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The Rhine Piano Festival - A celebration of the piano along the Rhine river – Europe’s artery for cultural exchange
Festival highlights
- A celebration of the most versatile of all of the instruments, the piano, capable of creating a variety of sound worlds from sonorous intimacy and dazzling complexity.
- Exclusive charter of a first-class river cruiser, which sails from Amsterdam to Basel.
- Seven private recitals by some of the finest pianists of their generation: Elisabeth Leonskaja, Nelson Goerner, Mariam Batsashvili, Alexandra Dariescu, Jonathan Ferrucci, and former Leeds International Piano Competition winners Eric Lu and Jaeden Izik-Dzurko.
- A further two concerts explore the piano’s role both in chamber music and song, with the renowned Amatis Trio and Professor of Collaborative Piano, Julius Drake.
- Repertoire from Bach’s extraordinary keyboard works to the dazzling virtuosity of Liszt and Rachmaninoff, via Schubert and Schumann’s Romantic expressiveness and much more.
- Concert venues are intimate halls within the resplendent palaces at Mannheim, Bruchsal and Namedy, the Beethovenhaus in Bonn and the magnificent Felix Meritis Hall in Amsterdam, among others.
- Daily talks by leading music expert Dr Katy Hamilton.
A celebration of the most versatile of all instruments, this is our first Rhine Festival to be solely dedicated to the piano.
No other instrument is as capable of producing such a variety of sound worlds, with no need for accompaniment to create utterly satisfying programmes, ranging from sonorous intimacy to dazzling complexity.
The modern grand piano’s monumental dynamic range and power paved the way for the first virtuosic superstars, Liszt the first and most obvious example (as we hear in the glittering pyrotechnics of his arrangement of the Valse from Gounod’s Faust), but it also led to a gorgeous Romantic expressiveness, inward-looking and sublime (such as the timeless final movement of Schumann’s Fantasie).
We are pleased to announce a carefully curated programme that explores the magnificent range of piano repertoire, through nine private concerts: seven recitals by some of the finest pianists in the world of different generations (Elisabeth Leonskaja, Nelson Goerner, Mariam Batsashvili, Alexandra Dariescu, Jonathan Ferrucci, and former Leeds International Piano Competition winners Eric Lu and Jaeden Izik-Dzurko), and two where we delve into the piano’s role both in Lieder (with Julius Drake, Professor of Collaborative Piano) and the piano trio (with the Amatis Trio).
All concert venues are relatively small, and the audience is capped at not much over 100 people, leading to an informality and intimacy of musical communication which engenders a heightened artistic experience. And to hear pianists of this stature all perform at such close proximity is a rare and wonderful experience.
Some locations resonate with the repertoire performed, such as Bach in the Baroque Schloss Mannheim; or Beethoven’s last piano sonata in the Beethovenhaus in Bonn. Others are chosen for their beauty or charm, to provide a stunning visual backdrop to the mixed programmes.
Daily talks by Dr Katy Hamilton illuminate and inform us, as we sail from Amsterdam to Basel, navigating the river which has acted as such an artery for cultural exchange in Europe over the centuries.
The MS Amadeus Riva acts as both hotel and principal means of transport, enabling the audience to attend all the concerts without having to change hotel or drive long distances. The experience differs significantly from conventional cruising in many ways: little regimentation, no obligatory seating plan, no on-board entertainment, minimal announcements – and absolutely no piped music!
There is also little to match the pleasure of a curated sequence of concerts in beautiful historic buildings. This event combines the two to produce an experience which is quite exceptional and unique.
Videos
Brochure
Musicians
Practicalities
The price includes:
— Nine private concerts in historic and appropriate buildings.
— Talks on the music by Dr Katy Hamilton.
— Accommodation on a first-class river cruiser for 7 nights.
— All meals, from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last, with wine, and interval drinks.
— Coach travel between airport and ship or hotel, and to concert venues when not reached on foot.
— All tips, taxes and admission charges.
— The assistance of festival staff and a detailed programme booklet.
Haydn Front – lowest deck
Two sharing: £3,750 per person
Single occupancy: £4,740
Strauss Back – middle deck
Two sharing: £4,340 per person
Single occupancy: £6,160
Strauss Front – middle deck
Two sharing: £4,640 per person
Single occupancy: £6,590
Mozart Standard – top deck
Two sharing: £5,230 per person
Single occupancy: £7,690
Mozart Suites – top deck
Two sharing: £6,090 per person
Not available for single occupancy
Cabins towards the front of the ship are quieter than those further back.
Flights: if you choose to take one of the offered flight/train options, there is an additional cost of £220 per person.
Please note that each outbound option is tied to a particular inbound option – we are unable to amend your return transport to include the outbound and inbound travel from two different options. At the time of going to print, flight and train schedules have not yet been published for June 2026 so these times are indicative and subject to change.
