Welcome to New Orleans!  Located in southeastern Louisiana, and straddling the Mississippi River, New Orleans is named after Philippe II, Duc d’Orleans, Regent of France, and was founded in 1718.  While most well known for its Mardi Gras celebration, New Orleans is a vibrant city rich in its multicultural and multilingual heritage.  In addition to the outstanding cuisine, and beautiful architecture, New Orleans has wonderful museums and a variety of festivals that take place throughout the year..
 
Music has always been an essential part of the city and through a unique blending of European instruments with African rhythms jazz was born, and continues to pulse through the city today.  Add to the atmosphere by performing at local venues such as the Riverwalk Market Place, and the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral.  A jazz workshop at the University of New Orleans provides an introduction to the world of jazz and is sure to create lasting memories.  Immerse yourself in all New Orleans has to offer!

Day One

• Afternoon arrival in New Orleans.
• Meet your Music Contact International tour manager and local guide for a guided tour of the French Quarter, admire its historic buildings and elaborately decorated ironwork balconies and galleries from both the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Following the tour check in to your hotel.
• A Welcome Dinner will be arranged for your choir at a local restaurant in downtown New Orleans.

Day Two

• In the morning, transfer to the University of New Orleans for a special jazz workshop with a prominent New Orleans musician.
• After, enjoy time for lunch at the Riverwalk Marketplace before your afternoon concert.
• Perform a concert at the Riverwalk Marketplace for an appreciative audience.
• In the afternoon transfer to the Oak Alley Plantation, also known as the “Grande Dame of the Great River Road”  for a guided tour.
• Perform an a cappella concert for the other visitors at the Plantation.
• In the evening, enjoy free time for dinner, before visiting Preservation Hall for an evening of live jazz music.

Day Three

• This morning visit the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park.  Learn about the cultural history of the people and places that helped shape the development and progression of Jazz in New Orleans.
• There will be free time in the African Market where you can do some shopping and have lunch.
• In the afternoon, transfer to Manchac Swamp for a guided swamp tour.  Learn about the Louisiana wetland and the life and habits of the American alligator.
• In the evening dinner will be arranged at a local restaurant.

Day Four

• This morning, transfer to the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral where you will perform as part of the Sunday service.  Share your music at the oldest, continuously operating cathedral in the United States.
• After there will be free time for lunch.
• In the afternoon, transfer to the New Orleans Museum of Art, whose permanent collection contains over 40,000 objects!
• In the evening board the Steamboat Natchez for a Farewell Dinner Jazz Cruise.

Day Five

• Check out of your hotel.
• Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
• Welcome Home!

Welcome to New York City! Often referred to as the “Big Apple,” New York City consists of 5 boroughs and is home to over 8 million people, making it the most densely populated major city in the United States.  A leading global city, New York City exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. As host to the United Nations headquarters, the city is also an important center for international affairs.

In addition to many concert opportunities, your choir will enjoy all that New York has to offer including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, plus much more.  Some of the most talented performers in the world grace New York’s Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Broadway stages each year. Sing in the city’s lovely venues, exchange with local choirs and meet people from across the country and abroad. There is something for everyone to enjoy in the “city that never sleeps!”

Day One

• Afternoon arrival in New York City.
• Meet your Music Contact International tour manager and local guide for a guided tour of New York City, including Times Square and the Empire State Building.
• Following the tour, transfer to your hotel, located in either Mid-town Manhattan or Fort Lee, NJ.
• A Welcome Dinner will be arranged for your choir at a local restaurant in Manhattan.

Day Two

• In the morning, board the Staten Island Ferry and visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
• After, transfer by motor coach to the United Nations building where your choir will  perform a mid-day concert in the public lobby.  The United Nations visitors and staff make for an international audience.
• The afternoon is free for you to get lunch and shop around Rockefeller Center.
• Evening concert at St. Malachy’s Church, a Roman Catholic Church founded in 1902, in the heart of the Broadway District.

