BOB BERNHARDT conductor | RICK STEVES narrator
Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 @ 7:30 PM | DeVos Performance Hall
Get ready Grand Rapids! Rick Steves, America's leading authority on European travel, teams up with the Grand Rapids Symphony 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.
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