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THE BEST OF NEW YORK

May 22-29, 2025

Price per person

Single Supplement

Balance due by

February 22

With The Queen of Spades (Yoncheva, Barakova, Urmana, Jagde), Antony & Cleopatra (Bullock, DeShong), Salome (van den Heever, DeYoung, Mattei), La bohème (Frizza; Winters, Popov) & Il barbiere di Siviglia (Akhmetshina, Swanson). Plus Evgeny Kissin & Gidon Kremer at Carnegie Hall. Superb tours and cuisine. Firmdale Whitby Hotel.

No one does New York better. From our Orchestra Premium seats at The Met to our hidden gem hotel, to our off-the-beaten-path touring and unforgettable meals. We love this tour, and you will too.

In 2025, we hear the best singers on the planet in five operas at The Met, as well as an all-star concert at Carnegie Hall featuring Evgeny Kissin (Piano), Gidon Kremer (Violin), Maxim Rysanov (Viola) and Gautier Capuçon (Cello) performing the three Shostakovich sonatas for strings.

THE QUEEN OF SPADES

Tchaikovsky’s macabre thriller, set against the backdrop of Tsarist Russia, is back in the Met’s atmospheric staging. Soprano Sonya Yoncheva makes her highly anticipated role debut as Lisa, the young woman who embarks on a deadly love affair with the gambling-obsessed officer Hermann, sung by tenor Brian Jagde, also in his role debut. Baritone Igor Golovatenko reprises his moving portrayal of Lisa’s fiancé, Prince Yeletsky, alongside mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana as the spectral Countess and baritone Alexey Markov as Count Tomsky. Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts the sweeping score.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

The most recent opera by preeminent American composer John Adams—a glorious adaptation of Shakespeare’s immortal drama—has its Met premiere. Following her debut in the company premiere of Adams’s El Niño in 2024, soprano Julia Bullock stars as the irresistible Cleopatra, one of theater’s most complex and captivating characters, opposite bass-baritone Gerald Finley as the conflicted Antony. Adams himself takes the podium to conduct his lyrical and richly orchestrated score, leading a new staging by groundbreaking director Elkhanah Pulitzer that transports the story of troubled romance and political strife from ancient Rome to the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s. Tenor Paul Appleby is Caesar, who goes to war with Antony, and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong is Caesar’s sister and Antony’s forsaken wife Octavia.

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts his first Met performances of Strauss’s white-hot one-act tragedy, which receives its first new production at the company in 20 years. Claus Guth, one of Europe’s leading opera directors, gives the biblical story—already filtered through the beautiful and strange imagination of Oscar Wilde’s play—a psychologically perceptive Victorian-era setting rich in symbolism and subtle shades of darkness and light. Headlining the new staging is soprano Elza van den Heever as the abused and unhinged antiheroine, who demands the head of Jochanaan, sung by celebrated baritone Peter Mattei. Tenor Gerhard Siegel is Salome’s lecherous stepfather, King Herod, with mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as his wife, Herodias, and tenor Piotr Buszewski as Narraboth.

Puccini’s lovesick young bohemians in Franco Zeffirelli’s picturesque production are performed by Corinne Winters (Mimi) and Dmytro Popov (Rodolfo). Maestro Riccardo Frizza takes the podium.

IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

Rossini’s effervescent comedy retakes the stage in Bartlett Sher’s madcap production. Star mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina headlines a winning ensemble as the feisty heroine, Rosina, alongside high-flying tenor Jack Swanson, in his Met debut, as her secret beloved, Count Almaviva. Baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky stars as Figaro, the infamous barber of Seville, with bass-baritone Peter Kálmán as Dr. Bartolo and bass Alexander Vinogradov as Don Basilio rounding out the principal cast. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts.

In addition to this stellar slate of performances, we dine in some of New York's finest restaurants, including The Grand Tier, Lincoln Ristorante, Harry Cipriani and the Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel.

Only 16 spaces available. Click here to register.

THURSDAY, MAY 22

Upon arrival at your NYC-area airport, you are met and transferred to the Firmdale Whitby Hotel.

19.00 Meet in the lobby and enjoy a Welcome Dinner at Il Tinello.

FRIDAY, MAY 23

10.00 Following breakfast (included each day), we enjoy a highlights coach tour of Manhattan.

13.30 back to the hotel.

17.45 Meet in the lobby and transfer to the Metropolitan Opera for pre-performance dinner at the Grand Tier before The Queen of Spades (20.00 curtain).

SATURDAY, MAY 24

Enjoy the morning at leisure.

12.15 Meet in the lobby and transfer to the Metropolitan Opera for John Adams's Antony and Cleopatra (13.00 curtain).

16.00 Early dinner is included at Lincoln Ristorante between performances.

19.30 Back to our seats at The Met for Salome by Richard Strauss (20.00 curtain).

SUNDAY, MAY 25

Enjoy another morning at leisure.

