One of the most controversial of all concert pieces, Ravel’s Boléro (1928) is both an incomparable feast for the ears
– languid, modal melodies, crooning saxophones, Spanish dance rhythms – and a puzzle for the brain, as it is a work
whose marvelous variety and sensational climax are built on mechanistic repetition. The composer himself once
half-jokingly characterized it as “a crescendo without music.” This evening, the famous Boléro is matched with
Rachmaninov’s riveting, perennially popular Symphonic Dances for orchestra, and the Variaciones concertantes of
Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, in which a lyrical theme for cello and harp is taken on a tour of the whole
orchestra.

EPSG:4326

Boléro

Von Braun Center

Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, famed for its romantic 18th variation, features pianist Federico Colli. Conductor Case Scaglione leads this program including John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine, a thrilling orchestral sprint and the powerful and defiant Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.

Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

Phoenix Convention Center

Sir Stephen Hough: a pianist whose effortless brilliance at the keyboard has been described as little short of genius. John Wilson: the Newcastle-born conductor who knows how to make an orchestra sound like a million dollars. Put them together and sparks will fly – whether in Rachmaninov’s showstopping concerto, Ravel’s sumptuous dream waltz or Vaughan Williams’ glorious technicolour portrait of a great city in all its bustling, glittering life. Trust us: this is going to be special. 

Sir Stephen Hough Plays Rachmaninov

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Music Hall, Aberdeen

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Cherished world name Boris Giltburg comes to Umeå to welcome spring with one of the world's most beloved piano concertos: Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto from 1901, the magnum opus of the bending, grand-ruffled Romantic piano art. The evening also offers new writing by German-Swedish Lisa Streich and playful playing-card classicism by Igor Stravinsky.

Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff

Norrlandsoperan

Rachmaninov’s final orchestral work, musically retracing the course of his own existence, evokes the Russia he was forced to leave behind. Composed in the U. S. just a few years before his death, Rachmaninov drew on folk and sacred motifs as well as themes from his own past works, including the All-Night Vigil and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The result is a warm, contemplative, richly textured farewell to life. Under conductor Peter Oundjian, the Seattle Symphony also debuts a Double Concerto commissioned from major American composer Christopher Theofanidis for world-renowned percussionist Svet Stoyanov and concertmaster Noah Geller. Joan Tower’s exciting Concerto for Orchestra Suite rounds out the program.

Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

Benaroya Hall

Why are we here, and what comes next? Throughout time, humans have wrestled with these questions, resulting in compositions like Richard Strauss’ radiant swan song, Rachmaninov’s haunting depiction of the journey of souls to the afterlife, Janáček’s portrait of hope and solidarity in a Siberian prison camp and Wagner’s spine-tingling meditation on eternal love.

Songs of Love and Farewell

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

At the age of 22, Rachmaninov had his heart broken. He poured all his ambition and all his emotion into the epic score of his First Symphony, which goes off like a volcano – wild, passionate and positively brimming with inspiration. For many years it was lost, but today conductor Nil Venditti gives this youthful tour de force its due.

The Northampton-born composer Edmund Rubbra, meanwhile, was one of the most admired names in post-war British music, but today his radiant Piano Concerto – inspired by the flowers and moods of the English countryside – is a real rarity. Pianist Mark Bebbington has made it his mission to rediscover Britain’s lost masterworks, and this one’s a jewel. You might be about to discover your new favourite piece.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 1

Cadogan Hall 

VOCES8, joined by composer-in-residence, Taylor Scott Davis, and choirs from across the United States, collaborate with Vox Anima London in this unique choral offering featuring well-known and recently-composed repertoire, under the direction of Barnaby Smith.

The concert opens with VOCES8 performing alongside the visiting ensembles and culminates with VOCES8’s solo set of beloved repertoire and a return of all performing forces to the stage for a stunning finale.

Vox Anima London

Following the Second Piano Concerto in November, Sergei Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony follows. What a work—one that, unfortunately, often remains somewhat overshadowed by many other late-Romantic symphonies! Here, Chief Conductor Nicholas Milton elevates it to the repertoire, allowing its lush sonic power to fully unfold, especially exploding in the final movement. Before that, Elisabeth Brauß revives another fascinating work by Anna Clyne, the Composer in Focus. "Atlas," her first piano concerto, was written in 2023 and was inspired by a publication about the artist Gerhard Richter: "My music responds to the images contained in these four volumes
to create a musical montage and a lucid narrative."

