Pianist Alessandro Martire spent years convincing local officials to let him play while floating on the glittering blue waters of Lake Como in northern Italy, but when the show — called “Floating Waves” — finally came to pass, the internationally famous resort town clearly was meant for such a spectacle.

Pictures from the first concert look like something out of a sweeping romantic epic— with Martire sitting before his custom-crafted, almost futuristic Waves piano, designed by Italian architect Claudio Bargna from the town of Cantù, known for its artisanal furniture. More than 5,000 people watched from the shore in 2020. During subsequent performances, spectators took in the music from boats and rafts on the water.