INFORMATION: CLA ITALY/LA LINGUA DELLA LIRICA 2016 TRAVEL All participants should plan to arrive on Sunday, July 24. Classes, coachings and rehearsals will begin on Monday, July 25. We will meet all participants at the Bologna airport on Sunday morning, July 24, and a bus will take everyone to Novafeltria, leaving between 12 and 1. Students, staff and faculty are responsible for providing their own travel to Italy. Please book a flight that arrives before noon if possible. In case you cannot arrive early in the day on July 24, you will have to arrange your own travel to Novafeltria as follows: 1. From the Bologna airport, you will take a shuttle bus to the Bologna Centrale train station (AEROBUS-BLQ Terminal-Railway Station). The ticket costs 6 euros, and the trip takes about 20 minutes. 2. From there you will take a train to Rimini. Train information can be obtained on the website: trenitalia.com.the trip lasts about an hour and 15 minutes, and the cost is 15-20 euros. 3. At the Rimini station, you will take the bus #160. The final destination is Novafeltria. After this and for the duration of the program, all transportation will be provided. Return flights: We will arrange for a bus to take all participants to Bologna on the morning of August 18. All flights must be booked after 10 am our bus will leave Novafeltria at 6am to arrive at the Bologna airport by 8am. TRAINS For train travel within Italy, you can purchase a ticket either at the Biglietteria (ticket window) or at an automated ticket machine (Biglietti Self Service). The machines have an option in English. You will have the choice of first or second-class tickets, and normally you will have to reserve a seat. Check to see which track (binario) the train leaves from. You can purchase either a one-way ticket (sola andata) or a round trip (andata e ritorno). Before boarding the train you will need to validate your ticket. There are yellow metal boxes hanging on the walls that read: CONVALIDA
BIGLIETTI. Insert your tickets so that the time and date are stamped on them. This ticketing system is different from train travel in the US, and you must stamp your ticket to avoid a fine. If you have purchased an electronic ticket, you must print this out in advance, but it does not have to be stamped. To check train schedules on line, go to: trenitalia.it. BUSES There is bus service from the central square in Novafeltria connecting to surrounding towns. The only major city with direct bus service from Novafeltria is Rimini. The bus is number 160. Many students visit the beaches in Rimini on days off (usually Sundays). A bus schedule will be posted on the bulletin board. PASSPORTS Please check to be sure that your passport is current. It is a good idea to make copies of your passport so that it will be easier to get a replacement in case it is lost. You should keep your passport with you at all times, as it is commonly requested when checking into hotels and exchanging money, and obligatory when traveling by air. If your luggage is lost during the flight (as sometimes happens during layovers), you must complete a lost luggage report with the airline. Have your luggage delivered to the Hotel Magda in Novafeltria, Via Saffi 55, tel. 0541/920817, www.hotelmagda.com. TRAVEL INSURANCE LLL is not responsible for emergency medical expenses, lost or delayed baggage, flight cancellations or delays. We strongly recommend that you buy travel insurance for your trip. Please also check your medical insurance policy to see if you are covered for international travel. An excellent choice for a policy can be found at STA Travel. For trips lasting up to 31 days, the price is approximately $125 (these are prices for people under the age of 35). If you choose to purchase this insurance, you
can do it in person (Broadway at 111th Street), on line at statravel.com, or call 800-495-5498. STUDENT ID CARDS There are some airlines that offer discount student fares. To qualify, you will need an international student I.D. card. These can also be used for discounts at some restaurants, hotels, museums and other tourist attractions. The cost is around $22 for a year, and all participants are encouraged to obtain one. They also contain emergency numbers, and supplemental insurance coverage. Applications for a card can be obtained at most travel agencies, or by applying online at: myisic.com. You will need a passport photo for the ID. MONEY The best way to deal with cash is to plan to withdraw euros from an ATM machine (BANCOMAT in Italy) when you arrive. This works exactly as in the US, using your usual pin number. A small fee will be charged, but the exchange rate is usually good. There are BANCOMAT machines at the airport and in the town center of Novafeltria. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, American Express is not. HOUSING Accommodations are included in the program fee. Participants are either housed in a newly renovated student residence or private apartments. The student residence has room for up to 8 people, housing two students per room, with private bathrooms and two shared kitchens in the building. The residence is located within a few minutes walking distance from the academy, theater and town center. Apartments will be provided for the remaining students, and are all located within a 10-15 minute walk from the academy and theater. All accommodations contain a kitchen with refrigerator and cooking facilities. Apartments do not have air conditioning. Sheets, pillows and bath towels are provided. Roommates: Decisions about roommate assignments will be made by late May. If you have a request for a specific roommate, please let us know and we will be glad to try to accommodate your request.
