This is to keep you informed about what is hot in the 2007/2008 season and to remind you that we have information on opera, symphony concerts, theatre and Festivals from Scandinavia to the Canary Islands Festival and everything in between. Please use our Request Form for any information that you require.

There are many other events and Festivals this year which we do not have the space to list on this page but you only have to ask us. They include Bregenz in upper Austria, Savonlinna in Finland and Aix-en-Provence as well as Verona and other major Festivals in Italy. Details also of important opera seasons in Dresden, Berlin, Monte Carlo, Lyon and Switzerland.

Please Note: Details of the 2008/2009 season in Europe and America are now available. Remember that from July to August things are fairly quiet in the Northern Hemisphere but in Australia it is the winter season and much is happening with concert seasons in Sydney and Melbourne and opera seasons from January to March and June to October in Sydney and November in Melbourne.

We have all the details of Vienna's new 2008-2009 season for both opera houses (Staatsoper and Volksoper). We can also organise tickets to the Spanish Riding School and the Vienna Boy's Choir, but remember they are only performing at selected times and are heavily in demand so please enquire. If you are a German speaker and wish to attend one of the many plays in that language in Vienna we can enquire what is on and obtain tickets

Ring Cycles abound around the world and have become almost too numerous to list. Covent Garden has just completed one and that sold out very quickly but the Metropolitan Opera in New York is reviving, yet again it's splendid traditional production, which it has performed for the last ten years. Levine conducts and it will be the last time this production will be seen. Ring Cycles will be performed in Vienna and other major cities in Europe in 2008 and also in Seattle in August 2009 and see below for Washington National Opera's dates in 2009, so ask us for details and we will only be too eager to help.

The new season of The Metropolitan Opera is lavish as usual with some spectacular new productions and the biggest stars and top conductors. The new season for 2008 & 2009 is announced and bookings are now open. Please contact us for dates and details as we have a customer number with The Met and may be able to gain an advantage over other sources.

All the world's great orchestra's play in Carnegie Hall in one of the greatest acoustics in the world and the 2008 season was very exciting. 2007-8 is as exciting too. This is one of the great concert halls and the new 2009 season is going to be a beauty with an array of international artists and orchestras unmatched anywhere else in the world. The New York Philharmonic is again one of the world's finest and its concerts at Lincoln Centre are very well subscribed. Bookings are essential.

The 2008 - 2009 season of the New York City Opera has some innovative and challenging repertoire and should not be overlooked by any music loving visitor to The Big Apple. Their prices are more modest than the Met. The new Director Gerard Mortier comes from great success at the Paris Opera and promises some exciting productions including John Adams Nixon in China

Opera Company of Brooklyn builds opera audiences across New York and presents affordable opera featuring the world's finest young artists! Upcoming at various locations throughout NYC.

Los Angeles Opera Artistic Director Placido Domingo and principal conductor Kent Nagano will be in action again next year and the new season will be announced soon.

Santa Fe Opera 2008 This spectacular opera season set in the desert runs from June to August. have the programme for the next season and bookings can be made through us.

Sarasota Opera Sarasota Opera in Florida is a regular yearly festival and has been widely praised for its high standards during the warm and sunny months of February (starts 7th) and March (ends 27th). There is usually a repertoire of four operas.

Washington Opera. Domingo's other Company is in Washington DC. Details of the new season is now available with some star studded performances and new music director James Conlon. Verdi's La Traviata Britten's Peter Grimes are being performed as well as a revival of Bizet's exciting Carmen and Wagner's Siegfried. There's also Turandot, Pearl fishers and Lucrezia Borgia. The Company's new DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN will be performed in 2009 on the following dates; Cycle I: Nov 2, 3, 5, 7, 2009, Cycle II: Nov 9, 10, 12, 14, 2009, Cycle III: Nov 16, 17, 19, 21, 2009. This is a brand new and exciting production with an international cast.

Teatro alla Scala Teatro alla Scala 29, 31 October. 2, 7, 8, 11, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23 November 2008
The merry widow by F. Lehár Conductor: Asher Fisch - Director: Pier Luigi Pizzi Interpreters: Will Hartmann, Eva-Maria Westbroek

Teatro alla Scala 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21 December 2008. 4, 8, 11, 15 January 2009
Don Carlo by G. Verdi Conductor: Daniele Gatti – Director: Stéphane Braunschweig Interpreters: Feruccio Furlanetto, Giuseppe Filanoti, D. Jenis, Matti Salminen, Fiorenza Cedolins, D. Zajick

Teatro alla Scala 16, 18, 20, 22, 27, 29 January. 1, 3 February 2009
Vec Makropulos by L. Janácek Conductor: Marko Letonja – Director: Luca Ronconi Interpreters: A. Denoke, M. Dvorsky, D. Kuebler, S. M. Doss, A. Opie, P. Broder

