Perform in Montréal & Québec City!
Bienvenue! Visit the Canadian province of Québec, and explore the fascinating cities of Montréal and Québec City.
Begin in Montréal, Canada’s second-largest city and an important center of commerce, music, visual arts, fashion, and culture. From the city’s cultural heart at the Place des Arts, home of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, to the riverside charm of Old Montréal, with its Victorian street lamps, sidewalk cafés, and street artists, Montréal pairs whimsy with sophistication. A beautiful historic venue such as the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal provides an ideal setting for a memorable performance.
Continue on to Québec City, the provincial capital of Québec and of one of the oldest European settlements in North America. Explore the city’s cobblestone streets, and admire the historic stone walls that surround them. Québec City’s churches, whether large and imposing, like the Notre-Dame Basilica of Québec, or small and intimate, like Notre-Dame des Victoires, offer spectacular performance opportunities.
Both Montréal and Québec City seamlessly blend cosmopolitan flair and Old-World charm, making them ideal “European” destinations, just a little closer to home!
Itinerary
Welcome to Montréal!
Enjoy an introduction to the city on a guided tour of Montréal. Admire the contrast of the city’s modern, soaring skyscrapers against its well-preserved historic buildings. Take in panoramic views from the summit of Mount Royal, a sprawling public park overlooking the city below.
Conclude your tour in the heart of Old Montréal. Situated along the St. Lawrence River, Old Montréal is best explored on foot. Its architecture, café culture, and cobblestone streets give it a quaint charm unique among North American cities.
Check in to your hotel and take time to relax and refresh. Rehearsal can be arranged this afternoon.
Tonight, a welcome dinner of local specialties is served as your tour manager previews the days ahead.
Your first full day in Canada begins with a visit to the Montréal Botanical Garden, a spectacular oasis that boasts a rich collection of plant species and thematic gardens. Alternatively, could visit the newly-renovated Montréal Biodome, a former Olympic bicycle racing stadium now home to four distinct ecosystems.
This afternoon, perform a concert at one of Montréal’s stunning churches, such as the imposing St. Joseph’s Oratory or the iconic Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal. Located in the heart of the historic district of Old Montréal, the Basilica features some of the most dramatic Gothic Revival architecture in the world and a grand interior with an ornate ceiling of deep blue sky with golden stars.
Tonight, tickets to an evening cultural activity like the famous Cirque du Soleil, a groundbreaking contemporary circus, can be arranged.
Depart Montréal for Québec City.
Get your first glimpse of Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and savor its European feel. Perhaps ride Old Québec’s funicular railway or take a jaunt in a horse-drawn carriage.
Embark on a guided tour of Québec City. As you discover Lower Town and Upper Town, see palatial Château Frontenac, Québec’s most recognizable landmark, and visit Battlefields Park, a lush community space steeped in military history.
Check in to your hotel and get settled. Later, join a local ensemble for an evening friendship concert followed by time to mingle and exchange.
Today, perform a concert at one the city’s stunning venues such as the intimate Notre-Dames des Victoires church. A small Roman Catholic stone church in the Royal-square of Old Québec, considered to be one of the oldest churches in Canada.
This afternoon, visit one of the city’s world-class museums. Choose between the Museum of Civilization (Musée de la civilisation) or the National Museum of Fine Arts (Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec).
This evening, a festive farewell dinner of classic Québecois cuisine is served to your ensemble.
Visitors enjoying Québec City in season will enjoy a morning visit to Montmorency Falls. Experience unparalleled views of this breathtaking waterfall as you soar beside it in a cable car. In cooler months, a visit to a Cabane a Sucre (sugar shack) will be arranged, giving insight on the process of maple sugaring and delicious samples of sugar on snow.
Return home with wonderful memories of your concert tour. Additional days, destinations, performances, and activities can be added to customize this tour for your group.
*All performance opportunities and venues proposed in this itinerary are pending final confirmation and availability at time of booking. Your group’s final program will be determined by confirmed times and locations for concerts, workshops, entrances and other activities. Although your ensemble’s exact itinerary will vary to accommodate performance schedules, the same type of singing experiences, activities and caliber of venue will be included in your final concert tour program.
Concert Tour Highlights
NOTRE-DAME BASILICA OF MONTREAL
Located in the historic district of Old Montréal, Notre-Dame Basilica was constructed in the Gothic Revival architectural style and inaugurated in 1829. It is one of Montreal's most iconic landmarks and a symbol of grandeur. Whether for tourism or worship, Notre-Dame draws visitors from all over the world and hosts visiting ensembles to perform in its magnificent sanctuary space. Performing against the backdrop of its stunning interior, with stained glass windows, intricate wooden carvings, religious statues, and a breathtaking, deep blue ceiling adorned with tens of thousands of 24-karat gold stars, is certain to be a memorable experience.
FRIENDSHIP CONCERTS IN QUEBEC
Friendship concerts are a featured experience on our tours and are at the heart of our mission to foster cultural connections through music. We benefit from a vast international network in the choral world built over our thirty years of helping choirs share their music both in the United States and abroad. Your choir will share a venue and a concert program with a host choir from the region. Your singers will have the opportunity to hear their host choir's repertoire (often showcasing local musical styles) and to share your own repertoire in turn. Fellowship time is planned around the friendship concert, giving both choirs the chance to mingle and enjoy the camaraderie of creating cross-cultural connections through a shared love of music.
NOTRE-DAME DES VICTOIRES
One of the oldest churches in North America, Notre-Dame des Victoires is situated on the site of Samuel de Champlain’s first outpost. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. The church has served as a filming location for several Hollywood films, most notably “Catch Me If You Can” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Notre-Dame des Victoire's location in the bustling Place Royale, a lively square in Québec City's Lower Town, makes it an ideal setting for a concert; tourists and locals alike are drawn into the church's open doors to become audience members. Notre-Dame des Victoires is a warm, intimate venue sure to be a highlight of any concert tour.
ESPACE HYPERION
Espace Hypérion is one of Québec City's most groundbreaking performance venues. Located just within the city ramparts on Rue Dauphine, Espace Hypérion inhabits the Jesuit Chapel of Québec (La Chapelle des Jésuites). While the chapel has been in existence since 1820, the use of the space as a community cultural space is recent; concerts here invoke both timeworn tradition and innovative thinking. Performances at Espace Hypérion are publicized throughout the venue's extensive network of local arts patrons; they are well-attended by enthusiastic and receptive Quebecois audience members. Visiting ensembles enjoy a Mason and Hamlin concert piano and a personal concert technician at their disposal.