Guests: Out of consideration for roommates, overnight guests are not allowed in the housing provided by LLL. If you expect to have a family member or friend staying with you during the course, we can arrange to house you in a private apartment, but this will incur an additional fee of 300 euros (approximately $450). If you would like to arrange for a private apartment, we will have to know as soon as possible--may 25th at the latest. If you have family or friends that want to visit during your stay in Novafeltria, we recommend the Hotel Magda, which is located only minutes from the school and theater. For information, go to hotelmagda.com. The brothers who manage the hotel also manage the student residence, and are very accommodating to the needs of participants and their guests. There is also a very good restaurant in the hotel. However, please be aware that we cannot always accommodate guests on excursions and concert trips due to limited seating on our buses. The final concert in Novafeltria is open to the public, and we will be happy to invite your guests to attend this performance. FOOD Meals are not included in the program fee. Students should budget for 20-25 euros ($30-35) per day for food. Eating at home is less expensive, and all accommodations have kitchens. There are a number of excellent choices for eating in Novafeltria, and the cost is generally very reasonable. There is supermarket less than 5 minutes on foot from the town square (which is 5 minutes away from the academy and most housing), as well as markets throughout the town selling fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, and local specialties. PACKING Clothing: Our program takes place during the height of the summer, and naturally the weather is quite warm, especially mid-day under the heat of the sun. Evenings tend to cool down substantially, so it is advised to bring along a sweater or light jacket in addition to comfortable clothing for mid-summer. Bring comfortable shoes, as you will be walking short distances regularly, between your accommodations, the academy, the theater, the town center, and places for shopping or sight seeing. Residences are not air-conditioned, but the weather tends to cool slightly in the evening.
Concert dress should be tasteful, elegant and somewhat formal. Women should plan to bring a long dress, a calf length dress and a pantsuit for those singing trouser roles. Short dresses are discouraged. Men should bring a suit as well as an alternative outfit such as slacks, a colorful shirt and a vest. For everyone, it is best to have several choices of concert wear so that we can make selections based on the character you are performing. While on our excursions, we sometimes visit historic, religious buildings. There is almost always a dress code when visiting these. Shorts and very short skirts are not allowed, and women are expected to have their arms covered. If you bring along a light scarf or shawl, this works in case you are wearing a sleeveless top. Plan to bring a bathing suit. The beaches in Rimini can be reached by bus on free days. SAFETY Novafeltria is a small town, and quite safe. However, everyone is encouraged to be attentive during our stay. Try to avoid bringing valuables. Many of you will undoubtedly be carrying cell phones, laptops, cameras, etc... Please keep these with you at all times, or safely locked in your rooms. Avoid bringing expensive jewelry. LAUNDRY There is one Laundromat (lavanderia) in the town, although some students found that it was more convenient to wash their clothes by hand, and to let them air dry. Keep this in mind when deciding what to bring. Detergent can be bought at a local store. There is a dry cleaner (tintoria) in the town center, but this service is quite expensive in Italy. MEDICATION Please check to be sure that you have all necessary medications with you for the duration of the trip. Novafeltria has a pharmacy and two homeopathic stores in the center of town, but please pack any medications that you normally take. It s a good idea to have these with you in your carry-on bag, unless of course, they are liquid.
ELECTRONICS If you have a laptop, tablet or smart phone, plan to bring these. European electrical voltage is 220, US electrical voltage is 110. You will need to bring an electrical adapter. CELL PHONES If you own a smart phone and are somewhere with internet access, using Skype is the least expensive option. You can also purchase a Sim card for your phone, which will give you a new number temporarily, and allow you to make local and international calls. Check your own cell phone plan before making international calls, as in many cases, this can prove to be very expensive. WIFI There are several choices, but be aware that internet access is far less available than in the US, and please plan on reduced usage. Several local restaurants and cafes have internet access for customers. The residences do not have wifi access. You can also use the computers and access wifi at the Hotel Magda for the duration of our course for a one time fee of 40 euros. DAILY SCHEDULES Our daily schedule includes: -1.5 hour Italian language class (3 levels) -Individual vocal coachings (45 minutes) -Musical coachings with pianists (TBD) -Staging rehearsals (with Drew Minter in preparation for concerts) -Master classes -Meal breaks (1.5 hours for lunch) MUSIC All assigned music must be prepared and memorized before arriving!!! Please bring along copies of any and all music you might want to study while in Novafeltria. It is best to pack lightly, so deciding on music
ahead of time will save you from having to carry heavy scores. For all songs, arias, and ensembles, plan to bring at least 2 copies. We have a limited number of pianos in the academy, and most of these will be occupied during the day for coachings and musical rehearsals. However, participants can use all available practice rooms in the morning before classes begin, during the lunch break, and in the evening. CONCERTS We will offer 4 or 5 concerts during our program in various locations/theaters. Details will be sent later. All singers will be assigned at least 2 ensembles for the concerts, and will also sing one solo aria or song on one concert. Everyone will participate in 1 or 2 choruses or large ensembles. Repertoire assignments will be made by June 1. CONTACT INFORMATION Glenn Morton, artistic director info@classiclyricarts.org 212-749-3335 home 646-438-2643 cell (Italian cell number to be provided) Michael Sheetz, music coordinator michaelsheetz@gmail.com (631) 252-5083 (Italian cell number to be provided) The academy in Novafeltria hosting our program is Voci nel Montefeltro. Ubaldo Fabbri, artistic director Palazzo Lombardini Via Mazzini, 62 47863 Novafeltria (RN) Italy Telephone/Fax: 0039.0541.922.113 ubaldo@vocinelmontefeltro.org www.vocinelmontefeltro.org