Teatro alla Scala 5, 8, 12, 17, 21 February 2009
Tristan und Isolde by R. Wagner Conductor: Daniel Barenboim – Director: Patrice Chéreau Interpreters: Ian Storey / Robert Gambill, Waltraud Meier, L. Braun G. Grochowski, Matti Salminen, W. Hartmann A. Nigro, E. Panariello, R. Davies

Teatro alla Scala 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 25, 27 March 2009
Alcina by G. F. Händel Conductor: Giovanni Antonini - Director: Robert Carsen Interpreters: A. Harteros, M. Bacelli, P. Petibon J. Ovenden, K. Hammarström, A. Miles

Teatro alla Scala 24, 26, 29, 31 March. 2, 4 April 2009
I due Foscari by G. Verdi Conductor: Carlo Montanaro - Director: Cesare Lievi Interpreters: Leo Nucci, F. Sartori, Svetla Vassileva, M. Spotti

Teatro alla Scala 7, 14, 16, 19, 23, 30 April. 3, 6, 8, 10 May 2009
Il viaggio a Reims by G. Rossini Conductor: Ottavio Dantone - Director: Luca Ronconi Interpreters: Patrizia Ciofi, Daniela Barcellona, Annick Massis, Carmela Remigio J. F. Gatell Abre, D. Korchak, L. Sidney, N. Ulivieri, B. Praticò, F. Capitanucci

Teatro alla Scala 24, 29 April. 2, 12, 14, 17 May 2009
The Rake’s Progress by I. Stravinskij Conductor: David Robertson - Director: Robert Lepage Interpreters: E. Bell, A. J. Kennedy, W. Shimell, J. Young, N. Petrinsky

Teatro alla Scala 22, 24, 26, 29 May. 1, 5, 8, 12 June 2009
Murder in the cathedral by I. Pizzetti Conductor: Donato Renzetti - Director: Yannis Kokkos Interpreters: Ferruccio Furlanetto, R. Angeletti, A. Raveli, S. Cordella, C. Saura, R. Zanellato, F. Sacchi

Teatro alla Scala 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 June 2009
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by B. Britten Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis - Director: Robert Carsen Interpreters: D. Daniele, R. Joshua, D. Okulitch, N. Petrinsky D. A. Moore, D. Meek, M. Rose

Teatro alla Scala 20, 22, 25, 27 June. 4, 6, 8 July 2009
Aida by G. Verdi Conductor: Daniel Barenboim - Director: Franco Zeffirelli Interpreters: Norma Fantini / Violeta Urmana, G. Giuseppini Anna Smirnova / Luciana D’Intino, Walter Fraccaro / Salvatore Licitra C. Cigni / M. Spotti, Juan Pons

Teatro alla Scala 13, 14, 16, 17 July 2009
Evgenij Onegin by P. I. Cajkovskij Conductor: Alexander Vedernikov - Director: Dmitri Tcherniakov Interpreters: V. Ladiuk / V. Sulimskij, T. Monogarova / E. Scerbacenko A. Dunaev / A. Dolgov, M. Mamsirova / L. Andreeva M. Kazakov / A.Naumenko, M. Kasrasvili / I. Rubtsova

Teatro alla Scala 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30 September. 3, 6 October 2009
Orfeo by C. Monteverdi Conductor: Rinaldo Alessandrini - Director: Robert Wilson Interpreters: G. Nigl, R. Invernizzi, S. Mingardo M. Spotti, R. Milanesi, G. Battista Parodi

Teatro alla Scala 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14 October 2009
Le convenienze e inconvenienze teatrali by G. Donizetti Orchestra of the Academy of Performing Arts of Teatro alla Scala Conductor: Marco Guidarini – Director: Antonio Albanese

Teatro alla Scala 15, 17, 21, 23, 26, 28, 30 October 2009
Opera by W. A. Mozart Conductor: Myung –Whun Chung – Director: Luc Bondy Interpreters: G. Filianoti, L. Polverelli, Patrizia Ciofi, T. Muzek

VERONA Arena Programme 2008 Performances commence at 21.15h in June, July and 21.00h in August

Over the last seven years we organised tickets and hotels to The Verona Festival (always hard to get) for people from all over the world to attend this popular event and we have booked many performances . Our exclusive access to tickets through a reliable agent ensures the best seats from their own exclusive allocation. The 2008 season will be soon available for booking.

The operas are Aida, Turandot, Carmen, Tosca and Rossini's Barber of Seville. Please contact us for individual dates and prices.

Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro has announced its 2008 season.
The dates are August 9th to 23rd and the works include Ermione, L'Equivoco Stravagante and the Stabat Mater. Please contact us for tickets and full details.

Rome Opera House has announced its 2008 season of opera and concerts running from January 16 to December 30. A total of thirteen opera and ballets are included in the season. We have good access to the Rome Opera.