Atlas

Stadthalle Göttingen

Luminous, serene, and rooted in a profound and quiet faith, Rachmaninov’s Vespers were the composition that he loved the most. They gave their composer “an hour of the most complete satisfaction”, and every performance creates a quite unmistakable atmosphere. For RSNO Chorus director Stephen Doughty it’s a labour of love; his is music that glows in the dark, and in the beautiful surroundings of a historic church, it should speak straight to the heart – and soul.

RSNO Chorus All-Night Vigil

Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery Edinburgh

St Aloysius' Church, Garnethill

What does the future hold? Whether it’s ill fate or good fortune, there’s no escaping it. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 encapsulates the relentless force of destiny, shifting between calm and destruction. Conductor Kensho Watanabe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s first conducting student and one of the OM’s favourite conductors, brings his renowned sensitivity and versatility to this symphony.

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth

Église catholique Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs

Place des Arts

Salle Marguerite-Bourgeoys

As the youngest participant in the competition's history, Roman Borisov won the Kissinger Piano Olympus in 2022 – for his "highly musical, intuitive, and at the same time structurally aware interpretations," according to the jury's verdict. His recently released debut album with works by Sergei Rachmaninoff was also well received, with music critic Eleonore Büning praising his mastery and the "tender elegance" of the recording. Rachmaninoff will now also be a focal point of the young Russian's first appearance at the Elbphilharmonie, where he will expand this year's "Pianomania" theme, "Mazurka," to include other dances in triple time.

Roman Borisov / Klavierabend

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Witness the exceptional talents of RCM alumni Luka Coetzee and Jon Kimura Parker as they perform a varied selection of works from Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G Minor, and beyond. 

“Tonally, technically, and musically superb,” Canadian cellist Luka Coetzee “plays sublimely, with an interpretative grasp [and] phenomenal musicianship [that] should on no account be missed,” said Fanfare Magazine. Since her professional debut at age 11, Luka has appeared as soloist with orchestras worldwide including the Helsinki Philharmonic, Lahti Symphony, Cape Town Philharmonic, Stuttgart Chamber, and more. At the age of one, Luka had her first cello lesson with Christine Bootland. Luka also started playing piano at the age of three and finished the Royal Conservatory of Music ARCT piano exam with First Class Honours under the instruction of Derek Chiu.

Luka Coetzee, cello, with Jon Kimura Parker, piano

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Music Director Guillermo Figueroa conducts Romance & Rhapsody, featuring GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Olga Kern performing not only Rachmaninov’s beloved Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, but Haydn’s Harpsichord Concerto in D Major as well. With a vivid onstage presence, dazzling technique, and keen musicianship, Kern is widely recognized as one of the great artists of her generation, captivating audiences across the globe. Critics rave about her “electricity at the keyboard,” that her performances “flow through her fingers and take on voltage” while generating “an energy that’s uniquely and unmistakably her own.

romance & rhapsody

Lensic Performing Arts Center

Subscription S06 - Maximilian Hornung - Case Scaglione

Opera House, A Coruña

V12 Subscription - Maximilian Hornung - Case Scaglione

What would you do for love? Romeo and Juliet risked everything, and Tchaikovsky poured all of this passion into his music. The Little Mermaid also followed her heart, and Zemlinsky’s gorgeous retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale is a colourful – and gripping – masterpiece. Kevin John Edusei conducts, Gillian Moore hosts, and RSNO favourite Makoto Ozone is the soloist in Rachmaninov’s dazzling, deliriously romantic Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The perfect date night? We think so! 

Love & Fairy Tales Rachmaninov & The Mermaid

Acclaimed pianist Sir Stephen Hough—a true master of his craft, longtime collaborator with our orchestra, and favorite among audiences—interprets Rachmaninoff’s perpetually popular Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Beginning with a simple theme, Rachmaninoff playfully reinvents it in 24 distinct variations, each one more imaginative than the last! The iconic 18th variation is widely regarded as one of the most achingly beautiful melodies ever written.

Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Sir Stephen Hough

Salt Palace Convention Center

Hilary Hahn is one of the top violinists of our time, with three Grammy awards to her name and a devoted fan base who will travel hundreds of miles to hear her live.  

