Welcome to Seville, Cordoba & Granada
Discover Andalusia on a concert tour of Cordoba, Seville, and Granada.
Visiting southern Spain opens a window into a country of rich culture, character, and festivity. Undeniably unique in so many ways, Spain has been one of the major cultural centers of Europe for thousands of years. Its extraordinary artistic heritage extends from grand achievements in painting, architecture, and music. Renowned painters such as El Greco, Salvador Dali, and Pablo Picasso transformed trends in art. The first guitar was invented in Andalusia in the 1790s. Later, Andres Segovia of Spain took this invention to new heights by establishing the classical guitar as a genre. Paco de Lucia eventually became the best-known flamenco guitarist in the world.
Music is at the heart of Spanish culture and the country has had an important impact on the western musical tradition. Though best known for traditions like flamenco and the Spanish guitar, Spanish music varies greatly from region to region. Travel on a concert tour of Cordoba, Seville, and Granada, and hear these distinctive sounds on the streets and in the concert halls. Reflected in that music is the culture of people who find this expression integral to their lives and well-being.
Enjoy a concert tour of Cordoba, Seville, and Granada. Bring your choir, band, or orchestra to explore all that Andalusia, Spain has to offer. Take in the culture, history, sights, and sounds as you share your music with local people.
Itinerary
Depart North America for Spain.
Welcome to Seville, the vibrant provincial capital of Andalusia!
Enjoy an introduction to the city as you pass by cultural sites including the Metropol Parasol, said to be the largest wooden structure in the world; the 13th century Toro del Oro; Plaza de España with its gorgeous mosaics representing every province of Spain; and Plaza de Toros, the beloved bullring.
Check into the well-equipped hotel and relax and refresh. Rehearsal can be arranged this evening. Tonight, a welcome dinner of local specialties is served as your tour manager previews the days ahead
Begin your first full day in Seville on a guided walk through the historic heart of the city. Admire the Cathedral of Seville, the largest Gothic cathedral and third largest church in the world. Stroll in Barrio Santa Cruz, the medieval Jewish quarter and pass by the Real Alcázar, a 10th century Moorish palace. Your tour will culminate at the majestic Bell Tower amidst local cafes, shops and street performers.
This afternoon, perform a concert in a local school, church or theater where musical performances are greatly appreciated and well attended.
At night, enjoy a cruise on the Guadalquivir River featuring incredible views.
Depart Seville for Cordoba, making a scenic stop in Carmona, one of Spain’s best preserved towns that is accessed through an impressive double gate built circa 230 BC! Take a walk along the city’s ancient walls and through the picturesque whitewashed center before traveling on.
Next, stop in Almodovar del Rio to visit the wonderfully renovated Castillo de Almodovar. Explore the chapel, library, dungeons and towers of the massive castle perched high above the Spanish plains.
At the end of the day, arrive in Cordoba, a city of multicultural architectural wonders, and settle into your hotel. A musical evening with Flamenco music and dance lessons can be arranged.
This morning, enjoy a walking tour through the Juderia, including entrance to the Mezquita, the city’s great mosque, symbolizing the worldly Islamic culture that once flourished there.
Afterwards, take in the ambiance of the historic center on foot, or perhaps by bicycle, and discover the delightful streets, restaurants and workshops that add to Cordoba’s vibrant diversity.
Tonight, participate in a friendship concert with a local ensemble followed by time to mingle and exchange with the Spanish singers.
From Cordoba, move onto the historic city of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Western Europe.
Check into the conveniently located hotel and embark on an orientation walk of the atmospheric neighborhood. See the Cathedral of Granada and Alcaiceria with stalls brimming with exotic goods, teas and fragrant spices. Walk to Mirador San Nicolas for incredible views overlooking the Alhambra.
At night, perform a concert at a Granada venue known for music such as Auditorio Manuel de Falla or the more intimate gold-gilt Church of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Today, tour the Alhambra palace and fortress complex that is considered to be the apex of Moorish architecture in Spain. Marvel at this beautiful wonder of the world and spend time in the fabulous gardens of Generalife.
Afterwards, shop for souvenirs and culinary delights in the local marketplaces.
This evening, a festive farewell dinner with flamenco show rounds out your fabulous performance tour!
Return home with wonderful memories of your concert tour.
Concert Tour Highlights
FRIENDSHIP CONCERTS IN SPAIN
Our 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' experience 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 chance to hear their host choir's repertoire (often showcasing local musical styles) and to share your own repertoire in turn. Fellowship time usually follows 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.
SEVILLE
Lying on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, Seville is one of the largest historical centers in Europe. Home to La Giralda, one of the largest cathedrals in Christendom, and the Alcazar Palace, Seville is a city full of celebrated treasures. But aside from all its important monuments and fascinating history, Seville is universally known as a joyous town—the city of Carmen, Don Juan, and Figaro. Its people are acknowledged for their warmth and the city for its vitality. It is the largest town in Southern Spain and prides itself on its celebratory ambiance that infuses its winding streets, bars and tapas parlors that are linked to Spanish culture and music.
CORDOBA
In the 11th century, Cordoba was one of the most important capitals in Europe. Jews, Muslims and Christians were living peacefully together and important philosophers, scientists and artists emerged from the city’s intellectual scene. Cordoba's world-famous Mezquita, a Moorish mosque, is testament to its former glory as capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus, becoming one of the largest in all of Islam. The Christians who eventually reconquered it were so awed by its beauty that they built their own cathedral in the midst of it, creating the unique church-mosque we see today. Modern Cordoba is a lively town awash with tradition, flamenco, bullfighting and some of the most delicious food in the region.
GRANADA
Known for one of the most brilliant jewels in all of architecture, the city of Granada houses the famous La Alhambra, a series of Moorish palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th century at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is this complex that has made Granada a focal point among tourist cities in Spain. Granada is also known for its marvelous landscapes and the steep, cobble-stoned streets of the Albaicín, the old Arabic Quarter. In Granada, one can walk through beautiful gardens, stroll down charming streets or simply sit at a traditional tavern filled with the sounds of flamenco and take in the centuries of history that are alive everywhere.