LA SCALA MILAN is the most sought after venue for opera tickets. We have an exclusive source for tickets and allocations. Prices are very high as we have to buy from agents (dealing with the box office is impossible and not alwyas reliable). We have the programmes for the new season from now until November. For balletomanes there are some unusual offerings. In November there is Cosi fan Tutte and Tristan & Isolde conducted by Daniel Barenboim. In June Giordano's Andrea Chenier. In July La Boheme. Mozart's La Nozze di Figaro is in October and in November The Merry Widow. Prices have no relation to printed prices and you will pay upward of three times the face value. We do guarantee delivery to your hotel and best possible but Gallery seats can sometimes be on the side. Much of the allocation of lesser priced seats are out of our hands. The point is we have had few complaints. Please contact us regarding specific dates and prices and if programme has changed.

The traditional horse race "Palio", which is run around the Piazza del Campo in Sienna, is a perfect example of preserved medieval pageantry. In the early part of the day, horses and riders are blessed in the Cathedral and in their own individual Churches. Then they all meet and a cortege in historical costumes parades around the Campo to the peal of the bell in the Mangia Tower. The event is run twice yearly, traditionally on the same dates which is July and August.

We can offer exclusive packages for this exciting event. Just contact us for quotes and we will get back with the information. * private apartments for exclusive use, including patrician Palazzos, to view the race with optional additions of banqueting and as far as staying in their guest accommodation for your Siennese stay. * the trial run the day before the race * dinner the night before the race, in one of the 'Contrada', to share the fare and the passion of the resident supporters * accommodation in hotels and villas in Sienna or in the scenic immediate surroundings.

This wonderful festival is probably the best held in France during the Summer in the superbly beautiful town of Aix. We can do bookings for all the concerts and operas for this stunning Festival which begins in July. The new programme for 2008 is now announced bookings will be available as we have good access to tickets through our contacts. This year the Ring is continued with Siegfried conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte and Zaide and Handel's Belshazzar.

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL is the leading specialist in music tours and offers the most professionally organised and guided experiences available today. We have good contacts and can help you arrange your next music tour with this fine and well established company. You pay NO MORE if you use us, as we do not charge you any commission if you decide to arrange a tour. The tour leaders are all leading musicologists and lecturers and all tours leave from London so all you have to do is get there.

Please let us know if you would like to receive information on any tours. In the meantime, we have set out the preliminary concert programmes below.

Please ask for details of any of the outstanding tours presented by this highly respected organisation.

An internationally acclaimed summer Festival known for fresh, innovative productions of traditional, rarely performed and new works. There are usually four works presented on the beautiful shores of a lake in an idyllic setting. Early July to mid August are the dates for this unique opera festival. An unusual and unique opera experience for the adventurous. The 2008 season includes Cole Porter's Kiss me Kate, Handel's Julius Caesar in Egypt, Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Wagner's early Das Liebesverbot (forbidden Love) which has many influences of Weber, not least in the sparkling overture.

Toronto, Ontario - The Canadian Opera Company has some major productions and we are in contact with them on a regular basis. The standards are high with some top singers and conductors. We have access to their programmes and can get tickets for you. All held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts 145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)

In January & February each year there is a spectacular music festival in The Canary Islands. Next year the Festival will again feature major orchestras and details are available now. A feast of music in this yearly Festival now well established with international stars in both Tenerife and Las Palmas. Orchestras recently have included the Helsinki Philharmonic, Hague Residency Orchestra, Guiseppe Verdi Symphony from Milan, Kirov Orchestra (with Gergiev), Stuttgart State Orchestra. Concert versions of Strauss' "Salome" by Stuttgart Opera and "Boris Godounov" by Kirov Company were also performed. Other conductors include Riccardo Chailly, Lothar Zagrosek and Jukke-Pekke Saraste. The two excellent local orchestras (Filarmonica de Gran Canaria and Sinfonica de Tenerife) are always bringing new and exciting programmes to the Festival. Full details and prices are available and we have access to tickets.

This famous festival runs from early September to early October and has some very fine artists and programmes scheduled for each year. We get the programmes in plenty of time for bookings and can also help with hotels as well through our reliable Vienna agent.

This year, as always, some of the world's greatest orchestras perform at this Festival which concentrates on orchestral music. The Berlin, St Petersburg and Vienna Philharmonics, as well as the Royal Concertgebouw from Amsterdam are regulars here as are the leading orchestras of the United States. The programmes are now available for this year.

This magnificent setting in a medieval castle north of Helsinki is the venue for a feast of opera. Performed in the summer months between early July and August it is extremely popular with tourists from all over the world. This year's Festival was booked out but when 2008 is announced we will have the information and be able to help you.

We always have the entire programme and dates of every performance when they become available. Seats are very hard to get and it is becoming quite expensive but we will do our best to accommodate your requests.

