Concert & Cruises in Sarasota: A Live Piano & Luxury Travel Experience

We recently hosted another Concert & Cruises evening in Sarasota at St. Armands Keys Lutheran Church, created together by DeSalvio Travel and Robert Poortinga.

Combining Luxury Travel with a live concert Presentation

The concept is simple: we combine a travel presentation with a live piano concert focused on European river and ocean cruising. The goal is not to separate music and travel, but to show how closely they are connected in terms of culture, geography, and experience.

We work as a Virtuoso-affiliated travel agency and often design itineraries around smaller, more curated cruise experiences with partners such as Ponant and Viking Cruises whom we invited in person presenting their brand. During the evening, we introduce this approach to travel first, before the concert begins.

Classical Music Program Inspired by European Destinations

The program I performed was built around European composers and their connection to place. I played works by Debussy, Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, and Strauss. Each of these composers is strongly linked to a specific region, France, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Austria, and I use that connection to structure the program like a journey through Europe.

Between the pieces, I speak briefly about the historical background of the music and the context in which it was written. One aspect I often highlight is how much travel affected composers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Conditions were difficult, and movement across Europe was slow and often uncomfortable, which directly influenced how music developed in different regions.

Robert speaking about travel and introducing his concert program

I am currently writing a book on this topic, the travel of composers between roughly 1750 and 1918, because it is something that is rarely discussed, but essential to understanding how European classical music actually evolved. Composers were constantly travelling between cities like Vienna, Paris, Leipzig, and Budapest, often under conditions that are hard to imagine today.

Connecting Historical Travel to Modern Cruise Experiences

At the same time, the travel presentation focuses on modern equivalents of these journeys: river cruises, cultural itineraries, and expedition travel. The idea is to show continuity between historical movement and modern travel experiences.

What we observed again in Sarasota is that people initially come for a travel event followed by a concert. In reality, it becomes a combined experience where both elements reinforce each other.

I’m speechless, I have never heard such a piano performance in my entire life. I also loved the travel lecture. Thank you for this experience (A. Bekkerman)

Why We Created Concert & Cruises

For us, this event format is not about marketing travel in a traditional sense. It is about showing how travel can be structured more thoughtfully, and how music can be used to frame that experience in a meaningful way. How doing something like a presentation and concert can inspire people to travel to a certain destination and how we can advice everyone based on their own interests, because isn't that what we are here for? To create something special for someone else and to make each other happy?

Robert rehearsing before the event in Bellingham (WA)

Sarasota as a Step in the Growth of the Concept

Sarasota was another step in developing this concept further, both as a travel platform and as a performance format. Being part of 4 events, in Miami, Sarasota, Salt Lake City and Bellingham, we understood that there is a big interest in experiencing culture and history during travel. And by combining all these aspects, DeSalvio Travel and Sarasota Cruise Agency wants to distinguish themselves from other agencies.