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The Rhine Piano Festival - A celebration of the piano along the Rhine river – Europe’s artery for cultural exchange
8
days
from
US$6,280
ex flights
22nd June 2026
- 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.
- 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.
- Accommodation throughout on a first-class river cruiser, which sails from Amsterdam to Basel.
- 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.
Discover the place
The Rhine is one of the world’s great rivers; arguably no other has served such a prominent role in shaping the history and culture of a continent.
On the way from its source in the Swiss Alps to its extinction in the North Sea Basin, the Rhine traverses more than a thousand kilometres and passes through four countries.
For millennia the river has been a vital trading route, linking people across a broad stretch of Europe. At the same time it has always been a boundary, a border, demarcating cultures and nations and empires. It once constituted the Roman Empire’s northern frontier, and there is still much significant archaeology to be found along its banks.
We begin in the Rhine delta, and soon move into the charming scenery of the Lower Rhine. With pollarded willows and grazing cattle interspersed with building clusters of the once heavily industrialised Rhine-Ruhr valley, it is still the largest conurbation in Germany today, the river having once been the heart of Germany’s industrial revolution.
The river’s loveliness reaches a peak in the wine-producing region of the Middle Rhine which starts with a deep gorge, a stretch much evoked in German folklore, poetry and music. On towards the river’s source, we pass through a variety of landscapes and urban scenes. North of Basel, with France on one side, the river is flanked by wooded hills and pasture and is populated by several historic towns.
Brochure
Musicians
Programme
Join one of our festival flights or trains (see page 20) or make your own way to the ship.
Amsterdam is as distinctive as it is beautiful. It grew rapidly in the 16th and 17th centuries from a small and precarious sea port to become the greatest trading emporium in Europe. With its concentric canals and close-set brick merchant houses, soaring churches and picturesque alleys, the inner city has hardly changed since its heyday.
Board the ship, MS Amadeus Riva, from 4.00pm. Afternoon tea is available. An early dinner precedes the concert.
Felix Meritis’ oval concert hall was the main music hall in Amsterdam until late into the 19th century and enjoyed a great international reputation. Many famous musicians performed there, including Robert and Clara Schumann, Saint-Saëns and Brahms. The small hall of the Concertgebouw is a replica of this concert hall, where our concert takes place.
Recital, 8,30pm:
Amsterdam, Felix Meritis Konzertsaal
Eric Lu piano
This recital shows how Romantic composers made their music meaningful. Schumann’s Waldszenen Op.82 contains upbeat images of hunters, flowers and birds, whereas the Scriabin Third Sonata Op.23 which begins the recital is a more intense depiction of a soul, variously tender, in torment, or triumphant. Rachmaninoff wrote his Études-Tableaux Op.33 with images in mind, but did not publish the titles; No.3 is known by its solemn tempo marking, ‘Grave’. Chopin’s Polonaise Op.71 No.2 and Polonaise-Fantasy Op.61 start with dance frameworks, but move beyond them to decorated and improvisatory worlds.
Sail from Amsterdam to Wesel, departing in the late evening.
Leave the Netherlands and enter Germany shortly after daybreak, sailing along the Lower Rhine throughout the rest of the morning. There is a talk and lunch, but otherwise free time until early afternoon.
Moor at Wesel and drive to Schloss Lembeck near Dorsten, a delightful moated Wasserschloss (‘water castle’) situated in a park. It dates from the 17th century and retains its historic character. Our recital takes place in a small hall hung with ancestral portraits. Due to the size of the hall, the recital is repeated.
Recital, 2.45pm or 4.45pm:
Schloss Lembeck, Festsaal
Alexandra Dariescu piano
Dariescu opens the jewel-box for a performance of sixteen glittering miniatures spanning three continents and four centuries to the present day. Familiar sounds of Bach fugue and Chopin prelude (including successors such as Carl Filtsch) are interwoven with characterful images such as Amy Beach’s ‘Harlequin’ (from her Children’s Carnival) and Florence Price’s The Goblin and the Mosquito, or more lyrical works such as a Nocturne by Clara Schumann or a Romance by Germaine Tailleferre. Pieces by Enescu, Ciortea and Silvestri also showcase music of Dariescu’s native Romania.
Return to the ship in the evening and sail overnight from Wesel to Bonn.
Moor in Bonn just after breakfast.
Famously disparaged as a village by the diplomatic corps when it was capital, Bonn had in fact been a significant centre of culture while seat of the Elector Archbishops of Cologne in the early modern period. In the 18th century a second-rate tenor inclined to drink, named Johann van Beethoven, was employed at the archiepiscopal court. His son was a better musician. Today’s recitals take place in the Kammermusiksaal, a handsome modern chamber music hall attached to the Beethoven family home within walking distance of the mooring.
