In 2015 ACE Cultural Tours launches three brand new music tours. Join us as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sibelius's birth, experience the revival of a Baroque opera that has not been staged since the 18th century, and explore Beethoven's remarkable musical journey through his famous quartet cycle.

Sibelius Festival in Finland

August 29 – September 6, 2015; £2595

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sibelius's birth ACE Cultural Tours is offering a new tour, Sibelius Festival in Finland, which is based first in Helsinki and then in Lahti. Performances include all seven of Sibelius's symphonies and the itinerary will shed light on the composer's life and influences with visits to his house at Ainola and a boat trip to Vääksy Canal and Lake Vesijärvi where Sibelius spent several summers in the 1890s.

More: http://www.aceculturaltours.co.uk/tourdetails/4390

Český Krumlov Baroque Music Festival

September 16–21, 2015; £1625

This brand new tour will feature the revival of Baroque comic opera L'Amore in Musica by Antonio Boroni, set to a libretto attributed to Carlo Goldoni, which will be staged in the Castle Theatre, one of the oldest Baroque auditoriums in the world. The founder and director of the festival will give us privileged insight into the discovery and development of the festival and in particular Boroni's opera. We will also spend time exploring the town, a UNESCO World Heritage site which boasts almost 300 mediaeval buildings in its historic centre.

More: http://www.aceculturaltours.co.uk/tourdetails/4311

Beethoven's Quartet Cycle with the Allegri Quartet

November 20–22, 2015; £595

ACE Cultural Tours's collaboration with the internationally renowned Allegri String Quartet brings a weekend of concerts and talks that showcase Beethoven's quartet cycle. At Stapleford Granary the Allegri, Britain's oldest chamber group, will perform seven of the quartets, which are specially chosen to help represent each stage of his musical career. The Allegri's long-term collaborator Dr Robert Hanson will lead this tour, and his talks will include excerpts performed by the Allegri.

More: http://www.aceculturaltours.co.uk/tourdetails/4377

These music tours are part of a 31 strong music tour programme for 2015. Other new and revived tours include Orkney – St Magnus Festival with Ashley Solomon who is director of Florilegium and will also perform at the festival, and the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad which celebrates the spirit of Yehudi Menuhin in the spectacular Alpine surroundings since it started in 1957 with outstanding performers as well as up and coming musicians. Popular regular tours include Haydn in Eisenstadt, Hereford Three Choirs Festival, Leipzig at Easter, Music in New York, Schubert in Schwarzenberg.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

For further information or any images, please contact Jess Burrows at jessica@aceculturaltours.co.uk

Founded in 1958, ACE Cultural Tours is the UK's most experienced cultural tour operator. With a growing portfolio of over 1000 specially tailored tours for small groups, ACE offers over 200 departures every year. Every tour is led by a Tour Director – both a specialist in their field and a convivial host – and the tour groups regularly enjoy privileged access to private buildings, collections and special guests. Owned by the charitable organisation, the ACE Foundation, all tour profits are used to support educational projects in the UK and worldwide.

ACE Cultural Tours is a bonded tour operator, holding ATOL licence no 1204 and is also a member of AITO and ABTOT.

Visit the ACE Cultural Tours website here: www.aceculturaltours.co.uk

Visit the ACE Foundation website here: http://www.acefoundation.org.uk

Visit the Stapleford Granary website here: http://staplefordgranary.org.uk