She joins the Philharmonia for Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Lyrical, long-breathed melodies fill the first two movements. But the violin’s singing lines are tinged with darkness, and give way to a stumbling dance in the finale. 

Santtu and Hilary Hahn

Southbank Centre

Conductor Nicolas Ellis returns to the VSO to lead Rachmaninoff’s beloved Variations on a Theme of Paganini, poignantly interpreted by pianist Joyce Yang, known for her “vivid and beautiful playing” (The New York Times). Inspired by Danté’s Divine Comedy, Tchaikovsky’s retelling of Francesca da Rimini overflows with passion and tragedy. Mel Bonis’s musical tribute to women of legend presents compelling portraits of Cleopatra, Ophelia and Salome.

Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff

Centennial Theatre

Sullivan Heights Secondary School

Orpheum

When three teenagers formed a piano trio in 2013, they were still students and performed under the name "Trio Chagall." More than ten years later, the three friends from Turin have become a professional trio, playing with Italian passion and now appearing as "rising stars" in Europe's prestigious concert halls. As their career progressed, a new name was needed: Inspired by Michelangelo, they called themselves "Trio Concept," with the vision of carving out the beauty of a work like a sculpture from a block of marble.

Trio Concept

In our 5th Philharmonic Concert, Sergei Rachmaninoff's orchestral fantasy "The Rock" will be juxtaposed with a new composition by Mikhail Pletnev. The contemporary composer doesn't want to reveal his sources of inspiration, leaving it up to the listeners to discover for themselves "what the music most suggests to them." This opens up new perspectives on our musical culture and the way we perceive music.

5th Philharmonic Concert

Elbphilharmonie

The Hamburg State Orchestra's Philharmonic Concerts become ZeitSpielen and transcend the boundaries of the ordinary: In this concert, the fruits of Mikhail Pletnev's inspirations will be heard - for his new composition based on Rachmaninov's music will be juxtaposed with the original orchestral fantasy The Rock.

5th Philharmonic Concert RACHMANINOW / PLETNEV

The concert will be an exploration of the westward migration of Eastern European composers to Los Angeles for work in the film industry, coupled with the delight and buoyancy of Gabriela Montero’s classical improvisations for which she is famous, this time accompanying Charlie Chaplin’s film The Immigrant.

Gabriela Montero, piano

Join in the festivities as the SLSO presents Beethoven’s personal favorite—his blazing, boisterous Seventh Symphony. Pianist Joyce Yang’s interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is sure to ignite sparks of energy across Powell Hall in this spirited Thanksgiving weekend event, which also features conductor Kevin John Edusei’s SLSO debut. Yang has impressed audiences all over the globe, with reviewers applauding her “tremendous power” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and “impeccable technique” (TheaterJones).

Beethoven’s Seventh

Powell Hall

If there is one 20th-century composer on whom everyone can agree, then Sergei Rachmaninoff has a great chance. He inspires perhaps more people today than ever before, especially his two middle piano concertos, which are high on classical music streaming lists.
Russian-Armenian pianist Eva Gevorgyan, born in 2004, will breathe new life into the romantic sounds of the second. Chief conductor Nicholas Milton will preface the concert with a contemporary work by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz – and place the symphony by another important Russian composer at the end. With "The Emergence of Personality," the subtitle of his Fifth, Dmitri Shostakovich achieved his temporary rehabilitation under Stalin in the 1930s.

Resistance

A fascinating journey through 20th-century music awaits us for this concert, which begins with the disturbing Tombeau de Nelligan by Quebec composer Jacques Hétu. Commissioned a little over 30 years ago by the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the piece pays tribute to the poet Émile Nelligan, who profoundly influenced Quebec literature.

Rachmaninov's Second Concerto

Grand Théâtre de Québec

Clemens Schuldt dedicates this concert, rich in musical impressions, to the majesty of the elements. Composed when Rachmaninov was only 20 years old, his second symphonic poem is inspired by a Russian poem that elevates The Rock to a symbol of strength and permanence in the face of life's hazards.

Sibelius's Violin Concerto

Perhaps the most gifted classical pianist of our time, Evgeny Kissin takes centre stage with two rarely-performed jewels of the piano concerto repertoire.

