'moments musicaux' | The Piano Boat
Select dates available in 2025 (more dates coming soon)
Beautiful music and an experience for every occasion.
The world's most intimate concert hall
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A new kind of event is coming to The Piano Boat...
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Various dates and times (please check events listings)
4 hours
£150 pp
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Harefield, Uxbridge, UB9 6PE (meeting details below)
The Experience
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​The Piano Boat exists to create magical experiences on the waterways, where you can escape for a while to a floating dimension in which sublime, live music drifts across you, food and drinks appear, and you glide along the canal in a purpose-built concert venue on the water with only a handful of other guests around you.
A Moments Musicaux cruise will combine the elements of music, canapés and drinks with the backdrop of the canals and an intimate soirée atmosphere.
'Everything about the experience was excellent. The comfort and warmth aboard the Piano Boat, the leisurely cruise, the clarity and expression of the piano recital, the intimate setting, the sumptuous tea, and the hospitality and friendship of the hosts and fellow passengers/guests. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite amongst so much good.' - TripAdvisor review, December 2022
The Piano Boat is host to a beautiful, new Steinway Model A grand piano, ensuring the finest musical experiences. The music will run as a thread throughout with short musical interludes interspersed with moments to enjoy refreshments, cruising and the onboard environment.
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Please note that whilst we do our utmost to avoid cross-contamination during the food preparation processes, all food is prepared in an area where allergens are used and may be present. Food served cannot be guaranteed to be free of allergens. If you or one of your party suffer from a severe allergy, please consider this when booking.
The Pianists
Graham Caskie (13.10.2024 & 10.11.2024)
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‘Caskie is a model of poetic subtlety and discretion...’ - Gramophone Magazine
As Graham touches the piano keys, the room falls silent. You can feel every listener focusing on every note, so not to miss any important message. A deep thinker and extraordinary communicator, this comes across so clearly in his music.
Graham is renowned for his interpretations of the piano and chamber music of Brahms and Debussy, and is also a keen advocate of contemporary music, jazz, ragtime and improvisation.
In addition to being a musician of the finest calibre, he has also been a great friend and support to The Piano Boat over the past few years as well as being a very close friend to Masayuki Tayama for over 10 years. We are so pleased that he will be the person to lead the musical aspect of the first events on board for more than a year.​
Meeting Point
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NEAR: The River Garden, Moorhall Road, Harefield, Uxbridge, UB9 6PE
Full details (including a map) will be emailed to you ahead of your cruise.
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Please ensure you are at the meeting point on time. We regret that we are unable to wait for guests not arriving by the designated time.
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Parking is available on the roadside (non-restricted), and you will receive full details including a map ahead of your booked cruise date. The nearest overground station is Denham, and the nearest underground stations are Uxbridge and Northwood, then a bus or taxi can take you to the meeting point.
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The Piano Boat cannot take responsibility for your vehicle or possessions, so please ensure you do not leave any valuables in the car.
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Please note that access to the boat is not step-free and unfortunately is not suitable for wheelchairs.
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The Chef
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A Leith's-trained chef, Rhiana Tayama does all the catering for cruises single-handedly and on board. Everything is made from scratch using fresh ingredients, and the quality of her afternoon teas has been reviewed as being 'better than any of the major London hotels'.
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'The boat is beautifully fitted, the tea was the best I have had in a long time (rivals Claridges or any London venue). Masa and Rhiana were perfect hosts, made us feel very welcomed.'
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'...the afternoon tea was up there with the best I’ve ever had...'
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'From start to finish it was an absolute delight! Rhiana and Masayuki skilfully segued from immaculate, delicious hosting (excellent, home-made afternoon tea lavished on each member of the audience with superb care and attention to detail), to a stunning and brilliant performance on the piano from Masayuki, to steering and managing the boat...Multi-talented, lovely people. We can not recommend the whole experience enough and are already thinking about who we can gift it to! Rhiana and Masayuki thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon that we will remember fondly always.'
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Rhiana is also the owner of The Piano Boat and manages all aspects of the operations. She will be the person you speak to if you'd like to get in touch!
Guests enjoying an Afternoon Tea Concert Cruise, July 2021
Emilie Capulet (01.12.2024 & 08.12.2024)
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‘heightened musical sensitivity, total emotion, a magical touch...’
- Utmisol Magazine
Emilie first shared her talents on board Rachmaninov during our launch events in the summer of 2021. Listening to her perform is a rich experience of so much more than just the music, and you come away with a feeling of having heard something from an excellent storyteller.
Emilie is an award-winning concert pianist, university lecturer and musicologist who has been invited to perform across the world in an array of venues from large concert halls to historical and intimate settings. An in-demand lecture-recitalist as well, she conveys a deep knowledge of the repertoire and presents this in a way that is both compelling and relevant.
Photo credit: ©Steve Jones,
Courtesy of Hay Music Trust