Acting as hosts on board, musicians Alexander Krichel, David Orlowsky, and Shira Patchornik will curate their own musical cruises, each conceived from a deeply personal perspective. With CURATED CONCERTS, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises expands its cultural offerings with a new and exclusive concert format that opens classical music to innovative dramaturgical concepts both on board and ashore.
Tailored to each artist's musical style and instrument, these voyages combine performances, emotionally charged musical narratives, and extraordinary destinations along the itinerary. Building on the company's extensive experience curating classical music at sea—forged through projects such as the Ocean Sun Festival—this new format brings chamber music to passengers year-round aboard its two luxury ships, EUROPA and EUROPA 2.
Throughout 2027, the new CURATED CONCERTS format will combine two onboard concerts with an exceptional onshore concert on each of the three selected cruises, focusing on a prominent artistic personality. Each artist will develop the musical concept in collaboration with their partners, giving each program its own unique dramatic identity.
The combination of exceptional music, carefully curated itineraries, and unique venues results in musical experiences that deliberately depart from traditional concert formats. Many of the chosen spaces are not conventional concert halls, but rather locations with their own history, distinctive architecture, and close ties to the region in which they are situated.
EUROPE and EUROPE 2: High culture settings on the high seas
This new classical music format reflects the high artistic level that characterizes the cultural programming of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' two luxury ships.
The EUROPA and EUROPA 2 offer top-quality cruises with exceptional service, diverse cuisine, and exclusive itineraries around the world. Their size and intimate atmosphere create the ideal setting for high-level cultural experiences.
With a maximum capacity of 400 passengers on the EUROPA and 500 on the EUROPA 2, a unique intimacy between artists and audience is fostered, something difficult to achieve in a traditional concert hall. Both ships share a world-class cultural program.
The small number of guests creates a particularly intimate atmosphere, where artists and passengers interact as equals. Around 1,800 artists perform on board each year, accompanying travelers for several days and sharing not only the stage but also informal encounters, creating a much more personal and memorable musical experience.
With CURATED CONCERTS, the focus is on the personal style of each artist, who selects the repertoire, the guest musicians and designs experiences that allow passengers to delve into their creative universe.
Melodramas between the Baltic Sea and the Swedish archipelagos
From the Baltic Sea to the archipelagos of Sweden, this cruise combines pianistic mastery with literary expression. One of the highlights will be the concert at the Eric Ericson Hall in Stockholm.
In this program, pianist Alexander Krichel and actor Sabin Tambrea revive the rare genre of melodrama from a contemporary perspective, in which music and words converse on equal terms.
A multiple award winner, Krichel is renowned for his technically impeccable and deeply narrative pianistic style, particularly in the Romantic repertoire. Tambrea, one of the most outstanding actors of his generation, brings an intense stage presence that places the performance somewhere between a concert and a theater production.
This interaction can also be enjoyed on board the EUROPA, in chamber concerts that evolve to the rhythm of the itinerary through the Baltic Sea.
Baltic Summer Breeze Cruise – MS EUROPA. July 18-30, 2027. From Hamburg to Kiel – 12 days
The vast Nordic landscapes and the acoustics of the Arctic Cathedral
This cruise travels along the Norwegian coast from Hamburg to the North Cape, traversing landscapes whose very nature becomes a sonic experience. The highlight will be the concert in Tromsø's Arctic Cathedral, where clarinetist David Orlowsky will perform with a female vocal ensemble, presenting a program created especially for the occasion.
Considered one of the most outstanding clarinetists of his generation, Orlowsky combines classical chamber music with contemporary interpretations, developing his own musical language that transcends traditional genres.
The extraordinary acoustics of the Arctic Cathedral enhance the dialogue between music, architecture, and the Nordic landscape, creating a unique experience. On board, you will be accompanied by other world-class musicians, offering passengers an innovative soundscape.
Cruise: The Natural Wonders of Norway – MS EUROPA 2. August 28 to September 12, 2027. From Hamburg to Kiel – 12 days
Baroque voices between Stockholm and the Baltic Sea
This cruise explores the richness of vocal and chamber music from the Baroque period to the present day. The concert at the Ulriksdal Palace Theatre in Stockholm will kick off a program that ranges from Baroque music and folk to the intimacy of chamber music.
Soprano Shira Patchornik, along with her trio Cyrene and lutenist Elias Conrad, will perform a repertoire that fuses historical musical traditions with personal arrangements.
Patchornik, one of the most recognized voices on the international baroque scene and winner of the OPUS Klassik 2026 Award, will also offer on board a repertoire ranging from Monteverdi and Mozart to Romantic works and opera.
At EUROPA, this musical range is expanded with chamber music and opera programs that combine voice, instruments and different ensemble formations.
Mare Balticum Cruise: Tradition and Modernity – MS EUROPA. August 30 to September 10, 2027. From Hamburg to Kiel – 11 days
