MUSIC CRUISES 2019 RHINE World-class performances on board and on land Our AMADEUS team has carefully designed impressive concert programs both on board and ashore. Reserve your spot for exclusive encounters with internationally acclaimed artists in intimate settings. The relaxing ambience on board is a perfect backdrop for this unique opportunity to get to know the musicians personally and start uplifting conversations. A select repertoire with pieces from top classical composers in history promises a rich music experience. Enjoy private concerts in unique venues, such as the St. Thomas Church in Strasbourg, the House of Beethoven in Bonn, the splendid Mozarteum in Salzburg, Duna Palace in Budapest and impressive Melk Abbey in the Wachau valley. OUR ONBOARD MUSIC EXPERT An expert in music hosts this themed week and offers special insight and engaging introductions on featured composers and pieces, prior to the musical performances. Austrian born, Antonella Placheta studied piano at the Innsbruck Conservatory for ten years. She continued her studies at the University of Innsbruck, where she concentrated on history and philosophy. After her studies she was able to combine her love of history with her love of music and the arts. In addition to her work as a historian and organizer of various cultural events, Antonella moderates concerts and music events and is active as a state-licensed tourist guide. Since 2015, she has been the director of the women‘s choir ”Sono”. As a music and cultural expert, she accompanies travel groups and cruises throughout Europe and is happy to share her knowledge and her enthusiasm for music with our national and international guests. ”The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 2 3 Your itinerary DAY/PORT ARR DEP PROGRAM 1 AMSTERDAM Embarkation from 4 pm · Welcome Cocktail · Welcome Dinner Classical Music Welcome concert in the Panorama-Bar (included): Dudok Quartet 2 AMSTERDAM 09.00 City tour Amsterdam with private concert on the Rhine in the monumental Dominicus Church (included; from Amsterdam/to Utrecht): Dudok Quartet UTRECHT 12.30 13.00 Rejoin the ship 8 DAYS AMSTERDAM—BASEL 3 COLOGNE 09.00 11.00 Cologne walking tour in the morning (optional) from E 1.999 per person BONN 14.30 23.59 Visit of Beethoven‘s House in Bonn and private concert (included): Pianist Martin Ivanov 4 COCHEM 13.30 22.00 In the morning, scenic cruise along the Moselle river Cochem walking tour with wine tasting in the afternoon (optional) In the evening, exclusive concert on board (included): Nathan Quartet 5 KOBLENZ 06.00 11.00 Koblenz walking tour in the morning (included) Musical tea party on board in the afternoon (included): Nathan Quartet RÜDESHEIM 17.00 22.00 Rüdesheim walking tour with visit of Siegfried‘s music museum (optional) 6 SPEYER 09.00 19.30 Speyer walking tour in the morning (optional) Excursion to Heidelberg in the afternoon (included; from/to Speyer) Captain‘s Gala dinner 7 STRASBOURG 08.00 14.00 In the morning, city tour of Strasbourg followed by an exclusive organ concert in St. Thomas‘ Church (included): Organist Daniel Maurer Farewell concert on board (included): Stuttgart String Quartet 8 BASEL 08.00 Disembarkation after breakfast Excursions listed in blue are not included in the cruise price (p. 10). We reserve the right to make amendments to port and excursion timings, itinerary or program. Amsterdam Utrecht Embark on a voyage of sound along the Rhine, featuring an organ recital in the famous North Sea NETHERLANDS R St. Thomas‘s church in Strasbourg, a visit to Beethoven‘s house in Bonn with an exclusive h GERMANY i n e concert of Martin Ivanov and private concerts by the Stuttgart String Quartet, Nathan BELGIUM Quartet and Dudok Quartet. Enjoy the picturesque Rhine scenery from Amsterdam on Cologne Koblenz y the North Sea all the way down the river to Basel in Switzerland. Cruise through the lle Va Cochem e in Rüdesheim heart of Germany to the sounds of masterpieces by German composers — Beethoven, h LUXEMBOURG R Bach, Händel, Schumann and Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Selected pieces still provide le d d Mosellei musicians and composers with inspiration, and are sure to entertain, evoke memories, M Speyer stir powerful emotions and even surprise you! Heidelberg FRANCE Strasbourg Rhine Basel SWITZERLAND © Minerva Studio/Shutterstock.com MUSIC CRUISE ON THE RHINE MUSIC CRUISE ON THE RHINE 4 5 Musicians Line-up PIANIST MARTIN IVANOV ORGANIST DANIEL MAURER Born in 1990 to a Bulgarian Daniel Maurer studied in family of musicians, Martin Paris with Jean Langlais, who DUDOK QUARTET Ivanov is quickly establishing dedicated one of his organ himself as an outstanding and compositions (“Noël N ° 3 avec captivating pianist. He began variations”) to him in 1979. playing piano in 1994 with his He accompanied Langlais mother, and graduated the regularly on tours as an assistant National Arts School of Ruse and played