Bhutan has been open to selective touring groups since 1974 including performers for Opera Bhutan, a project combining European opera with traditional Burmese dance theater.  As the popularity of orchestral and operatic music grows with the country’s international profile, a concert tour marks the opportunity to not just perform and collaborate, but to truly make a mark on this stunning mountain country’s nascent music scene. Known for their enlightened King and his emphasis on expanding the country’s Gross National Index of Happiness (rather than GNP), this is a pristine country and spectacular to visit. The country also produces the most amazing postage stamps which are collector items. A tour can be combined with India or Burma (Myanmar) or Thailand.

President Neeta Helms was born and raised in India. She started sending musicians to India as early as 1987 even before she started the company. Along with her family, she sang and toured in many choirs while being involved in major western classical music institutions such as Delhi Music Society, the Delhi School of Music, and the Delhi Symphony Orchestra, the Paranjoti Chorus, and many New Delhi and Bombay musical organizations. Thanks to her knowledge and experience, the India Choral Fellowship is now underway and drawing attention to Western classical music’s growing presence in South Asia.

Sights & Sounds

  • UTAN
  • Thimphu
  • Annual Bhutan International Festival
  • Royal Academy of Performing Arts
  • Opera Bhutan & the Himalayan Handel Orchestra
  • The Himalayas
  • Institute for Traditional Arts
  • Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Testimonials

“I’ve been extremely happy with our tours we’ve taken with Classical Movements these past six years. We have used them exclusively for international touring, because they have worked so hard for us, getting us featured at prestigious international venues such as the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan; the Gateway Music Festival in Beijing, China; and the upcoming 4th of July concert in Havana, Cuba. They have excellent national staff that listen to your needs, as well as important musical contacts in major cities internationally. Through Classical Movements we have been able to sing at amazing venues to full audiences around the world. If you are interested in a top-notch musical, as well as educational tour, I recommend you employ the services of Classical Movements.”

Dr. Susan McMane | Artistic Director, San Francisco Girls Chorus

“The concert venues were terrific.  The two most outstanding halls I’ve ever sung in were the Kitara and Kyoto Concert Halls.  What architectural and acoustical gems!  We felt so honored to be able to sing in those spaces, and the Chiba Paru-ru Hall was also amazing. I thank you for a wonderful tour to Japan on behalf of the SFGC!  The tour lived up to my expectations and more.  I would definitely recommend Classical Movements to someone else.  I look forward to traveling with you again!”

Dr. Susan McMane | Artistic Director, San Francisco Girls Chorus, 2005

“Thank you, again, for your tremendous work in bringing our tour to China to life.  It was an incredible, life-altering experience for our students.  The venues were fantastic, the audiences large and enthusiastic, and all of the complex arrangements were handled smoothly.”

John Nardolillo | Director of Orchestras, University of Kentucky, 2014

“We must applaud Classical Movements for always delivering a very comprehensive and thorough product. Tours of this type are a balancing act, where one wants a great musical experience at the same time as experiencing the culture of the countries visited. This was the first trip where we did not just concentrate on one country, but several in Qatar, Oman and United Arab Emirates. For many on the group, including myself who has travelled the world over, there were cities and countries we have never heard of before, but will not ever forget.”

Dr. Eric Conway | Choir Director & Chairperson of Fine Arts, Morgan State University, 2014

“Thank you for all your efforts to put together our China tour. Both the musical and non-musical arrangements were truly exceptional as always. The concert halls were some of the best places we’ve ever performed, a testament not just to your work, but to the efforts of people in China who have made efforts get world-class concert halls built there. Impressive. We look forward to the next tour with Classical Movements.”

Kevin Fox | Founder & Artistic Director, Pacific Boychoir Academy, 2010

Press

“The musical director and conductor of the Yale Glee Club said the group chose the destination ‘because of the wonderful friendships they discovered in Turkey.’ The Turkish word ‘dost’ (friends for life) is the reason we are performing in Istanbul,’ said Jeff Douma.”

-Hürriyet Daily News, Hatice Utkan | August 5, 2010

“Khubat Abbas Abdul Razaq, a cellist and one of the orchestra’s four women members, said: “I just want to say this is an honor to come to Washington and to play here.”

Samir Yosif, a double-bass player, said: “We want to let the American people know that we have a culture, that we have something to give them. It’s a great honor to be here and we thank the people who have helped us here to play.”

-The lndependent/UK, December 12, 2003

“Blue Heart has followed its clients’ suggestions to map out its expanding destinations. Vacationers travel from Guangzhou to Hong Kong by train visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and Tian’anmen Square and take in a performance of the famed Shanghai Acrobats.”

-Tour and Travel News, Michael Milligan | May 8, 1995

“The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra visit involved a human element that transcended the usual business of arranging orchestra tours for Neeta Helms, executive vice president of Classical Movements. She ushered the musicians from their first nerve-wracking security checks at New York’s JFK Airport to their last tourist stop at Rockefeller Center on the way out of the country.”

-Symphony Magazine, Rebecca Winzenreid | March, 2004

“Kevin Fox, who is working with the Neemrana Foundation, the Capital City Minstrels and Delhi School of Music in the Capital, says that the Indian singers are very keen on the music and are eager to do more and learn more about choral singing. He adds, ‘I’ve met some excellent directors and teachers here who are working very creatively to spread the musical and social benefits of group singing.'”

-Mail Today, Srijani Ganguly | Feb 15, 2017