granddaughter of Richard, on the English version of her book about her family’s history, and his latest book, Story of the Century: Wagner and the Creation of the Ring was published by Faber & Faber in November 2024. Since 2008 Michael has occupied the post of Director of Music at the University of St Andrews, having previously held the same position at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and he led the project to build the £15m Laidlaw Music Centre at St Andrews. He was awarded an OBE for services to music and education in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025.
– ACE customer on a 2026 tour led by Michael Downes
Our Accommodation
Our tour is based at the Seaside Park Hotel, a four-star Art Deco residence situated within easy walking distance of the Gewandhaus and other historical and cultural sites. We have been working with this hotel for many years and travellers have consistently praised its location and high levels of comfort and service, alongside its architectural character.
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart London Heathrow 1115 on British Airways, arriving Berlin Brandenburg Airport 1410. Transfer to Leipzig for four nights at the Seaside Park Hotel. Welcome and introduction.
Day 2
Morning lecture followed by short morning walking tour of historical Leipzig (including sites associated with J S Bach and other composers who lived or spent time in the city), followed by guided visits to the Thomaskirche (where Bach was director of music) and Bach Archive. Afternoon chamber performance at the Gewandhaus featuring the Gewandhaus Quartet with Frank-Michael Erben (violin), Yun-Jin Cho (violin), Vincent Aucante (viola) and Isang Enders (cello): Beethoven String Quartet No 4 in C minor, Op 18, No 4; String Quartet No 9 in C, Op 59, No 3; String Quartet No 15 in A minor, Op 132. Evening performance at the Gewandhaus featuring Lang Lang (piano) with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Andris Nelsons (conductor): Beethoven Symphony No 6 in F, Op 68 ‘Pastoral’; Piano Concerto No 5 in E flat major, Op 73 ‘Emperor’.
Day 3
Morning lecture followed by visit to the Mendelssohn House Museum. Afternoon chamber performance at the Gewandhaus featuring the Gewandhaus Quartet including Frank-Michael Erben (violin), Yun-Jin Cho (violin), Vincent Aucante (viola) and Isang Enders (cello): Beethoven String Quartet No 5 in A, Op 18, No 5; String Quartet No 11 in F minor, Op 95; ‘Serioso’; String Quartet No 7 in F, Op 59, No 1. Optional late-night performance at the Gewandhaus featuring Michael Wollny and the Vision String Quartet with Jazzrausch Bigband ‘Beethoven’s Breakdown’ – reimagining some of Beethoven’s most iconic music through modern improvisation and techno-jazz rhythms.
Day 4
Leisurely morning to relax or opportunity to attend the Sunday morning service at the Thomaskirche. Late morning lecture followed by lunchtime chamber performance at the Gewandhaus featuring the Gewandhaus Quartet with Frank-Michael Erben (violin), Yun-Jin Cho (violin), Vincent Aucante (viola) and Isang Enders (cello): Beethoven String Quartet No 6 in B flat, Op 18, No 6; String Quartet No 16 in F, Op 135; String Quartet No 14 in C sharp minor, Op 131. Some free time followed by early evening performance at the Gewandhaus featuring Leonidas Kavakos (violin), Pablo Ferrández (cello) and Lang Lang (piano) with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Andris Nelsons (conductor): Beethoven Symphony No 2 in D, Op 36; Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C, Op 56 ‘Triple Concerto’.
Day 5
Transfer to Berlin Brandenburg for 1500 departure, arriving Heathrow 1605.
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
What tour staff will be on this tour?
Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
A reasonable level of fitness is required for this tour. The itinerary will include extensive walking around central Leipzig, including sometimes over uneven ground and cobbles that can be challenging if wet. Travellers should also be comfortable navigating busy streets, crossing tramlines and roads, and walking and standing in museums and during walking tours. The original 18th century staircase in the Mendelssohn House Museum can be tricky to navigate; however, there is a lift for those who prefer. Please consult our minimum fitness requirements, contained in ACE’s Booking Terms & Conditions, before booking your place.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Flight Information
For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £215.
Cost Details
Beethoven Festival in Leipzig: Anniversary Tour
May 20 - 24, 2027
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described (category one), four breakfasts, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £195.
Places are limited.
Please contact the office for more details on 01223 841055.
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