Admired – even venerated – as the heir of the great Russian piano tradition, Kissin has an impressive list of awards, firsts and ‘youngest-evers’ to his name, including a Grammy for his recording of Prokofiev piano concertos with the Philharmonia.

His extraordinary programme brings together two bold, brilliant piano concertos by Prokofiev and Scriabin, alongside two dramatic Russian symphonic tone poems: Rachmaninov’s evocative The Rock, and Mussorgsky’s stormy A Night on the Bare Mountain which promises to thrill audiences with its wild and terrifying Witches’ Sabbath.

Evgeny Kissin: one concert, two concertos

Juno Award winner, UNESCO Ambassador, and alumnus of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School, Jan Lisiecki plays Preludes by Chopin, Bach, Messiaen, and Rachmaninov.

Jan Lisiecki, piano

Experience a sublime Five Variations of Dives and Lazarus by Vaughan Williams, take a tour of the Isle of the Dead with Rachmaninoff and hear skeletons perform the Danse Macabre with Saint-Saëns. Music of the Macabre

Hidden Creek Community Center

Some pianists just have something special, and Freddy Kempf is one of them. He’s a keyboard wizard – “virtuosity with a vengeance, with no hint of a safety net” was how Gramophone described his playing. But he’s also one of those performers who reaches out and connects with his listeners, and in the decades since his youthful triumph in BBC Young Musician, British audiences have taken him to their hearts.

Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Step into a world of elegance, artistry, and pure musical magic as the legendary Renée Fleming makes her Koerner Hall debut in a spectacular gala event - the most anticipated cultural evening of the season!

For those who seek the ultimate gala experience, an exclusive pre-concert cocktail reception and exquisite dinner set the stage for an unforgettable evening. This is the only way to secure the finest seats in Koerner Hall, offering unparalleled views and an opportunity to celebrate in the company of fellow arts patrons - all in support of The Royal Conservatory’s mission to develop human potential through leadership in music and the arts.

An Intimate Evening with Renée Fleming

Mieczysław Weinberg lost his family in the concentration camps. Fifty years later, he composed Symphony No. 21 in memory of the Holocaust victims from his hometown, Warsaw. Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla conducts the symphony along with Suite No. 4 from The Golden Key. Marie-Ange Nguci is the piano soloist in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla Marie-Ange Nguci

Oslo Concert Hall

Passionate, luxurious, melodic, yet dark and brooding — Rachmaninov wrote the very definition of Romantic music and he'll be featured throughout our season. Music Director Xian Zhang conducts two of his defining works in this program. She is joined by the dazzling young virtuoso Alexander Malofeev, who, after wowing Seattle in his 2023 debut, returns to take on Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, written after the composer had established himself in America. Then we turn to Rachmaninov’s epic Second Symphony, one of the greatest emotional journeys in all music. Australian composer Melissa Douglas has created a soundscape of the germination of springtime in her Awaken, which opens the concert.

Xian Conducts Rachmaninov

Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin is one of the world's most accomplished pianists: 'right now there is no one like him,’ says The New Yorker.

Marc-André Hamelin in Recital

City Recital Hall

Get ready to “Rach.” Our season kicks off with a trio of rich melodies and vivacious energy. The swashbuckling high seas adventure of Korngold’s The Sea Hawk is filled with cinematic flair. Guest pianist and Maestro Tim’s college BFF, Corey Hamm, shows off the dynamic brilliance of Barber’s Piano Concerto. We finish with Rachmaninov’s powerful and expressive Symphony No. 2 for an unforgettable performance you simply can’t miss.

Masterworks I

Paramount Theatre Iowa

The University of Iowa School of Music - Voxman Building

Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin returns to Saratoga to lead two unique programs that can only be heard at SPAC.

Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, & Still

Saratoga Spa State Park

Desire, brutality and the supernatural are shaken together in the orchestral kaleidoscope of Bartók’s ballet The Miraculous Mandarin. Josep Pons conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the last of Bartók’s three great music-theatre scores, an electrifying fusion of folk music and modernism. Angular brilliance gives way to exotic, Impressionistic colours in Dukas’s exotic ‘danced poem’ La Péri. ‘Remarkable’ Italian pianist Beatrice Rana is the soloist in Rachmaninov’s thrilling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Rachmaninov’s ‘Paganini’ Variations

Royal Albert Hall

Winner of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition and recipient of the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal, 25-year-old Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko has been celebrated by audiences, critics, and composers alike for his communicative power, refined technical command, and artistic maturity. Do not miss this virtuoso’s riveting program of piano masterpieces! 