We now have the entire programme and dates of every performance for this grand, two month feast of music which runs through July and August each year at The Royal Albert Hall.

We can get tickets to these concerts, but not the last night as that is drawn by ballot. London has five fine orchestras and two opera companies to make your visit a musical feast. This year the Proms have run their course. We now look forward to next year THIS IS THE WORLD’S GREATEST MUSIC FESTIVAL. Don't forget that we also get tickets to all London Theatre, Stratford, The Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre and Globe Theatre.

The 2008/2009 programmes for The English National Opera are exciting and it has often been called the best company in the UK. The Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane has undergone a major refit and after many delays has reopened with a flourish. Ask us about the programmes. We have direct access to tickets here as well as Wigmore Hall and St. John's, Smith Square, two of the most perfect recital halls in London. The Royal Opera has now re-opened at Covent Garden and looks better than ever with air-conditioned comfort and large areas for civilised mingling. Great opera and ballet seasons will be announced for 2008-2009.

THE GLOBE THEATRE Shakespeare's Globe Theatre has announced it's new 2007-2008 season. We can get tickets directly for productions here.

Opera at the vast Bastille and ballet at the gorgeous Palais Garnieris always exciting and the season. We deal directly with the agency department of the Paris Opera and have access to their allocations where only the best seats are offered. We now have the programmes for 2008-2009.

Paris is not only the most beautiful city in the world but one of the most cultured as well. Don't forget the rest of France with excellent opera houses in Lyon, Toulouse, Nice and Marseilles. There is an interesting season on the Cote d'Azure just 15 kms from Nice and Monte Carlo. Don't forget the Aix-en-Provence Festival in southern France and its surrounding beauty. We have direct contacts with this excellent Festival.

This wonderful Festival in one of the world's most beautiful cities is always a highlight of the musical calendar. There were some fine artists and interesting orchestras appearing this year. This year is now over but we also include operas being performed in Prague at the same time when you book for the Festival so that you can make the most of your stay.

We are able to access tickets to this remarkable festival when the programme is announced. A feast of wonderful music, concerts, international and British orchestras with impressive conductors as well as some fabulous opera. let us know if you are in Britain during this time and wish to attend and we can send you details and help you with the planning of your trip to UK. Last year there was John Adams dramatic opera "The Death of Klinghoffer" and Sir Charles Mackerras conducted Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito". A concert performance of Wagner's "Tristan & Isolde" with the Bamberg Symphony. The Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra from Moscow, The Rotterdam Philharmonic, The Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, The Philharmonia from London and The BBC Scottish Symphony were among other orchestras heard and the Bamberg Symphony gave four separate concerts in far ranging programmes from Ligeti to Bruckner and Ravel to Schubert. This is just a taste of what to expect next year.

Australia, and Sydney is a spectacular city set on a world famous harbour. There is still opera & concert performances up to the end of the year. Opera Australia has announced its season for both Sydney and Melbourne for 2008 with new productions of Handel's Orlando and Strauss' Arabella as well as revivals of many other favourites including Harry Kupfer's famous production of Verdi's Otello The season for music is very active in Australia during the mild winter months (June to August) when nothing is happening in Europe or North America. We have full programme details for all concert, opera and ballet (both classical and contemporary) performances for the new season. The Sydney Symphony is a fine orchestra and as good as many more famous ensembles and its season for 2008 is exciting. Music director is Gianluigi Gelmetti is making way for Vladimir Ashkenazy who will lead an Elgar Festival towards the end of 2008 and who will take up the Chief Conductor's role from next year. Many leading conductors and soloists are scheduled to visit during the season.

CLIMB THE SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE. We can organise an experience of a lifetime when you visit Sydney. Experience a three-hour adventure that will take you to the top of one of the world's great bridges, 134 metres above sea level. You will have a 360 degree view of the greatest harbour in the world and the famous Sydney Opera House. Include this in your request form or just fax us and we can book it for you. Tickets will be there on the day of the climb. Payment in advance by credit card.

PATRICIA'S OPERA TOURS. Patricia Hurley is based in New Zealand and worked with the NZ Opera for many years. She is now offering exciting tours to Europe that encompass opera, concerts, wine and food staying in wonderful and historic accommodation. Fully escorted and you can join these tours in Europe from anywhere in the world. Contact us for further details and we can put you in touch with Patricia who we recommend as we know her personally.

Don't forget that Sydney is an eating paradise with over 50 different cuisines and we have a convenient restaurant list which is designed to give you good food near the performing venues

We can tell you where your favourite singer, be it Domingo, Bryn Terfel or the very popular Cecilia Bartoli, (not performing very much) Rolando Villazon, Anna Netrebko or Angela Gheorghiu, are performing and we can tell you where your favourite orchestra will be playing and what the programme will be.