Afternoon Tea Concert Cruise - Yoriko Wakabayashi & Graham Caskie, piano duo

A luxurious afternoon tea cruise with a spectacular piano recital aboard The Piano Boat 'Rachmaninov'.

Beautiful music and an experience for every occasion in the world's most intimate concert hall

Please note that access to the boat is via a set of 12 steps from the road to the canal. There are 3 steps down into the boat after boarding, the first of which is quite steep. There is a handrail both for the canal-side steps, and the boat steps.

Enjoy the tranquility of the canals, and elegant afternoon tea, and a carefully crafted classical piano recital in your own exclusive environment. The Piano Boat 'Rachmaninov' will be your venue - a unique floating concert hall opened in 2021, and designed specifically for musical gatherings, holidays and events.

'An incredibly unique experience like no other. Cruising aboard the majestic Piano boat, serenaded by a world class pianist and served 5* canapés with champagne - perfect in every way.'
- Review on Tripadvisor, May 2025

The Piano Boat is host to a brand-new Steinway Model A grand piano, ensuring you always the finest musical experience.

We only take 10 guests each cruise, so you will never feel over-crowded. 

12:45    |   Boarding
13:00   |   Welcome drink and departure
17:00   |   Return to base and disembarkation

After departure, we will cruise for approximately half an hour before mooring up in a quiet spot under the trees for the recital. Enjoy select classical favourites, and perhaps be introduced to some previously-unheard gems. Your performer of the day will personally guide you through the programme, and the musical element of the afternoon will last 45-60 minutes.

Slowly cruising back to base, enjoy a handmade afternoon tea prepared on board and Champagne for the return journey.

Musicians

Yoriko Wakabayashi
Yoriko graduated from Toho Gakuen High School of Music in Tokyo in 1987 and then continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, graduating with the Academy’s highest performance award in 1992. Based now in London, she has given concerts both here in the U.K. and abroad, as soloist and chamber musician.

She has given numerous masterclasses and has been invited on the faculty at the Chetham’s International Piano Summer School on several occasions. For many years she was Assistant Director of the UK-Japan Choir and she is in constant demand as a teacher with a regular class of private students.

Having appeared at many venues and festivals in her career, such experiences have inspired her to produce her own concert series; recently Yoriko and her husband Graham started a new project ‘Music@107’, promoting musical events of all genres in the most intimate and relaxed of settings, that of their own home. Their ultimate aim is to create and develop a space where people who love music can gather, play, listen and socialise regardless of their roles or professional experience.

Graham Caskie
Internationally acclaimed pianist Graham Caskie is renowned particularly for his interpretations of the piano music of Brahms and Debussy. Recitals have included most works of Debussy - notably including both Books of Preludes and from Brahms the Sonatas, the complete Klavierstucke and chamber music works. He is also a keen advocate of contemporary music, jazz, ragtime and improvisation, commissioning several works from leading composers including Stephen Goss, Matthew King, John Cooney and Marcel Baudet. His first professional recording, on the Metier label, included works by Michael Tippett, John McCabe, Paul Patterson and Nigel Clarke, working closely with all these composers prior to the recording. Graham Caskie’s collaborations with composer Stephen Goss began in 2003 with an ideal insomnia, a group of four short pieces for solo piano. Subsequently Caskie’s CD recording Préludes and Interludes, (2008) was a collaboration with Stephen Goss and artist Brian Dunce. Current chamber music partnerships include duos with cellist Thomas Carroll and clarinettist Poppy Beddoe. Graham Caskie was born in Darlington in 1967. He studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Academy of Music under Frank Wibaut, Hamish Milne and Alexander Kelly. Graham Caskie has previously taught at The Yehudi Menuhin School and Chetham’s School of Music and now currently teaches at The Royal Academy of Music, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and London College of Music.

Programme TBC

The Chef - Rhiana Tayama

A Leith's-trained chef, Rhiana 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'.

'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.'

'...the afternoon tea was up there with the best I’ve ever had...'

'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.'

Meeting point

NEAR: The River Garden, Moorhall Road, Harefield, Uxbridge, UB9 6PE

Please ensure you are at the meeting point between 12:30 and 12:45. We regret that we are unable to wait for guests not arriving by the designated time.

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 underground stations are Uxbridge and Northwood, then a bus or taxi will take you to the meeting point.

The Piano Boat cannot take responsibility for your vehicle or possessions, so please ensure you do not leave any valuables in the car.

Please note that access to the boat is not step-free and unfortunately is not suitable for wheelchairs.