Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes joins Rick Steves for a special episode of One Symphony, exploring the connections between classical music, travel, culture, and our shared humanity.
What do music and travel have in common? Both invite us to step outside our familiar surroundings, experience the world through someone else's eyes, and discover something new about ourselves.
I recently had the opportunity to explore these questions with travel writer and television host Rick Steves for a special episode of my One Symphony podcast, ahead of our Colorado performances of Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journeywith Boulder Symphony & Music Academy and Symphony of the Rockies.
What many people may not know is that before Rick became one of America's best-known travel teachers, he taught piano to 50 students. Music has been an important part of his life since childhood, and his earliest travels to Europe were connected to his family's involvement in the piano business.
Our conversation began with those musical roots and took us through the flamenco traditions of Spain, fado in Portugal, Grieg's Norway, Smetana's Czech homeland, and Beethoven's vision of human connection in his Ninth Symphony.
We explored how music can reveal the character of a place, why understanding a composer's world changes the way we hear their music, and how both travel and music can broaden our perspectives.
One of my favorite moments came when Rick described the journey from tourist to traveler to pilgrim, and the ways that music can become part of that deeper experience.
Bringing Europe to Colorado
On October 8 and 9, 2026, Symphony of the Rockies and Boulder Symphony & Music Academy presented Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey, a multimedia concert combining live orchestral performance with scenic footage and introductions from Rick Steves.
Conducting these performances was a wonderful opportunity to connect the music of Strauss, Wagner, Smetana, Elgar, Verdi, Grieg, Saint-Saëns, and Beethoven with the European landscapes, histories, and cultures that helped shape it.
The journey began with America the Beautiful, traveled through eight European countries, and culminated in Beethoven's Ode to Joy, a musical expression of fellowship that continues to resonate across borders.
As Rick explained during our interview, the concert was designed for “people who didn't know they liked classical music.”
That idea speaks to something I care deeply about: making great music approachable without diminishing its depth, and helping audiences discover meaningful connections between music and their own lives.
Listen to My Conversation with Rick Steves
In this special episode of One Symphony, we discuss Rick's early years as a piano teacher, the relationship between music and national identity, the importance of cultural understanding, and why the arts continue to matter in an increasingly divided world.
Whether you're a lifelong classical music enthusiast, an avid traveler, or simply curious about the world, I hope you'll enjoy our conversation.
Listen to One Symphony wherever you get your podcasts..
Learn more about Rick Steves' musical journey:
https://www.ricksteves.com/symphony