TSM presents Jaeden Izik-Dzurko

At the end of the season, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra with chief conductor Alain Altinoglu will once again be appearing at the Festival International de Colmar with three concerts. Alain Altinoglu has been the artistic director of the traditional festival in Alsace since 2023. In the church of Saint-Matthieu, he and his orchestra, this time with cellist Gautier Capuçon and pianist Alexander Malofeev as well as hr solo trumpeter Sebastian Berner, will present works by Stravinsky, Escaich and Dvořák, Rachmaninoff and Rimsky-Korsakov as well as Brahms and Haydn.

International Festival of Colmar 1

Église Saint-Matthieu

Resplendent Romantics

Concordia University Chicago

The Emmy and GRAMMY Award-winning New Jersey Symphony is redefining what it means to be a nationally leading, relevant orchestra in the 21st century. The Symphony is renewing its deeply rooted commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by championing new, and often local, artists; engaging audiences for whom the inspiring depth and breadth of classical music will be a new experience; and incorporating the broadest possible representation in all aspects of our organization-all to better reflect and serve our vibrant communities.

New Jersey Symphony: Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich

Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)

An event organized by the Cultural Office of the municipality of Unterföhring in the Unterföhring Community Center.

Visit Unterföhring

Bürgerhaus Unterföhring

Eschenbach, Melnikov · Dvořák, Rachmaninoff

Wiener Konzerthaus

Lehninger’s roots in Brazil are reflected in his choice of the Ronaldo Miranda’s Temporal Variations. We then move to one of the greatest of the variation structures, Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. That is one of the great compositions of the classical music literature, played exquisitely by our superb soloist for this performance, Natasha Paremksi. The program will conclude with another great work, the Symphony No. 7 by Ludwig van Beethoven. This is a dynamic symphony, and Beethoven understood it to be one of his best compositions. It will leave you excited and happy to hear one of the great pieces in the classical canon. We bring the season to a close with the last program echoing the first program, binding the season into a musically integrated whole.

Variation & Virtuosity

Symphony Hall, Springfield

This symphony concert marks the second time that the Stuttgart State Orchestra has invited its partner orchestra, the Baden-Württemberg State Youth Orchestra, to a joint concert in the Liederhalle. At the first concert on Sunday 27 April, the State Youth Orchestra will perform together with musicians of the Staatsorchester Stuttgart and british conductor Kerem Hasan Ludwig van Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3. Pianist Alexander Melnikov, who has already performed in renowned concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall and Toppan Hall in Tokyo, will then interpret Sergei Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini.

5. Symphony Concert

Beethoven Hall (Beethovensaal)

Ravishing Rachmaninov Ascend

Northern Virginia Community College

The first woman to conduct London’s Last Night of the Proms and to serve as the head of a major orchestra in Britain, the United States, South America and Austria, Marin Alsop is one of the most powerful and inspiring conductors of our time. We are lucky enough to witness Marin conduct as the Philharmonia’s Principal Guest Conductor in this wonderful concert full of iconic music.

Philharmonia Orchestra: Marin Alsop & Jeneba Kanneh-Mason

Marlowe Theatre

In pursuit of their degrees at SFCM, each student presents a recital that represents their artistry and craft. Student Recitals feature repertoire curated by students with guidance from their faculty instructor. 

Erika Cho, viola - First Year Master's Recital

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Romantic Reflections

McAllen Performing Arts Center

Imagine...an intoxicating combination of Eastern and Western traditions creates musical magic, conjured by Indian musical royalty

Stravinsky's The Firebird in Aberdeen

Music Hall

When different musical cultures meet, a new kind of harmony is born. “Mesmerising” was how one critic described the new Triple Concerto by Zakir Hussain when Alpesh Chauhan conducted its first British performances in 2023, and today the composer himself is among the soloists in a piece which, he says, tells a tale of love, tradition and the transforming power of art. It’s perfect for Chauhan, a conductor with a real flair for finding the heart and soul of a piece of music, and he follows it with two dark fairytales from Romantic Russia – Rachmaninov’s surprisingly passionate journey into night, and Stravinsky’s exhilarating Firebird. Those glowing melodies, those dazzling cascades of colour…they’ll burn even more brightly tonight.

