2024 Sicily and Malta

“Sicily is an island lying outside time, where past events endure in an external present, a beach on which the tides of successive civilizations have heaped in disorder their assorted treasure.”  — Vincent Cronin, The Golden Honeycomb

We want to experience music in Sicily.  All sorts of music, opera of course, but guitars, and dancing in the streets, jazz, folk music, street soloists and orchestras. We want to experience music while holding a glass of wine with the backdrop of the stars and ancient Greek ruins. We want to smell the sea, and bask in the wealth of historic splendor. We want to savor the flavors that make this area so unique … that means, eating very well! In Sicily and Malta, the convergence of many cultures flavor everything, and we want to know what that means. We want to sing along to songs being sung, and enjoy conversation.  If you yearn for a musical adventure, let’s travel together.  Come travel with Gary and Karen to Sicily and Malta. 

We will begin in Palermo, where the Teatro Massimo holds the distinction of being the largest opera house in Italy. Besides having nearly perfect acoustics, she also has the distinction of being a site of the filming for Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather III. The city of Palermo is a convergence of many cultures and they all have left their mark. We will visit sites in the area which include Arab-Norman cathedral in Cefalu, all within reach of the magnificent beaches.

We’ll travel to Agrigento and the archeological site the Valley of the Temples. From Roman influences embedded in mosaics to fishing villages, including strolls down Baroque era streets, Sicily offers a visual treat around every corner in our journey. Along with the visual, we will seek out music, and find our way to what is perhaps unique and also familiar in the musical offerings. Performances will be listed eventually, but for now, we are imagining quite a variety of experiences.

Besides learning about the culture and history, there will be time for a dip in the waters of Arenella beach to soak up the Sicilian sunshine. Eventually we will board a high speed ferry to the Island of Malta and fall in love with the music and atmosphere that this Island has to offer. The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing. Malta has become quite famous for music festivals of all shapes and sizes. The two of us are so excited to lead this musical journey.

Karen will be highlighting the musical aspects of the tour with a series of lectures based on what we will be attending.

The itinerary includes three nights in Palermo, two nights in Agrigento, two nights in Ragusa, two nights in Syracuse, and three nights in Valletta (Malta). You can view (and download or print, if you wish) the most up-to-date itinerary here.

You’ll get the most out of study travel if you research what to do during your free time. This allows you to reap the benefits of group travel, while also customizing the tour to your interests and activity level. Read more about How to Be an Independent Group Traveler.

Karen Wilkerson has been on the music faculty of St. Olaf College since 2008. She currently teaches voice, and co-directs the opera program. In 2023 she taught a J-term class in Austria, and Italy called Opera in Context. Besides having led 2 previous Alumni study tours for St. Olaf, she has led and conducted on 4 international choral tours for Roseville Festival Singers. For many years she has been director of adult choirs at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Roseville MN. 

Growing up in Southern California, she attended California Lutheran College (now University) and graduated from California State University, Northridge. She received her graduate degree in Music from Westminster Choir College, Princeton New Jersey. Continuing studies led her to study voice with Rita Patane in Milan Italy, traveling back and forth over a span of four years. 

Karen’s performing career spans many genres including opera, recital, and choral, and music theater both as a singer, conductor and stage director.  She appeared with Minnesota Opera, Dale Warland Singers, and with Vocal Essence where she sang for international tours to England, Korea and China. She had the honor of singing as a soloist with the St. Olaf Orchestra, Chapel Choir and Cantorei, she recently was a featured soloist with the Fresno California Master Chorale for the Mozart Requiem. Gary and Karen live in Northfield, and delight in having 9 grandchildren. 

Dr. Gary Wilkerson is a retired Lutheran Pastor, professor, and counselor. He has served congregations in California, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. Gary was on the original staff of The Betty Ford Center where he was an addictions counselor and 

Inpatient Director. He was a visiting Professor in pastoral care, and counseling at Luther Seminary and directed the counseling center at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. He was educated at University of Texas, Arlington, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, and received his Ph.D. in Pastoral Care and Counseling at Luther Seminary, St. Paul Minnesota.

