Incantato Insider Ireland: "The Church" Restaurant in Dublin

A must-stop when visiting Dublin, the capital city of Ireland is the former place of workship, now stunning restaurant fittingly named "The Church".

Incantato Insider Spain: The hilltop town of Cuenca

Incantato Tours is thrilled to bring the San Marino Chamber Choir (SMCC) to the charming hilltop town of Cuenca in April 2010. Not only will the singers under the direction of Mr. Howard Cheung perform in a stunning venue here, but they also get the opportunity to overnight right in Cuenca.
Enjoy the photo album of Cuenca by night!

Incantato Insider Spain: The Boqueria Market at Las Ramblas in Barcelona

This market is a must see and must taste:

Incantato introduces Eurostars Hotels

"Es personal" is the slogan of the Eurostars Hotel Family, a privately owned Spanish hospitality brand with beautiful, comfortable and mostly new or recently renovated hotels in major cities throughout Europe that concentrates on cultural and business travelers. Eurostars just like Incantato Tours, can be characterized by the personal attention to details and many innovative features. In addition, both companies share the passion for cultural tourism (you may want to check out the Eurostars Culture Blog).
Incantato is proud to cooperate with Eurostars properties for our tours in 2010 and the years to come. During a recent inspection to Spain, Incantato CEO Sandra Weinacht had the pleasure to meet with various representatives of Eurostars, she visited a series of hotels and also overnighted as a regular guest in three properties in Barcelona. "Incantato Tours and Eurostars are a great fit. I am very impressed with the modern design, the high level of comfort provided and the personal service", Sandra comments. "We look forward to the positive experiences the Incantato groups will have while staying at Eurostars hotels. I am sure our guests will have a wonderful time."
Here are some links to Eurostars Hotels, Incantato highly recommends for group as well as invividual travelers. All group hotels for Incantato guests are personally inspected by a member of our team to ensure that the accommodations are perfectly matched to meet the group's expectations and also travel budget.
This list will be continued with other destinations:
BARCELONA
Eurostars Ramblas Boqueria ***
Eurostars Hotel Lex ****
Eurostars Hotel Angli ****
Eurostars Hotel Gaudi ****
Eurostars Hotel BCN Design *****
Eurostars Grand Marina ******L
Eurostars Hotel Cristal Palace ****

Incantato Tours introduces River Cruises with AMA Waterways

We think it is a match made in heaven: Renowned for their innovative, award-winning ships, personalized service and signature features not found aboard any other cruise line, AMAWATERWAYS offers an array of unparalleled cruise vacations on the legendary rivers of Europe. They also proudly offer magnificent itineraries in Portugal and Spain, Provence and Spain, and the fascinating waterways of Russia. And when you go on a Performance River Cruise Tour with Incantato, we fully customize the experience on sea just like we have done on land. We pair unique travel experiences with unforgettable concerts, meaningful exchanges, exquisite food and so much more.
Incantato Tours proudly partners with AMAWaterways for full charters starting in 2010. Now how about taking your choir or orchestra on one or more of Europe's beautiful rivers?
For more information, email us to info@incantatotours.com or call 704.820.6223.

CSULB Incantato Italy Tour 2008: Enjoy this fun video

CSULB Chamber Choir Italy Tour from Eric Kim on Vimeo.
CSULB Chamber Choir Italy Tour promotional Video

Incantato Tours supports NCACDA Conference in Greensboro

With the Carolinas being Incantato Tours new home (since December 2008), we are looking forward to getting to know more fine choirs near us. Attending the NC ACDA Conference in Greensboro, NC on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19 will be the perfect introduction and we hope that our small contribution benefits this wonderful organization. Aside from exhibiting in the foyer at UNC Greensboro School of Music, Incantato Tours & Concert will also release information about the upcoming Choral Festival on the German Baltic Coast in the summer of 2011 celebrating the 250th Annniversary of Queen Charlotte's Coronation. As you may already know, the Queen was a great supporter of the arts and had a deep appreciation for choral music. With the natural connection to the Queen City and Mecklenburg County, (named after Charlotte), the Germans look forward to celebrating the anniversary especially with choirs from Mecklenburg County, NC and the Charlotte area. Music from the New World will be the theme for the inaugural festival. Support from the German state government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Ministry of Culture and Education plus the local tourism organization has already been approved and details will be released over the next few months.

Incantato Tours heads to GALA Convention in Columbus, OH September 3-6

We sure hope to see many of our old friends and make new ones at the 2009 GALA Convention in Columbus, OH.
Incantato Tours is a proud sponsor of the conference and thrilled to partner with the German Tourism Board for this special occasion. And we are highlight Germany, the home country of Incantato Co-Founder Sandra Weinacht, host of the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne.
For more information on the events and performances scheduled at the GALA Convention, visit the GALA website.

