Italian arias, prosecco and gorgeous Tuscany vistas… it was all in a morning’s work at the Classical Babies family concert held last month in association with Villa Pia.
Villa Pia is our wonderful Mothers & Shakers client, a stunning 17 bedroom villa in Lippiano, on the border of Tuscany and Umbria. The team at Villa Pia pride themselves on welcoming families with young children in true Italian style — with open arms and tons of delicious, seasonal food!
To celebrate Villa Pia’s baby friendly holidays, and share their family focused offer with more local parents and carers, Villa Pia partnered with Classical Babies to host an Italian themed concert at the O2 Centre on Finchley Rd.
Soprano Caroline Kennedy held the mums and babas alike completely entranced as she sang a round of arias from famous operas like The Marriage of Figaro.
Caroline is a great storyteller who had a definite way with the little ones. I especially loved how she would come right up and sing to individual babies like they were the only ones in the room. Utterly enchanting.
She was accompanied by super smooth pianist Ian Tindale and afterwards some chubby little fingers had a go at tickling the ivories too.
During the concert, we watched a slide show of photographs by the lovely Sonya Walzer of LeviLily Photography, shot during her recent trip to Villa Pia. Sonya said she had an amazing time on holiday there and it shows in her photos that really capture the warmth, colour and child centred vibe of the villa.
The Classical Babies concert lasted 45 minutes and was perfectly timed to keep the audience entertained, with plenty of soft cushions at the front to relax on, and space for the toddlers to wander. Guests enjoyed prosecco and Italian nibbles as we mingled post-concert and shared parenting and family travel stories and tips.
It was an absolutely delightful way to spend a morning in the company of some happy mamas and their chilled out bambinos. Eccellente!
About Villa Pia
Villa Pia is an award winning, all-inclusive family friendly villa in Italy with a sterling reputation for its excellent services for families with babies and small children. The villa boasts 17 bedrooms (more rooms available just outside the gates), two pools including a special children’s pool both heated year-round, babysitting services, and food that guests rave about on Trip Advisor and other review sites.
Everything is included in your holiday package including wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea, milk and juice on tap, plus special attention is paid to providing meals that are child friendly and cater to all types of allergies and intolerances. There are children’s play zones with toys, climbing frames, bicycles and more, as well as loads of space to roam around against the picturesque backdrop. Prices start off-peak at £540 per adult (£75 per day) for a week’s stay and for a limited time only (until end of June 2015) if you mention Classical Babies you will receive £100 discount from your booking, if you book off-peak. Visit www.villapia.com to make an enquiry.
About Classical Babies
Coco Azoitel, a professional concert violinist who performs with BBC Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Vilensky Quartet and others, launched Classical Babies after she became a mum and longed to hear top quality classical music in a child friendly setting.
Classical Babies concerts are held at the O2 Centre in Finchley, as well as in Teddington, Harpenden, Epsom and Manchester. They’re hosting their next concert at O2 Centre next Friday (Jun 12) so get your tickets early to avoid disappointment! Visit classicalbabies.com to book for an upcoming concert.
In association with Mothers & Shakers
What an incredibly stimulating day for mamas and babes, Villa Pia looks divine, so need to visit one day x
Definitely Vicki, can’t wait to go myself. Classical Babies was a lovely event, made me rather broody I must say :-)