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Concerts at sea for Sea Cloud's tandem Steinway cruises

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Joachim Horsley, left, infuses the works of classical composers with Afro-Caribbean rhythms and will appear on Sea Cloud Spirit, while acclaimed Swedish musician Helge Antoni, right, will perform aboard Sea Cloud II, pictured at center
Sea Cloud Cruises will once again transform the lounges of Sea Cloud II and Sea Cloud Spirit into concert venues for talents from the Steinway Artist family.

Each windjammer is home to a Steinway & Sons piano, and Steinway Artists number more than 2,000 notables from many genres.

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Sea Cloud II and Sea Cloud Spirit lounges feature Steinway & Sons pianos

Sailing side-by-side

Sea Cloud II and Sea Cloud Spirit will sail side-by-side on a musical voyage from Málaga to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria Nov. 2-11 with performances by artists onboard and ashore. Together the tall ships will pass the Rock of Gibraltar and skirt the Moroccan coastline before continuing to the Canaries.

'Sea Cloud Cruises and Steinway & Sons share a rich history of superb craftsmanship and dedication to delivering the highest quality experiences for passionate connoisseurs of sailing and music,' said Mirell Reyes, president of Sea Cloud Cruises North America.

Nine-day itinerary with optional mid-cruise overland tour

The nine-day itinerary includes Gibraltar, Tangier, Casablanca, Agadir and Arrecife (Lanzarote), with several days under full sails woven in. An optional two-day overnight program from Casablanca to Agadir Nov. 6-8 is available for an added cost that includes a stay at Hotel Les Jardins de la Koutoubia in Marrakech, a brief city tour of Casablanca and Marrakech city tour including a visit to the Medina and Souk, Majorelle Gardens and Berber Museum.

The artists

Sea Cloud Spirit will feature US-born, Germany-based jazz scene star Chris Hopkins, who has played more than 4,000 concerts worldwide and contributed to some 50 CD productions, many of them award-winning. He will perform alongside Australian David Blenkhorn, an esteemed international jazz guitarist.

Composer, multi-instrumentalist and arranger Joachim Horsley is noted American pianist who arranges the works of classical music’s great composers and infuses them with Afro-Caribbean rhythms. For example, 'Beethoven in Havana,' an arrangement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony in Cuban style, came to life after Horsley studied in Cuba. Aboard Sea Cloud Spirit, he will be accompanied by percussionist Murph Aucamp, who studied classical percussion but early on discovered his love for Cuban music, learning rumba in the streets of Miami and South Florida.

Sea Cloud II performances

Booked for Sea Cloud II, acclaimed Swedish musician Helge Antoni has performed as a soloist with orchestras and a recital and chamber musician throughout Europe and North and South America. His CDs interpret piano works by Sinding, Grieg, Rossini and Chopin/Field.

Also performing on Sea Cloud II will be the Świgut sisters, pianist Aleksandra Świgut, hailed by critics as one of the most expressive personalities on the classical music scene, and violinist Agnieszka Świgut, a soloist and orchestral musician with the Royal Stockholm Opera Orchestra.

The Steinway & Sons voyage fares start at $8,995 per person, double occupancy, and include open bar, gratuities and port charges.