Option 1 – flights both ways (London City)
22 June: London City to Amsterdam (BA 8453) departing at 11.30 and arriving at 13.35.
29 June: Zurich to London City (BA 8766) departing at 14.55 and arriving at 15.30. There is time for some independent exploration of Zurich before departing for London.
Option 2 – flights both ways (London Heathrow)
22 June: London Heathrow to Amsterdam (BA 432) departing at 11.50 and arriving at 14.10.
29 June: Basel to London Heathrow (BA 761) departing at 12.10 and arriving at 13.00.
Option 3 – train out, flight back (London City)
22 June: London St Pancras to Amsterdam (Eurostar) departing at 11.04 and arriving at 16.20.
29 June: Zurich to London City (BA 8766) departing at 14.55 and arriving at 15.30. There is time for some independent exploration of Zurich before departing for London.
Option 4 – train out, flight back (London Heathrow)
22 June: London St Pancras to Amsterdam (Eurostar) departing at 11.04 and arriving at 16.20.
29 June: Basel to London Heathrow (BA 761) departing at 12.10 and arriving at 13.00.
Option 5 – rail only
22 June: London St Pancras to Amsterdam (Eurostar) departing at 11.04 and arriving at 16.20.
29 June: Basel to London St Pancras, via Paris (one change), departing at 10.34 and arriving at 17.35.
Please note that each outbound option is tied to a particular inbound option – we are unable to amend your return transport to include the outbound and inbound travel from two different options.
At the time of going online, flight and train schedules have not yet been published for June 2026 so these times are indicative and subject to change.
Connecting flights
It may be possible to arrange connecting flights with British Airways from Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Belfast.
The no flights option
You can choose not to take any of our flight/rail options and to make your own arrangements for joining and leaving the ship. You are welcome to join our coach transfers if your travel arrangements coincide with any of the options above.
Price reduction for ‘no flights’: £220.
Pre-festival tour
The price for the pre-festival tour includes a return flight – out at the start of the tour, and back at the end of the festival.
All pre-festival tour participants return to the UK on festival flight Option 2.
We charge for flights, if you are taking them, as part of your pre-festival tour booking. You therefore pay the ‘no flights’ price for the festival.
The ship
Chartered exclusively for participants of this festival, the Amadeus Riva, launched in 2023, is one of the newest and most comfortable cruisers on the waterways of Europe. The multinational crew is dedicated to the highest standards of service.
With a floor area of 16m2 (Haydn deck) or 17.5m2 (Strauss and Mozart decks) the cabins are reasonably spacious by the standards of river cruisers. All have windows to the outside and are equipped with the facilities one would expect of a first-class hotel such as adjustable air-conditioning, telephone, TV and safe.
Bathrooms have showers only. Special attention has been paid to noise insulation.
In layout and furnishings the cabins are identical, the significant differences being the size of windows and height above water level (higher cabins enjoy better views and fewer stairs).
Cabins on the top decks (Mozart and Strauss) are the most desirable, with floor-to-ceiling windows which drop down to open and minibars. There are twelve suites (Mozart) measuring 26.4m2 with a corner sofa area and small balcony. Cabins on the lowest (Haydn) deck have smaller windows which don’t open. There are no single cabins as such but we are allocating some twin-bed cabins for single occupancy.
The public areas include the lounge and bar, a library area and a restaurant that can seat everyone at a single sitting. The sun deck has a tented area for shade.
Quite a lot of walking is necessary to reach some concert venues and to get around the towns we visit. Most of the concert venues do not have a lift. You need to be averagely fit, sure-footed and able to manage everyday walking and stairclimbing without difficulty. We ask that you take these simple fitness tests before booking.
If you have a medical condition or a disability which may affect your holiday or necessitate special arrangements being made for you, please discuss these with us before booking – or, if the condition develops or changes subsequently, as soon as possible before departure.
Private. All the performances are planned and administered by us, and the audience consists exclusively of those who have taken the festival package.
Seating. Specific seats are not reserved. You sit where you want.
Audience size. There will be up to 125 participants on the festival. One of our venues cannot hold this number, so the performance will be repeated there.
Acoustics. This festival is more concerned with locale and authenticity than with acoustic perfection. The venues may have idiosyncrasies or reverberations of the sort not found in modern concert halls.
Changes. Musicians fall ill, venues may close for repairs, airlines alter schedules: there are many circumstances which could necessitate changes to the programme. We ask you to be understanding should they occur.
Floods and droughts. We cannot rule out changes to the programme arising from exceptionally high or low water levels on the Rhine, either of which may bring river traffic to a halt. These might necessitate more travel by coach or the loss of a concert, though we would always try to minimise the impact on the itinerary.
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website and Travel Health Pro to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Art in the Netherlands, 16–22 June 2026
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