Curtains up!
New York City, in the first week of May 2026, will be the place to find some of the world’s greatest singers and musicians performing at the Metropolitan Opera, David Geffen Hall and Carnegie Hall. Conductors include Gustavo Dudamel, Gianandrea Noseda, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Marco Armiliato; Pianists Emanuel Ax, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Daniil Trifonov; Singers Stephanie Blythe, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Asmik Grigorian, Erika Grimaldi, Ermonela Jaho, Isabel Leonard are only some of the artists who will perform for you on the spectacular musical adventure Fred Plotkin has organized.
At the Met you will hear two of the world’s most exciting sopranos—Asmik Grigorian in Eugene Onegin and Ermonela Jaho in La Traviata. Both are huge stars in Europe and seldom appear in the USA. Gianandrea Noseda, music director of the National Symphony, brings his orchestra to Carnegie Hall to perform Il Trittico, Puccini’s three one-act operas (Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi) with soprano Erika Grimaldi performing the tour-de-force of singing the leading roles in all three operas.
You will hear the New York Philharmonic and its new music director Gustavo Dudamel perform with the renowned British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason in a program of new works and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.
Carnegie Hall, which opened on May 5, 1891, will celebrate its 135th birthday with a huge gala featuring many of the top stars in opera and classical music and you will be there in box seats. As always on a musical journey with Fred Plotkin, there will be fine dining, excellent learning opportunities and time to explore New York’s cultural treasures on your own.
Trip Details
Dates
May 1-7, 2026
Duration
7 days
Prices Per Person
$5,490 per person
Deposit
$500
Highlights
Itinerary
Arrive in New York. Please note no hotel is offered as part of this package. Guests are free to stay where they prefer. Meet the tour director at the Empire Hotel and walk to a nearby restaurant for a welcoming dinner. Get to know your culture-loving fellow travelers.
Included Meal: Dinner
The morning is at leisure, before taking your seat at The Met for a 1pm performance of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Met, conducted by Timur Zangiev; starring Asmik Grigorian, Stephanie Blythe, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Igor Golovatenko. Then gather for dinner and conversation at a nearby restaurant before returning to Lincoln Center. In David Geffen Hall you will enjoy its remarkable new acoustics as New York Philharmonic, led by Gustavo Dudamel — the Music and Artistic Director Designate — and Artist-in-Residence Sheku Kanneh-Mason perform Bloch’s impassioned Schelomo, in which the solo cello voices the anguish, sensuality, and broken majesty of King Solomon. Dudamel also conducts Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and a new work by Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Reid.
Included Meal: Dinner
Morning at leisure to visit the shops, galleries, old and new landmarks and distinctive neighborhoods in Manhattan and the other boroughs. This afternoon at Carnegie Hall hear Puccini’s Il Trittico (Il Tabarro; Suor Angelica; Gianni Schicchi) in concert. Gianandrea Noseda leads the National Symphony Orchestra and a cast led by Erika Grimaldi and Jonathan Tetelman. Gather for dinner with Fred to discuss the performance.
Included Meal: Dinner
Daytime on your own, perhaps to visit one of the many wonderful museums in the city. Gather with Fred for conversation and a special dinner this evening.
Included Meal: Dinner
Enjoy a leisurely day. At 4:30 pm join your fellow-music lovers for an excellent pre-performance meal with compelling discussions about the music you have heard and will hear this evening. At 7 pm enjoy the 50th Anniversary of the Concert of the Century at Carnegie Hall: featuring the NYO-USA All-Stars Orchestra with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting singers Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato and Isabel Leonard and pianists Emanuel Ax, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang and Daniil Trifonov.
Included Meal: Dinner
Today perhaps attend a matinee. Then gather for a farewell dinner and conversation about the week of magical music moments. The final performance of the week will be at 7:30 pm at The Met to see Verdi’s La Traviata conducted by Marco Armiliato and starring the remarkable Ermonela Jaho plus Kang Wang and Lucas Meachem.
Nourished by music and all kinds of cultural and social stimulation that is part of time spent in New York, return home renewed.
Your Host
Fred Plotkin
Fred Plotkin is one of the world’s foremost opera experts, noted for the depth and breadth of his knowledge and for the joy and ease with which he shares it. He is the author of Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera, the best-selling standard text in America for opera education. He is the author of seven books on Italian food and wine (including Rick Steves Italy for Food Lovers, published January 2023). He has lectured, taught, consulted and held managerial or artistic roles at many top opera companies, including La Scala; the Metropolitan Opera; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He led opera and food symposia for New York Times Journeys and, since April 24, 2020, has hosted Fred Plotkin on Fridays, a weekly program of cultured conversations seen worldwide on Idagio.com.
Sign up below to be the first to learn about new trips!