Recital, 11.00am:
Bonn, Beethoven Haus, Kammermusiksaal
The Piano in Song
Julius Drake piano
Emily Sierra mezzo-soprano
Beethoven changed the course of music in so many ways but one of his lesser known achievements was writing in 1814/15 the first continuous ‘song cycle’. An die ferne Geliebte (To the distant Beloved) is a set of six songs to poems of Alois Jeitteles. Together they tell a story of yearning and hope and the songs, instead of being separate entities, are linked by the piano part into a musical whole.
After Beethoven’s cycle the flood gates were opened, most famously with Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin (1824) and Winterreise (1828), Schumann’s great cycles of 1840 (Dichterliebe, Liederkreis, Frauenliebe und Leben), Brahms’ Die Schöne Magelone (1865) and the great cycles of Mahler in the early 20th century.
Return to the ship for lunch, or stay on in Bonn for some free time. Dinner is served on the ship before the evening recital.
Recital, 8.15pm:
Bonn, Beethoven Haus, Kammermusiksaal
Elisabeth Leonskaja piano
Last works of any kind are always intriguing in terms of where composers finished, and this evening we hear three final piano sonatas. Mozart was still only 33 years old when he produced his hunt-inspired Sonata No.18, and had plans for another five sonatas to go with it. Schubert wrote his transcendent Sonata D.960 in his last few months, and was probably more aware of time running out. In contrast, Beethoven’s Op.111 came five years before his death, but the epic and spacious second movement became his farewell to the sonata genre.
Sail overnight from Bonn to Andernach.
Burg Namedy, located near Andernach on the Rhine River, is a historic moated castle with origins dating back to the 14th century. Originally built by the Hausmann family, it was damaged during the Thirty Years’ War and later transformed into a Baroque palace by Johann Arnold von Solemacher in the 18th century. In 1909, Prince Carl Anton of Hohenzollern purchased the castle, restoring it and adding the Spiegelsaal (Hall of Mirrors) to the design. It is now the private residence of Princess Heide von Hohenzollern.
Recital, 10.30am:
Burg Namedy, Spiegelsaal
Mariam Batsashvili piano
Batsashvilli’s programme uses four fireworks as frames for two pillars. The pure classical élan of Haydn’s Sonata in D major XVI:37 and fairy-spirited Mendelssohn Rondo capriccioso Op.14 lead us to one of the heftier solo works by Liszt, Après une lecture du Dante, pitting the torments of hell against the joys of heaven. Beethoven’s Sonata No.23 ‘Appassionata’ continues the turbulence, and we return to elegance with Chopin’s Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante. It is matched in showmanship by Liszt’s Valse de Faust, bringing the concert to a barnstorming close.
The afternoon and evening are spent sailing through the Middle Rhine, the most dramatically picturesque stretch of the river. See vine-clad hills with castles on many of the peaks, and charming little towns and villages at the water’s edge. There is a talk on the music during sailing.
Arrive at Mannheim in the morning.
The ship remains here until lunchtime.
Mannheim succeeded Heidelberg as the capital of the Palatinate, one of the richest and most culturally accomplished of the smaller states of Germany. In the mid-18th century the court orchestra was famous throughout Europe; Mozart called it an army of generals. The great Baroque Schloss, within walking distance of the ship and venue for our concert, is one of the largest in Europe.
Recital, 11.00am:
Schloss Mannheim, Rittersaal
Jonathan Ferrucci piano
This recital traces the emergence of Bach’s keyboard practice. Ferrucci has described the early toccatas as “Bach’s laboratory” on his recent recording, with these experiments following through into the rich spectrum of dances that we find in the English Suites, written sometime in his thirties. Crowning Bach’s keyboard maturity is the highly unusual Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, widely copied even in his lifetime for its extraordinary harmony. All of this is before he reached Leipzig and the hugely productive years to follow.
Sail over lunchtime from Mannheim to Speyer.
Coaches take us to the late-afternoon recital at Bruchsal. Residence of the Archbishops of Speyer, the Schloss was begun in 1720 and finished in 1746 after frequent changes of architect and plan. But the result is magnificent, with at its core the famous Baroque staircase designed by Balthasar Neumann.
The Kammermusiksaal (Chamber Music Hall) is a refined example of early Neoclassical design, featuring delicate yellow walls adorned with white and gold stucco decorations, including garlands and musical instruments, which highlight its original function as a venue for court music.