First concert confirmations for 2010 are in

We sure love our job at Incantato!
After a third wonderful concert season 2009 with unforgettable performances in beautiful venues across Europe, our team of concert managers and tour planners is working on the 2010 concert confirmations.
And we already have great news to share: The Bob Cole Conservatory Choirs will be singing at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche in Berlin and present a recital at the Frauenkirche in Dresden, the San Marino Chamber Choir is invited to sing at Cathedrals in Madrid and Barcelona, the Carolina International Chorale along with The Choir of the Sound are presenting a special concert the Benedictine Abbey Church of Goettweig in Austria...
More information about the 2010 touring ensembles, their destinations and a full concert schedule will be featured on this blog and our website incantatotours.com. Check back frequently for updates and do not hesitate to contact us via email to info@incantatotours.com for more information.

Impressions from the 2009 UGA Chamber Choir Tour to Italy

The Incantato Tour Team with Stefania, Sandra, Ted and Marti want to salute and thank the members of the 2009 UGA Touring Chamber Choir under the direction of Dr. Mitos Andaya. Thank for the opportunity to work with and for you on this special journey to Italy and we sure hope our paths cross again soon.

Riverside City College Chamber Singers wins the Mixed Choir competition at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen!

The Riverside City College Chamber Singers under the direction of Mr. John Byun took the Mixed Choir division by storm and will compete for the "Choir of the World" title tomorrow July 11th at 9PM! For the Mixed Choir Competition they sang "Ritmus", "Te Lucis Ante Terminum", and "Hold On!"

This is a great accomplishment and we are looking forward for the final competition tomorrow for the Pavarotti trophy and the title of "Choir of the World!"

Steven Amie from the Riverside City College Chamber Singers wins Folk Song Solo Competition in Llangollen

Below is the official results page from the 2009 International Musical Eistedfodd in Llangollen, Wales with wonderful news and a great success for the Riverside City College Chamber Singers under the direction of Mr. John Byun. Steven Amie from Riverside, California won the competition and is officially the best folk song soloist.
Steven can be seen among the RCC Chamber Singers on the far right.
For a video of his performance, click the following direct link on llangollen.tv

Llangollen 2009 - Folk Song Solo

Competition 23 - Folk Song Solo

Position	Name	Country
1st	Steven Amie	USA
2nd	Zhang Xian	China
=3rd	Noeleen Ni Cholla	Eire
=3rd	Steffan Rhys Hughes	Wales

Steven, everyone in the Incantato Tours Team salutes you and congratulates you to your success.

"Tog Mi Spirad" - Riverside City College Chamber Singers sing at Christ Church in Dublin on July 6 at 1.15 pm

The theme of the Riverside City College (RCC) Chamber Singers' 2009 Incantato Tour "Tog mi Spirad" is Gaelic for "Lift my Spirit" which nicely sums up the repertoire comprised of works from both American and European composers that the singers from Riverside, California have prepared both for the tour as well as their participation the International Music Eistedfodd in Llangollen. After singing at the US Embassy on the 4th of July and at St. Bartholomew Parish on July 5, the choir is singing at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. The lunchtime concert begins at 1.15 pm.
Music plays a very important role at Christ Church Cathedral. Thus it states on the website: "Music can be plain or elaborate, but right tunes and words always signify God and His mighty acts. This is why creation, incarnation, and sanctification constitute the essence of sacred music." In Tune with Heaven, the Report of the Archbishops' Commission on Church Music.
At Christ Church, Choral services are sung five times per week during term time either by the professional mixed-adult Cathedral Choir or by the Cathedral Girls' Choir. In addition, visiting choirs are always welcome at Christ Church. Choirs come from all over the world to sing in the unique surroundings of our nine centuries-old cathedral and to enjoy life in Ireland's vibrant capital city.

For more information, please click on the following links:
Christchurch Chathedral
Dublin Events

The concert on Monday, July 6 will be the last performance in Dublin for RCC, but already on Tuesday, the first member of the choir will enter the competition in Llangollen. The choir is taking the ferry early in the morning as the Riverside City College Chamber Singers continue their journey to Wales where they will be until July 13.

For more information on the Festival & Competition in Wales, visit the official website:
Llangollen 2009

SCS Touring Choir bids farewell to 2009 Sicily and Malta

The SCS Touring Choir departed Malta on July 6 after touring Sicily & Malta with Incantato for twelve days. Six performances in prime venues, two exchanges, 7000 year old temples, ancient Greek theatres, amazing cathedrals, interesting museums... and last not least wonderful food and fun at the beaches, the group of 52 from Akron, Ohio and the Summit Choral Society surely kept busy. Incantato Tour Manager Stefania bid farewell to the group at the airport on Monday morning and all of us with them a safe return home.

Day 3 of the Riverside City College Chamber Singers Performance Tour 2009: Honorary guests for Sunday Service & RCC Concert at St. Bartholomew Dublin

On July 5th, the Riverside City College Chamber Singers under the direction of Mr. John Byun were honorary guests for the Sunday service in the St. Bartholomew's Parish Church and presented a concert after having tea and coffee with the congregation members.