Accommodations
The hotel is not included as part of the package to allow guests the flexibility to choose a property that meets their needs or allow those with homes in New York to join the program. We recommend that guests choose a hotel that is within walking distance of the Lincoln Center since all activities – performances, meals, and talks with Fred Plotkin – will be in this area. Travelers are expected to meet directly at each activity. The Travel Director will be staying in a hotel close to the Lincoln Center and will be happy to walk with guests from her hotel to the various venues. Details of where the Travel Director will be staying will be provided once the tour has reached the minimum level of participants. If you would prefer to make your hotel arrangements before we have reached our minimum, please ensure your arrangements are refundable.
Distance from the Lincoln Center has been noted in parentheses. Please also note that Academic Travel Abroad does not have partnerships with the hotels listed above and cannot comment on their current level of service.
What's Included
- Tickets to two operas at The Metropolitan Opera in Orchestra Prime or Premium seats
- Tickets to the New York Philharmonic in Orchestra seats
- Tickets to two performances at Carnegie Hall in First or Second Tier seats
- All meals with drinks as outlined in the itinerary
- Comprehensive educational program with talks and discussions led by Fred Plotkin and guests
- Gratuities to wait staff in restaurants during group meals
- The assistance of an ATA travel director
- The assistance of an ATA professional travel team to assist with pre-trip questions, travel arrangements, including flights, and other services
- Comprehensive pre-departure mailings and materials with information about the destination and what to expect on tour, including a suggested reading list.
- Emergency evacuation insurance
FAQs
Our trips have a maximum group size of 25 people. They are large enough to meet new people with diverse backgrounds, but small enough to be on a first-name basis with everyone.
For both performances at the Met, we have Orchestra Prime or Premium seats. For the New York Philharmonic we have Orchestra seats. For the Carnegie Hall performance we have first or second tier seats.
Yes, absolutely! There are always a good number of solo travelers on our trips, and they are welcomed with open arms. Group meals generally take place at medium to large tables, and our Travel Directors ensure that everyone is included in conversation.
Travelers should be in good health and able to walk up to 2 miles (with stops) and be able to navigate stairs unassisted. In the city, we do try to walk from place to place due to traffic congestion and also in keeping with our commitment to environmental sustainability. Restaurants chosen for the program will be within a 20-minute walk from the Lincoln Center.
The focus of this trip is really on the performances and discussions about them, which are usually before/during a meal. Otherwise, there is plenty of leisure time to rest and prepare for the performances or explore the city on your own.
On this trip, our main focus is opera — with five performances and lively talks and discussions with Fred. We have not included museum visits so that individual travelers can explore the city’s offerings according to their own personal preferences. Fred will be happy to provide recommendations on what to see and do during your leisure time in New York.
Group meals will be specially-curated by Fred, but every effort will be made to accommodate any special diet requests you may have (e.g., low salt, vegetarian or vegan). Please discuss your requests with us when signing up for a trip.
We’ll send you a detailed packing list well before departure so you know what you’ll need. We provide the rest: an engaging daily itinerary, expert trip management and access to people and places that will thrill and delight you.
Yes! Tips to restaurant staff are all included in the trip price. Your Trip Expert and Travel Director however, will not accept tips.
Wine is included in the trip price for all group meals. Any additional alcoholic beverages are not included in the program price.
Airfare to and from New York is not included in the price in order to give you maximum flexibility in choosing your preferences for air travel. This way you can use frequent flier upgrades, depart from your airport of choice, or add pre- and post- trip extensions with no constraints. Please refrain from booking your airfare until your Guest Services Advisor reaches out to confirm your departure.
All cancellations must be submitted in writing (email or fax) to Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. (ATA). Per person cancellation fees are based on the date of the cancellation notice reaching ATA. Up to 120 days prior to departure; refund of deposit less an administration fee of 50% of deposit. Cancellation between 119-91 days before departure: 100% of deposit is forfeited. Cancellation between 90-61 days, 50% of the trip price is forfeited. Cancellation within 60 days of departure: no refund. Cancellation on day of departure or after trip departs: no refund. No refund for unused portions of trip, including, but not limited to, missed meals, hotel nights and sightseeing. In the event the trip is cancelled by ATA for any reason, a full refund would be issued.
We strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance to help protect your investment and provide you with financial recourse should you face trip cancellation or interruption due to sickness or quarantine. When purchasing a policy, please consult with a trip insurance agent to review what COVID-19- related contingencies are covered. While ATA will do our best to recover any unused portion of your trip due to sickness, it is often the case that payments cannot be refunded. We recommend using our partner insurance provider, Travel Insurance Services, which offers three different policies for you to choose from.
After you reserve your trip and pay your deposit, you will be sent detailed information about your itinerary, insurance information, a Participant Information Form, a packing list, and other information needed to prepare for your trip. Your Guest Services Advisor will reach out when it’s time to book airfare and hotel nights after a minimum of 10 travelers have enrolled on your departure. Final trip details will be sent roughly 2-3 weeks before departure.