Recital, 4.00pm:
Schloss Bruchsal, Kammermusiksaal
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko piano
The works heard this afternoon demonstrate how varied Romanticism and virtuosity can be in different hands or at different times. Robert Schumann’s Fantasie Op.17 goes for grandeur, coded with personal messages for Clara about the anguish of separation. In contrast, Scriabin’s miniature Preludes burst with a fierce and almost mystical sense of freedom and creativity. Rachmaninoff expanded the Prelude frame for his Op.23 set, using the extra space to develop singing lines, while Franck’s Prélude, Choral et Fugue is more disciplined, turning inwards for its expressive effects.
Sail overnight from Speyer to Breisach.
A talk on the music takes place during morning sailing, before mooring at Breisach just after lunch. Drive to Sankt Peter im Schwarzwald, where our concert
takes place.
A Benedictine Abbey until 1806 and a seminary until 2006, the buildings of the Abbey of St Peter comprise one of the most complete and well preserved examples of a late-Baroque (architecture) and Rococo (most of the decoration) abbey complex in Catholic Germany. The Fürstensaal (Hall of Princes) was used for receptions and festivities relating to the temporal role of the abbey.
Concert, 4.30pm:
St Peter im Schwarzwald, Fürstensaal
The Piano Trio
Amatis Trio
This exploration of the piano trio format begins with the keyboard continuo version in a pair of lively Rameau dances. Haydn’s graceful Trio No.44 XV:28 showcases the possibilities for private music-making, while Beethoven’s Trio Op.1 No.1 demands more from its players in terms of long melodic lines and virtuosity.
The slow movement of Schumann’s Trio No.3 Op.110 adds a personal dimension in the form of a love duet that eventually explodes with passion. Mendelssohn’s Trio No.2 Op.66 then raises the stakes again, with its extremely fast tempos and complex textures taxing even professional players.
Sail overnight from Breisach to Basel.
Straddling the Rhine at the uppermost point for shipping, the Swiss city abuts the borders of France and Germany. It retains much of its centuries-old streetscape and architecture, including a fine medieval cathedral, and the Kunstmuseum is Switzerland’s finest gallery of historic art.
Don Bosco is a modern, almost industrial concert hall of whites and muted greys, converted from the former Roman Catholic Don Bosco Church and completed in 2020. Paul Sacher, the namesake of the main hall, was founder-conductor of the Basel Chamber Orchestra in 1926 and immensely wealthy. He commissioned works from many well-known composers, including Stravinsky, Bartók, and Richard Strauss.
Recital, 4.30pm:
Basel, Don Bosco, Paul Sacher Saal
Nelson Goerner piano
Another experimental early Bach Toccata sets us off on a very different journey into the expansive drama and sublime melodies of Schubert’s late C minor Sonata D.958, much of it meditating on precedents set by Beethoven’s sonatas. We then move into a bracing modernist world for Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales from 1911, exploring waltz sounds from the delicate to the ironic to the perky. We finish with Books 3 and 4 of Albeniz’s Iberia, which push the performer to the limit in their rich evocations of the sights and sounds of Spain.
Drinks reception and final dinner on board, overnight Basel.
Coach transfers depart between 8.30 and 9.30am.
Expert speaker
Dr Katy Hamilton
Writer and broadcaster, she has provided talks for, amongst others, Wigmore Hall, BBC Proms and the Oxford Lieder Festival. A frequent contributor to BBC Radio 3, Katy’s specialism is the music of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and she is the editor of Brahms in the Home and Concert Hall (2014) and Brahms in Context (2019). Katy has taught at the Royal College of Music, City Lit, and the Universities of Nottingham and Middlesex.
More tours led by Dr Katy Hamilton
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.
— Return flights or trains between London and Amsterdam/Basel (reduced price if you arrange your own).
— 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.
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 434) departing at 12.25 and arriving at 14.45.
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
Launched in 2023, the Amadeus Riva 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.
Prices
Haydn Front – lowest deck
Two sharing: £3,970 per person
Single occupancy: £4,960
Strauss Back – middle deck
Two sharing: £4,560 per person
Single occupancy: £6,380
Strauss Front – middle deck
Two sharing: £4,860 per person
Single occupancy: £6,810
Mozart Standard – top deck
Two sharing: £5,450 per person
Single occupancy: £7,910
Mozart Suites – top deck
Two sharing: £6,310 per person
Not available for single occupancy
Cabins towards the front of the ship are quieter than those further back.
No flights: if you choose not to take one of the flight/train options, there is a price reduction of £220 per person.
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 to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Art in the Netherlands, 16–22 June 2026
Dates & prices
2026
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
22nd - 29th June 2026
Speaker:
Dr Katy Hamilton
Price:
US$6,280 ex flights
(Based on two sharing)
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