Saturday 26 April

7:35am
Northwest flight 38 arrives at Schiphol Airport. Welcome by GILES RAMSAY, from London Arts Discovery and BREGTJE VIERGEVER-MICHELS, who will be our guide for the week.Transfer by private coach to The Grand Hotel Krasnopolsky, Dam Square 9, Amsterdam, NL-1012 JS, Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 55 49 111, Fax: +31 20 62 28 607.

On the way to the hotel we take a coach tour of the city. Amsterdam is one of the most charming capitals in Europe with its 17th and 18th century merchants' houses lining the extensive canal system. Check in.

REST OF AFTERNOON FREE

6:00pm
Cocktails and Briefing on all aspects of the tour from extra performances and major exhibitions to recommended restaurants. In the Season Room at the hotel.

7:00pm
Welcome Dinner in the Restaurant Reflet at the hotel.

Sunday 27 April

BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED IN THE WINTERGARDEN RESTAURANT from 6.30am to 10.30am daily OR IN YOUR ROOM FOR A EXTRA CHARGE OF 3 EUROS

9:30am
Coach departs for the Rijksmuseum.

10:00am
BREGTJE shows us around the Rijksmuseum - one of the most famous art collections in the world, especially known for its unique collection of paintings by artists of the "Dutch Golden Age" such as Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer.

11:30am
Coach departs for the hotel.

12:15pm
Pre-performance discussion. FRANCISCO introduces this afternoon's performance. In the Season Room at the hotel. Ends at 12.45pm.

12:45pm
Coach departs for Het Muziektheater.

1:30pm
THE MAGIC FLUTE. Mozart's classic opera is performed by The Netherlands Opera, conducted by Hartmut Haenchen and directed by Pierre Audi, interdant of the opera company.

4:30pm
Coach departs for the hotel.

EVENING FREE

Monday 28 April

9:30am
Europe Now: We meet GERALDINE COUGHLAN, Correspondant for the BBC World Service - based in The Hague. We will discuss some of the leading issues facing Europe today. In the Season Room at the hotel. Ends at 11.00am.

11:15am
Coach departs for the workshops of Frits Janmaat, Keizersgracht 91.

11:30am
We visit the workshop of FRITS JANMAAT who restores historic pianos such as Erads favoured by Liszt or Playels, the favourite of Chopin. Frits explains the refinements of his craft and entertains us to an informal lunch. After lunch there will be a short demonstration recital.

3:00pm
Coach departs for the hotel.

REST OF AFTERNOON FREE

6:45pm
Pre-performance discussion. FRANCISCO introduces this evening's performance. In the Season Room at the hotel. Ends at 7.15pm.

7:30pm
Coach departs for the Concertgebouw.

8:15pm
THE NETHERLANDS PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA with Isabelle van Keulen on violin and Michael Collins on clarinet. They will play Britten - Simple Symphony; Hindemith - Trauermusik; Copland - Clarinet Concerto; Britten - Lacrimae; Elgar - Introduction and Allegro.

10:30pm
Coach departs for the hotel.

Tuesday 29 April

9:30am
Coach departs for the historic town of Haarlem with its lively main square, canals and charming almshouse courtyards.

10:30am
ORGAN RECITAL in the 14th Century St Bavo's Church. ANTON PAUW plays a short Baroque recital on the famed Muller organ, built in 1738 and played by both Handel and Mozart, it has 5,068 pipes.

Free time for lunch, there is plenty of choice in the city for a leisurely meal.

2:00pm
After lunch we take a short city walk with BREGTJE, which will include a visit to the Frans Hals Museum with its extensive collection of Dutch Masters. Followed by some free time to explore on your own. Coach departs for the hotel at approximately 4.00pm.

EVENING FREE

Wednesday 30 April

9:30am
Coach departs with BREGTJE for our visit to the Kasteel de Haar. Like a true fairy tale castle it rises above a heavily wooded park, surrounded by beautiful gardens and ponds. The medieval house was built during the 14th century on high ground along a dead arm of the Rhine. Under supervision of the Dutch architect Cuypers, the castle was reconstructed over a hundred years ago in the restoration style of that period. The architecture, the interior, the gardens and even the church and the village were all beautifully renovated.

1:00pm
Coach continues on to the restaurant De Vier Balken.

1:30pm
We stop for lunch at this charming local restaurant.

3:00pm
After lunch we return to the hotel via the Keukenhof Bulb Fields where over 500 varieties of tulip and six million bulbs are grown across 80 acres. We aim to be back at the hotel by about 5.30pm.

EVENING FREE

Thursday 1 May

9:00am
This morning breakfast will be served in the Season Room at the hotel where FRANCISCO will introduce this evening's performance.

10:00am
Coach departs for Het Muziektheatre.

10:30am
We take a backstage tour of this new theatre. Opened in 1986 Het Muziektheater houses The Netherlands Opera, The National Ballet and hosts guest performers from around the world.

11:45am
We meet PIERRE AUDI, the Artistic Director of the Netherlands Opera.

12:30pm
Coach departs for the hotel.

2:30pm
Depart on foot for our tour of Unknown Amsterdam: BREGTJE shows us some of the less well known sights of Amsterdam. These will include Our Lord in the Attic, the Amstelkring, a canal house still preserved as it was in the 17th century with an astonishingly beautiful church hidden in its top stories, the Chinese district and Rembrandt House where we can explore the recently restored 1606 building as well as its new wing which is the home to a number of his etchings. Ends at around 5:30pm. Return to the hotel in your own time.

7:30pm
Coach departs for the Concertgebouw.

8:15pm
CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA. Celebrated conductor Mstislav Rostropovich conducts the orchestra in the overture of Mussorgsky's Khovanschina, Mussorgsky's Songs of Dance and Death (orchestrated by Shostokovich) with soloist Sergei Leiferkus and Shostokovich's 5th Symphony.

10:30pm
Coach departs for the hotel.

Friday 2 May

9:30am
Coach departs for our excursion to the Hogue Weluwe National Park in the centre of Holland which is an area of sandy heath and woodland which has at its heart one of the finest art collections in the country. This is the Kroller-Muller Museum which dates back to 1935 and holds a huge collection of works by Van Gogh as well as important work by Mondrian, Picasso and Leger. BREGTJE will show us around the museum and the stunning sculpture garden.

1:00pm
Coach departs for Bilderburg Hotel de Keizerskroon.

1:30pm
Lunch in the restaurant of this historic hotel, once patronised by Dutch Royalty.

3:00pm
Coach departs for Het Loo Palace.

3:30pm
We visit the Het Loo Palace, in the woodland setting of Apeldoorn. The palace was the favourite summer residence of the Stadtholders and the Royal Family of the Netherlands from 1686 to 1975. Since 1984 the palace has served as a museum after a spectacular restoration of the buildings and the gardens, returning them to their original seventeenth century state.

4:30pm
Coach departs for the hotel.

7:30pm
Coach departs for Het Muziektheater.

8:15pm
THE NETHERLANDS DANCE THEATRE. With the Holland Symphonia performing works by choreographers William Forsythe, Johan Inger and Orjan Andersson.

10:30pm
Coach departs for the hotel.

Saturday 3 May

10:30am
Latest time for luggage outside the rooms for group departure.

11:30am
Check bags on to the coach and depart for Schiphol Airport.

2:30pm
Northwest flight 37 departs for the US.