14.15 Transfer to The Met for a matinée performance of Puccini’s beloved La bohème (15.00 curtain).

18.00 Meet at lower level parking garage doors and transfer to our special dinner in the Palm Court of the Plaza Hotel.

MONDAY, MAY 26

10.00 Meet in the lobby and depart for a tour of the Cloisters, a jewel of a museum north of Central Park, which specializes in European medieval art and architecture. Governed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it contains a large collection of medieval artworks shown in the architectural settings of French monasteries and abbeys.

14.00 Back to the hotel.

18.30 Meet in lobby and transfer to dinner at Café Carlyle.

TUESDAY, MAY 27

10.00 This morning we enjoy a guided tour of the Morgan Library. A complex of buildings in the heart of New York City, The Morgan Library & Museum began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan (1837– 1913), one of the preeminent collectors and cultural benefactors in the United States.

13.15 Lunch is included at Keen's, one of New York's oldest and best steakhouses.

18.15 Gather and depart for The Met and Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia . 19.00 curtain.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28

10.00 Depart for a highlights tour at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

13.30 Farewell Lunch at Harry Cipriani.

19.15 Walk to Carnegie Hall for a concert by Evgeny Kissin, Gidon Kremer, Maxim Rysanov and Gautier Capuçon  (20.00 curtain). Dmitri Shostakovich composed just a single, unforgettable sonata for each principal string instrument. In this concert, pianist extraordinaire Evgeny Kissin welcomes an all-star group of musicians to perform all three.

THURSDAY, MAY 29

Airport transfers included; timings announced on-site.

TOUR INCLUDES

Top Category seats for 5 operas and 1 concert

7 nights in Deluxe rooms at the Firmdale Whitby Hotel

Full breakfast daily, 2 lunches and 5 dinners 

Private tours as listed

Airport-hotel transfers 

On-site Tour Direction

Comprehensive Tour Guidebook

Flights are not included in tour pricing. Return flights should be booked to New York (or Newark) for arrival on May 22, departure on May 29.

We provide airport/rail station—hotel transfers for arrivals and departures within within 3 days of the start/end of our tour from the cities listed above. We also provide transfers for group meals and performances that are beyond a 10 minute walk.

There is minimal walking with some stairs during the guided tours. As for all of our tours, we are happy to accommodate you regardless of your mobility level. Please make clear your mobility concerns at the time of registration. We provide transfers for group meals and performances that are beyond a 10 minute walk.

We strongly recommend that all tour members purchase cancellation insurance upon registration. We can assist you with this, though you are welcome to purchase a policy at your own discretion. For more information about our travel insurance, click here .

Your Tour Director

David Merritt

David Merritt is the owner and founder of Aria Tours and has been leading opera groups around the globe for nearly 25 years.

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• [email protected]
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why should i use a travel agent.

Even in the age of online booking, travel agents are a great source of information and discounts. A travel agent can make sure that your trip is tailored to you, assist you in case of unexpected problems, and help you anticipate potential issues in advance.

Will I pay more if I book through an agent?

Our fees are transparent. In many cases, you save more than you spend. We can work within your budget, and we always focus on making sure that you get a solid value in return for our fees. 

Do you book group travel?

Yes! Do you have an upcoming conference for your business or a student trip? We can handle the details and ensure that you have access to group seating, entrances, and discounts. 

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IMPORTANT: You are responsible for obtaining the proper travel documents for the destinations on your itinerary.

Passports: Your U.S. passport should be valid at least 6 months or longer beyond the final date of travel. Passport applications are available at most U.S. Post Offices, as well as at regional Passport Agencies. To learn how to apply for a U.S. Passport including expedited services, click here . Passengers requiring visas, whether obtained in advance or locally upon arrival, should ensure that their passport has unstamped visa pages.

Visas: If a visa is required and cannot be obtained upon arrival in your destination, you should make arrangements with the appropriate foreign consular representative, allowing enough time for mailing and processing. 

Entry Requirements for U.S. Passport Holders: Country details below are based on information obtained from the U.S. State Department. This information is subject to change. To check for updates, please check with the consular office of the countries to be visited and/or click here .

Non U.S. Citizens: All information provided below pertains to U.S. passport holders only. Non-U.S. Citizens should check with the appropriate foreign consular representative.

Sea Cruise Passengers: Passengers on sea cruises should check carefully the requirements for each country to be visited on their sailing itinerary. Passengers without the correct documentation may be denied boarding at time of embarkation. Passengers may contact their sea cruise line directly for information but remain responsible to obtain any necessary visas.

Yellow Fever Vaccine: The US Center for Disease Control reports that the Yellow Fever vaccine is currently in short supply and distributed at only certain locations in the USA. Click here for more information. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/search-for-stamaril-clinics . Aria Travel Service recommends guests needing this vaccine for travel to certain African, South and Central American countries to contact your nearest clinic as early as possible to determine availability.

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