several concerts in 2009. He participated in for four hands and four feet over 50 piano competitions in with him. Daniel also studied Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, with André Marchal, Marie- Russia, Spain and the USA, Claire Alain, Guy Bovet and with huge success at each one of them. In 2008, Martin was Lionel Rogg. In 1982 he won the Premier Prix d‘Honneur at the awarded the prize Ruse XXI Century (Bulgaria) for extraordinary International Competition in Paris, as well as the Premier Prix accomplishments in music. In 2009, he began studying with d‘orgue at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Prof. Maisenberg at the Uni.versity for Music and Performing Arts Paris. Daniel Maurer is a titular organist at the J. A. Silbermann in Vienna and later with Prof. Stevan Vladar. Martin has given organ of the St. Thomas church in Strasbourg. He teaches as a concerts at festivals in Bulgaria, Austria, Spain, Holland, the USA, professor of organ and improvisation at the Conservatoire and at France, Italy and Romania. In 2012 he was invited to play at the the Académie Supérieure de Musique in Strasbourg. Life Ball Vienna charity event in front of Hollywood stars and After completing their studies with distinction at the Dutch String (Quatuor Ysaÿe) and Stefan Metz. Many well-known contemporary famous singers. Quartet Academy in 2013, the Quartet started to have success at classical composers such as Kaija Saariaho, Mark-Anthony Turnage, international competitions and to be recognized as one of the most Calliope Tsoupaki and Max Knigge also worked with the quartet. promising young European string quartets of the year. In 2014, they In 2014, the Quartet signed on for several recordings with Resonus STUTTGART STRING QUARTET were awarded the Kersjes Prize for their exceptional talent in the Classics, the world’s first solely digital classical music label. They Dutch chamber music scene. performed with many renowned guest musicians such as Pieter The Quartet was also laureate and winner of two special prizes Wispelwey, Dmitri Ferschtman, Quirine Viersen, Hannes Minnaar during the 7th International String Quartet Competition 2013 à and Mikhail Zemtsov. The musicians have also performed at many Bordeaux and won 1st place at both the 1st International String prestigious festivals and performed concerts at every major concert Quartet Competition 2011 in Radom (Poland) and the 27th hall in the Netherlands, as well as venues in France, Spain, Belgium, Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition 2012. Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and In 2012, they received 2nd place at the 6th Joseph Joachim Cyprus. The quartet took its name from Willem Marinus Dudok International Chamber Music Competition in Weimar (Germany). (1884 —1974) who was a famous Dutch architect and a great lover The members of the quartet first met in the Dutch street symphony of music. He came from a musical family and composed music in orchestra “Ricciotti”. From 2009 until 2011, they studied with the his spare time. Alban Berg Quartet at the School of Music in Cologne, then to study with Marc Danel at the Dutch String Quartet Academy. “I owe more to composers than I owe to any architect”, he wrote. Stefan Balle Julius Calvelli-Adorno Martin Höfler Bernhard Lörcher During the same period, the quartet was coached intensively by “I feel deeply the common core of music and architecture; after Eberhard Feltz, Peter Cropper (Lindsay Quartet), Luc-Marie Aguera all, they both derive their value from the right proportions.” Stefan Balle (1st violin) was born in Stuttgart in 1966 and has Martin Höfler (viola) studied violin and viola at the Freiburger been first violinist of the Stuttgart Philharmonic since 1996. He Musikhochschule and the Amadeus Quartet in Cologne. With the studied with Prof. Lukas David in Detmold and with Prof. Tibor Spohr Quartet, which was founded in 1984, he won first place NATHAN QUARTET Varga in Sion, for whom he also worked as an assistant. In addition at the Freiburg University Competition in 1985. This ensemble The Nathan Quartet (Dana Anka, Maja Hunziker, Roswitha Killian, to chamber music train.ing with Christoph Poppen (Cherubini not only represented the ARD at the “Internationale Musiktage” Arne-Christian Pelz) was founded in Hamburg and is firmly Quartet), he also studied in the master class of Young-Uck Kim in Salzburg in 1986, but also performed numerous concerts and anchored in the musical life of the Hanseatic city. Since 2005, the (Beaux Arts Trio). In 1989, Stefan founded the Arensky Trio, with broadcasts for various institutions. As an orchestral musician, he Nathan Quartet has been organizing two concert series of its own: which he won numerous prizes and awards during competitions. has played with the ”SWR-Rundfunkorchester“ Kaiserslautern, the in Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle and in Scala Basel.