Vienna, Austria

Vienna International Advent Singing Festival

• • Enjoy Vienna during its famous Christmas Market season
• • Perform up to four times for an international audience
• • Perform in the Vienna Rathaus, outside the Schonbrunn Palace, in a senior citizen home and in a mass or church service

Vienna has been home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Strauss and continues to maintain an exceptional musical heritage to this day. Opera, ballet and classical music are on offer all year round, but it is during Advent that Vienna comes into its own, with Christkindlmärkte , it’ s famous Christmas markets on nearly every corner of the city.

VIENNA INTERNATIONAL ADVENT SINGING FESTIVAL
The Vienna International Advent Singing Festival is one of the jewels in the CCI crown. The festival is held over four weekends during Advent as Vienna prepares for the Christmas season. The aromas of candied fruits, cotton candy and other delicacies like Christmas punch and roasted chestnuts wafting around the small wooden market stalls will evoke fond memories of Christmases past. Between performances, choirs can warm their hands on paper bags filled with hot chestnuts and sip hot mulled wine, enjoying the wonder of these special markets, and enter into the Christmas spirit.

The Rathaus (Vienna Town Hall) and its surrounding area comes alive during the Advent season and all participating choirs will perform in its Festival Hall, a truly unique location. Choirs also perform in front of Vienna’ s famous Schönbrunn Palace. With its surrounding buildings and the huge park, the Schonnbrunn Palace is one of the most significant cultural monuments in Austria, built to rival the Palace at Versailles both in Baroque beauty and splendour. During the Advent season, Christmas markets are set-up outside the Palace to which both tourists and the Viennese themselves flock, guaranteeing your choir a captivated audience.

During the festival, choirs perform their own repertoire at three of the most beautiful locations around this atmospheric city from the following:

• • Festival Hall at theWien Rathaus (Vienna Town Hall)– 30 Minutes
• • The Christkindlmarkt in front of the Schönbrunn Palace - 30 Minutes
• • A Senior Citizens’ home - 45 Minutes
• • A church for Roman Catholic Mass (or service of another denomination) - duration of Mass

Please note that CCI will require an audio CD or tape of your choir and a photo submitted in advance of your arrival in Vienna. This is required by the festival director for all choirs attending the festival.

Land arrangement includes include:

• • 4 nights’ hotel accommodation with buffet breakfast and evening meal)
• • Lunch in the Rathaus
• • Dinner in hotel on night of arrival
• • 3 choral performances*
• • Evening excursion to Heurigen Restaurant
• • Half Day guided tour of Vienna
• • Farewell reception with refreshments
• • Coach transportation throughout the festival

Costs are tailored to each individual choirs’ requirements

Optional Extras*
Additional choral performance
English speaking assistant for the duration of the festival

SAMPLE ITINERARY
Below is the most popular itinerary of the CCI Family of Choirs who have attended the Vienna International Advent Singing Festival. This is for information purposes only. All final itineraries are tailored to individual choirs requirements.

DAY 1

• • Arrive in Vienna
• • Enjoy dinner in your hotel or in a local ‘Wienerwald’ restaurant

DAY 2

• • Breakfast at your hotel in the morning followed by a half-day guided sightseeing tour of Vienna. See St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Ringstraße, the famous Hundertwasser's apartment complex, Belvedere Castle, The Vienna State Opera, the Votiv Church, the Parliament and the Hofburg.
• • Enjoy lunch at restaurant Rathauskeller
• • Perform a short concert at a social institution such as a senior citizens home in the afternoon.
• • Enjoy dinner at the hotel or in a local ‘Wienerwald’ restaurant

DAY 3

• • Breakfast at your hotel in the morning
• • In the morning, enjoy free time to stroll through the Kärntner Straße, an excellent shopping area with many elegant shops
• • In the afternoon, perform your choral concert in the Festival Hall of the Vienna Town Hall
• • In the evening, enjoy dinner at a typical wine tavern in the scenic old village of Gumpoldskirchen.

DAY 4

• • Breakfast at your hotel in the morning
• • Perform at one of the beautiful old churches of Vienna (Optional)
• • In the afternoon time at leisure. Optional tours include a visit to Schönbrunn Castle, an excursion to Mödling, Mayerling and Heiligenkreuz or option to sing at
• • Christmas Market.
• • In the evening all participating choirs gather at the Town
• • Hall for the official closing ceremony and presentation of certificates. To end the evening. all choirs sings Ode to Joy together while enjoying canapés and sparkling wine.

DAY 5

• • Breakfast at the hotel in the morning
• • Depart for home

Download full information on the Vienna Choir Competition (1MB)

Land arrangement includes: • 4 nights bed and breakfast in hotel • Dinner in hotel on night of arrival • 3 Choral Performances • Evening excursion to Heurigen Restaurant including dinner • 1/2 day guided tour of Vienna • Lunch at Rathaus Restaurant after ss-tour • Farewell reception with snacks and sparkling wine • Coaching throughout festival