A Symphonic Journey Tool Kit

This tool kit provides your orchestra with all the resources needed for producing and promoting the Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey concert.

Producing the Concert

Just as travel broadens one's perspectives, so can music. In this unique concert, Rick teams up with your orchestra on a musical tour that touches down in seven different European countries combining Europe's stirring Romantic-era anthems, beautiful high-definition cinematography, and Rick's insights into European history. 

The concert is structured in two parts: the first part runs approximately 60 minutes, followed by a 20-minute intermission, and a 30-minute finale. The orchestra plays while the related video is shown on a screen behind the orchestra. Download the zipped archives containing the video and on-screen graphics for each anthem. (The first file listed for each segment is the standard. If there is an alternate shown, it may be swapped for the standard. Please consult with your artistic director or concert program to determine which files you need.) Once the files are downloaded, use PowerPoint to organize each anthem graphic and video in the order to be played during the performance. We do not provide a PowerPoint file as many orchestras opt for alternate pieces. 


Promoting the Concert

Select an item below to find Rick's biography, hi-res publicity images of Rick, concert descriptions, and links to download the digital and print assets for promoting the concert.

Rick is avaialble for phone interviews with local media. To schedule an interview contact [email protected].

Rick's Biography

Short Version (71 words)

Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. He is the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe, a travel business with a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Rick lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Medium Version (203 words)

Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. But above all else, Rick considers himself a teacher. He taught his first travel class at his college campus in the mid-1970s — and now, more than 40 years later, he still measures his success not by dollars earned, but by trips impacted.

Rick is the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe, a travel business with a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Each year, the company contributes to a portfolio of climate-smart nonprofits, essentially paying a self-imposed carbon tax. He also supports and works closely with many advocacy groups and has been instrumental in the legalization of marijuana in states across the country.

Rick spends about four months a year in Europe, researching guidebooks, fine-tuning his tour program, filming his TV show, and making new discoveries for travelers. To recharge, he plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade mountains, and spends time with his son Andy and daughter Jackie. He lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Long version (355 words)

Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. But above all else, Rick considers himself a teacher. He taught his first travel class at his college campus in the mid-1970s — and now, more than 40 years later, he still measures his success not by dollars earned, but by trips impacted.

Widely considered America's leading authority on European travel, Rick produces a best-selling series of guidebooks and is the author of Travel as a Political Act. He is dedicated to providing all Americans with access to travel information and has made extensive resources available for free on the Rick Steves' Europe website; via the Rick Steves Audio Europe™ app; and in Rick Steves Classroom Europe™, a searchable database of short, teachable video clips.

A longtime supporter of public broadcasting, Rick produces and hosts public television and radio shows that air across the nation.

Rick is the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe (RSE), a travel business with more than 100 full-time employees. RSE operates a successful small-group tour program which brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. The company contributes annually to a portfolio of climate-smart nonprofits, essentially paying a self-imposed carbon tax.

Rick supports and works closely with many advocacy groups and organizations whose missions fit his own, including Bread for the World. He is Chair of the Board of NORML and has been instrumental in the legalization of marijuana in states across the country. He has also provided $9 million in funding to build two neighborhood centers in his community and donated a 24-unit apartment building for homeless women and their children to his local YWCA.

Rick spends about four months a year in Europe, researching guidebooks, fine-tuning his tour program, filming his TV show, and making new discoveries for travelers. To recharge, he plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade mountains, and spends time with his son Andy and daughter Jackie. He lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Publicity Photos

You may publish these photos free of charge. The files are all 300 dpi, print-quality JPEGs saved with the highest quality compression. 

To download images, click on a link for the image you want below. Once the image finishes loading, right-click on it and choose "Save Image As." All photos should be credited with "Photo credit Rick Steves' Europe" unless otherwise noted.

 

Rick in Copenhagen.
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Rick at Vienna's Kunsthistoriches Museum.
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Rick at Cambridge University in England.
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Rick Steves photo by Zachary Scott.
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Rick Steves photo by Zachary Scott. (vertical)
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Rick Steves photo by Zachary Scott. (vertical)
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Concert Descriptions

Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey (60 words)

Usually you'll find Rick Steves touring the great destinations of Europe. Now you can join him on a different journey: A Symphonic Journey. In this unique concert, Rick Steves teams up with the [Orchestra Name] for a performance that combines Europe's most stirring Romantic-era anthems with beautiful high-definition cinematography and Rick's insights into European history.

Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey (130 words)

Rick Steves, America's leading authority on European travel, teams up with the [Orchestra Name] for a musical journey that begins in the United States, and touches down in seven different European countries. This unique concert celebrates music's power to stir the patriotic soul. Playing musical tour guide, Steves utilizes his extensive knowledge of European history and culture to help set the context for each piece. Then, the orchestra performs a selection of stirring 19th-century anthems by Romantic-era composers, including Grieg, Smetana, Strauss, Berlioz, Elgar, Wagner, and Verdi. Each selection honors a particular nationality, while the finale, Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" (Europe's official anthem) pays homage to the continent's motto of "United in Diversity." The music is accompanied by a montage of evocative video images from each country.

Promotional Assets

 

 

11 x 17 Poster and 8½ x 11 Program Cover
Download File

Editable Adobe Illustrator CC and PDF files with links, set up as CMYK for print. The program cover contains no type. (471mb)

 

Web Ad, Print Ad, Postcard
Download File

Web ads in three sizes as layered RGB Photoshop files. 7x7" print ad and postcard as CMYK  Illustrator and PDF files. (331mb) 

 

Concert Promotional Video (0:30)
Download Avid File | Download ProRes File

Broadcast-quality video available in Avid DNX (793 mb) and Apple ProRes (782 mb) formats.

 

Promotional Message from Rick (0:34)
Download MP4 File

Rick playing piano promoting the Symphonic Journey concert.


Frequently Asked Questions

Can the anthem line-up be modified?

Rick prefers to perform the concert in its original structure. Artistic directors may edit down pieces so the approximately 90-minute medley fits their time frame. If one segment needs to be dropped due to time restrictions, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance is a good option. If anthems need to be replaced or added (eg. during the Christmas season) it may be workable. Rick is open to exploring how this can be done without breaking up the cohesiveness of the original structure.

Can the concert be filmed or recorded for radio broadcast?

Yes, Rick has a great relationship with public television and radio stations, and partnering with your local stations is encouraged in any way that helps with the event (in promotion and even in filming for local broadcast). Rick owns all the rights to the production and "the more fun the better."

Is it possible for Rick to include a pre-concert lecture?

Rick has many slideshow lectures (lengths vary from 90 minutes to two hours) he can give while in town, including "For the Love of Europe," "European Travel Skills," "Travel as a Political Act," and "Europe: A Symphonic Journey." This last lecture is a one-hour slideshow presentation designed to support the concert by taking the "Romantic Art in the late 19th century" theme and going beyond the anthems to explore the Romantic sights and culture in each country from the program.

Can we schedule a VIP event or Meet & Greet/Book Signing before or after the concert?

Rick is happy to include a VIP event in conjunction with the performance. If you choose to sell merchandise, Rick can be available in the lobby after the concert to sign books. Rick also enjoys being available in the lobby to greet the public, sign autographs, and pose for photos after the performance.

Would we be able to sell Rick Steves books at the concert?

We can help your organization raise funds through selling Rick Steves books at the concert. If you're interested in offering books for sale, we recommend Rick's "For the Love of Europe," "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces," "Travel as a Political Act," and "Europe Through the Back Door."