On October 11, 12, and 13, the beloved European travel guru and public television personality Rick Steves joins the Houston Symphony for a musical tour of the continent: Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey. Complete with stunning film footage of some of Europe’s most spectacular travel destinations and performances of The Blue Danube waltz, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and more classical favorites, these performances will take listeners on a one-of-a-kind journey from the comfort of Jones Hall’s red velvet seats. Rick Steves himself shares how his own love of music inspired this unique concert experience.
Houston Symphony: How did the idea for Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey originate? How would you describe this concert experience?
Rick Steves: I love travel, music, and history. I’m a tour guide on a mission to help Americans gain a broader perspective. After two decades of producing TV shows for public television, I have a wonderful archive of footage from across Europe. It occurred to me that I could weave these passions and resources together into a concert—and Europe: A Symphonic Journey was born.
I’ve long been impressed by how excited Americans get about American music (Aaron Copland, Leroy Anderson, John Philip Sousa, and so on)—just like Norwegians thrill to Edvard Grieg, Austrians waltz to Johann Strauss, and German hearts beat faster to Richard Wagner. As a teacher, my personal mission is to help Americans better appreciate other cultures. I designed this concert to start in America, so the audience could feel the patriotic musical thrill that comes with that…and then we take a tour of Europe, sampling similar musical thrills from other cultural perspectives—each piece honors a different nationality. And then, the finale: Europe’s official anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” paying homage to the continent’s motto: “United in Diversity.”
HS: In your show, we have seen you tickle the ivories once or twice. What is your musical background?
RS: My father was a piano tuner, band director, and piano importer. He brought the finest European pianos to America, and I grew up filing the hammers of Bösendorfers and German Steinways. For years, I aspired to be a piano teacher. I had 50 wonderful students, but it was tough to keep them practicing regularly in the summer. So, I’d take summers off to travel in Europe. And before long, I had to make a tough choice: teach piano…or teach Europe. I chose the latter, and I’ve spent four months a year in Europe since then. But I still have my beloved European grand piano—and when people ask me now where I travel for a vacation, I like to say, “Home…playing my piano while enjoying my view of the Olympic Mountains.”
HS: Do you have any favorite classical composers? Any favorite non-classical artists?
RS: While I’m not an accomplished pianist, I enjoy playing Scarlatti, Schumann, Schubert, Bartók, Mozart, and Ginastera. My most dog-eared book of music is my big black Beatles Complete, which I’ve owned for about 40 years.
HS: In your travels, have you ever visited a place associated with classical music that made a particularly vivid impression?
RS: I love visiting places in Europe that inspired artists I enjoy. Just like Monet was inspired by his water lilies, Grieg was inspired by his fjord-side setting outside of Bergen, in the west of Norway.
HS: How did you get into the travel business? Was this a creative use of a history major, or was it something you knew you wanted to do early on?
RS: My college sweetheart was also a piano teacher. We dreamed of someday getting married and nuzzling our two grand pianos together. Even though I aspired to teach piano, I got two unrelated degrees: business administration and European history. When European travel stole my heart, I just happened to have the educational tools to turn it into a business. Today, I employ more than 100 colleagues in Seattle at Rick Steves’ Europe, and we keep 100 guides busy in Europe, taking about 30,000 Americans a year on more than 1,000 Rick Steves tours.
HS: What do you think has been the secret to your success?
RS: Specializing in what I love. I’ve had great partners, and we’ve worked hard for many years, always staying laser-focused on the same mission: equipping, educating, and inspiring Americans to have efficient, economical, and perspective-broadening European travels. I try to teach with passion, create great content, and amplify it generously. I don’t measure profits by how much money I’ve earned, but by how many trips I’ve positively impacted.
HS: If you could give our audience a few top pieces of travel advice, what would they be?
RS: Be a cultural chameleon and embrace the local favorites. Be an extrovert—it’s meeting people that carbonates your experience. Equip yourself with good information and expect yourself to travel smart.
Don’t miss Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey on October 11, 12, and 13! Learn more and get tickets.