Expect to revel in sites and stories of historical importance and experience stirring musical performances.

Movement between cities will be by air-conditioned private motor coach. Movement within each city and at cultural/historic sites will be on foot, requiring a lot of walking and standing, often over uneven ground. You should be capable of walking a mile or more at a time and up to five to seven miles per day, frequently over uneven terrain, of climbing stairs that may not have handrails, of climbing in and out of various types of transportation, of keeping pace with an active group of travelers on long days of traveling, of dealing with the emotional highs and lows that can occur when experiencing different cultures, and of being a considerate member of the group (prompt, courteous and flexible).

Any participant who has demonstrated an inability, in the opinion of the tour leader, of keeping up with the group or of safely participating in program activities may be prohibited from participating in certain activities.

You will be responsible for carrying your own luggage throughout the tour. Traveling lightly is highly recommended.

Hotels will be tourist class (four-star or superior rating) with private baths, air conditioning, and English-speaking staff.

The tour price is $7,342 per person, based on double occupancy. A supplement of $1,040 applies for single occupancy. Inclusions and exclusions vary from tour to tour. Please read the following information carefully.

Inclusions: educational content from Karen and Gary, a full-time guide, performances listed on the itinerary, accommodations, breakfast daily and group meals as listed on the itinerary, admissions for group activities, ground transportation during the tour except for airport transfers, gratuities to group guides, drivers, and meal servers, and some limited medical coverage while overseas. 

Exclusions: Airfare to and from Europe is not included. Participants are solely responsible for all expenses not specifically included in the tour fee. Examples of excluded expenses are: airfare to and from the tour, airport transfers, any passport fees, any recommended immunizations or vaccinations, baggage insurance, trip cancellation insurance above $2,000 lifetime coverage, beverages at most group meals, tips to housekeeping staff, laundry, dry cleaning, phone charges, room service or other items of a personal nature, expenses incurred during free time or non-group activities, lunch and dinner, unless specifically included on tour itinerary.

Please note: the trip price comes to $612 per program day (i.e., it does not include pure travel days, because international airfare is not included in the trip price). The average cost per day for trips in 2023 was $588. Sadly, like costs in our personal lives such as groceries and gasoline, the pandemic has caused increases in the hospitality industry worldwide: hotel costs, restaurant prices, and gasoline prices are up around the world. The exchange rate between the dollar and the euro has also worsened over the last year. It is extremely important to us that we provide you with the best value for your travel dollars and we have kept that top of mind as we put together this trip price.

This schedule is based on payments St. Olaf College must make to tour vendors to guarantee group rates. We highly recommend that you purchase additional trip cancellation insurance at the time of registration to recover your payments should you need to withdraw from the tour. 

Deposit due:             $500 upon registration
Refund if you cancel: Full refund ($500) until November 30, 2023. If the deposit is made after November 30, 2023, there is no refund.

Interim payment due:  $3,500 by December 1, 2023
Refund if you cancel:    $1,750 until June 30, 2024

Final payment due:      July 1, 2024
Refund if you cancel:    None, unless the tour is full and your place can be resold

Cancellations must be in writing.

Make Your Final Payment

See the Tour Information Sheet.

Carefully review the Go Message.

Read the Terms & Conditions and Release & Waiver.

Review the latest information on recommended immunizations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Look at the International Travel section of the U.S. State Department, including Before You Go, Country Information, While Abroad, and Emergencies.

Check your passport to ensure that it has at least 6 months’ validity past the tour return date. Should you need to renew, visit the U.S. State Department for instructions.

Take time to prepare for your adventure by checking out a variety of resources, including frequently asked questions, general health information, included travel insurance, safety overview, and more.

Hold the dates of September 22–October 5, 2024, but do not book non-refundable airfare until we can confirm that the trip is a go. Meanwhile, see our tips on Booking Your flights.