Day Three

• Enjoy this day in New York City for museum visits, exploring 5th Avenue, visiting Central Park or touring Lincoln Center.
• In the evening, perform a Friendship Concert with a local choir in their home venue.  After the performances, enjoy time to exchange informally.
• Transfer to Rockefeller Center for a trip to the “Top of the Rock,” an observation deck providing stunning views of the city at night.

Day Four

• This morning you will enjoy participating in a Broadway workshop.  This opportunity allows for a personal look into the world of Broadway.  Learn a song and dance from a current and popular show.
• In the afternoon enjoy free time in New York to pursue personal interests.  Those interested can see a Broadway show.
• Festive Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day Five

• Check out of your hotel.
• Transfer to the airport in New York or New Jersey for your return flight home.
• Welcome Home!

Welcome to Puerto Rico! Explore the full breadth and depth of Puerto Rican music during a five day stay in the beautiful cities of San Juan and Ponce.  Immerse yourself in the vibrant sounds of Puerto Rico as its cities celebrate their rich musical heritage through numerous musical festivals and events throughout the year.  The music of Puerto Rico is by far the most popular Caribbean music heard in the United States, and is the territory’s most notable export. From its innovative instruments to its unique sounds, Puerto Rico combines these elements to create a rich variety of music that is deeply rooted in the island’s Spanish, African and Taíno traditions. Salsa is undoubtedly the most prominent and influential type of music of Puerto Rico, and is often referred to as the, “rhythm of the islands.” Drawing heavily from the musical roots of the Cuban and African-Caribbean experience, Salsa has made Puerto Rico famous in the world of international music.  Come to Puerto Rico and experience its delightful vocals, its indigenous sounds and its vast array of instruments that all work together to enhance and influence its rich culture and musical talent.  The cities of San Juan and Ponce are sure to mesmerize you with their beauty and with their respect for their valued traditions of rhythm, dance and song.
 

Day One

• Morning departure to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Afternoon arrival in San Juan.
• Walking tour of Old San Juan, including a visit to El Morro, the 16th century Spanish fort at the mouth of San Juan Harbor.
• Check in to your hotel and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant in San Juan.

Day Two

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Morning Friendship Concert at a local school in San Juan.
• Following the concert, enjoy a wonderful opportunity to have lunch and mingle with your host choir. 
• Depart on an afternoon excursion to El Yunque and the Caribbean National Forest.  Experience the variety of unique plant and animal species, the pristine beauty and the magic that surrounds this diverse rainforest on a guided walking tour with a park ranger.
• Return to Old San Juan and enjoy free time to explore personal areas of interest and have dinner at one of many delicious restaurants in San Juan.

Day Three      

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of your hotel in San Juan and depart for Ponce, the second largest city after San Juan, and best known as the, “La Perla del Sur” (the pearl of the south).
• Arrive in Ponce in the late morning and enjoy free time in Ponce’s main town square for lunch and shopping.
• Afternoon Choral Workshop with Professor Cólon-Tarrats on Puerto Rican music and rhythms. 
• Check in to your hotel and enjoy some time by the hotel pool.
• Salsa dance lessons at the hotel following dinner.

Day Four

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Morning Mass at the First Baptist Church in Ponce where you will provide the music for morning worship service and then perform a concert following mass for the congregation.  There will be time to meet the locals following your performance.    
• Enjoy free time in the Ponce Town Square after for lunch and shopping
• Afternoon excursion to a local beach in Ponce for sun and swimming.
• Return to the hotel and prepare for your evening concert at the Plaza Las Delicias for an appreciative local audience.  Ponce’s main town square features the famous “Lion’s Fountain”, the Ponce Cathedral and the Parque de Bombas.
• Enjoy a Festive Farewell Dinner of delicious Puerto Rican cuisine at a local restaurant.

Day Five

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of your hotel in Ponce and depart by motor coach for the San Juan Airport and your return flight home.
• Welcome Home!