Zakir Hussain's Triple Concerto

Glasgow City Hall

Back by popular demand, American pianist Garrick Ohlsson is known worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess.  Join us for what promises to be a masterful performance of Rachmaninoff’s most celebrated, intensely impassioned Second Piano Concerto composed during the turn of the century.  “Melody is the music and the foundation of all music,” said Rachmaninoff. During one of his tours in the United States, he noted what still holds true today, “These Americans cannot get enough of it.”   

Garrick Ohlsson, piano

Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

Clemens Schuldt conducts the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at Hanley this evening with Simon Callaghan as soloist in Rachmaninov's second Piano Concerto.

Wagner, Rachmaninov and Beethoven at Victoria Hall, Hanley

Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent

Galicia Symphony Orchestra - Lukas Sternath - Elim Chan - Concert in Ferrol

Ferrol Auditorium

Opera Palace of A Coruña

Holst's magnificent masterpiece headlines an evening of classics, featuring Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Planets

‘One of the finest living pianists’, suggested Gramophone, while a disc in Jonathan Plowright’s collected Brahms series made it into the same publication’s choice of the 50 Greatest Recordings of the composer. BBC Music Magazine, meanwhile, thought that in the Op. 21 No. 1 Variations, ‘Plowright's refined pianism really comes into its own’.

Jonathan Plowright piano

Wigmore Hall

Currently completing his postgraduate studies, the prize-winning Lithuanian pianist has been selected as a 2024 scholar of the Imogen Cooper Music Trust, as well as of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. This programme features movements from Rameau’s Suite in G – including character pieces depicting ‘The Hen’, ‘The Enharmonic’ and ‘The Egyptian’ – alongside Rachmaninov’s First Piano Sonata, composed in 1908 in Dresden.

Kasparas Mikužis piano

Established in 1988 by Ralph Kirshbaum in memory of the great cellist Pierre Fournier, this international award aims to assist exceptional young cellists. Selected finalists take part in live auditions over two days in front of our distinguished panel of judges. American cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins is our 2023 Winner.

Annie Jacobs-Perkins cello; Dina Ivanova piano

The brothers forming the Dutch piano duo return with a programme for four hands, including a collection of pieces by Jörg Widmann of which they gave the complete première earlier in 2024 and which borrow Schumann’s title (‘Coloured Leaves’) for one of his own piano collections.

Arthur Jussen and Lucas Jussen piano duo

Korean-American Pianist Minju Choi Witte is the guest soloist as the Elkhart County Symphony presents Slavic Masterworks, Nov. 17, at The Lerner Theatre in Elkhart. The dynamic and delightful repertoire includes Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 in c minor, Op. 18; Guest Soloist, Minju Choi Witte; and Dvorak, Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88. Choi Witte has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia as a recitalist, orchestral soloist, and chamber musician. She has appeared as a soloist with the Indianapolis and Shreveport Symphonies, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, the Music Academy of the West, and Juilliard Orchestras.

Slavic Masterworks

The Lerner Theatre 

Birmingham - England Tour

The International Convention Centre

Glinka Rakhmaninov Tschaikowsky

Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts Nanjing

We would like to thank our two project partners BMW and Rödl & Partner from Nuremberg for their financial support of our England tour.

Nottingham - England Tour

Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

The 3rd Symphony Concert: Automatic was originally planned as a concert in our more than music series , which expands the boundaries of the traditional concert experience through performance. The program included a joint world premiere by composers Marko Nikodijević and Robert Henke - a concert for automatic percussion and orchestra. The two popular and experimental composers like to explore the dream of an automated life in their music. In real life, however, not everything always runs automatically, let alone according to plan - for organizational reasons, this world premiere in our concert unfortunately has to be canceled. Instead, we will hear another work by Marko Nikodijević that premiered just over a year ago: Gospodi vozvah for solo viola and orchestra. We are delighted that we were able to persuade Canadian violist Sarah McElravy to rehearse the work at short notice and thus welcome her to our concert stage for the first time. The viola concerto is accompanied by Sergei Rachmaninoff's symphonic poem The Isle of the Dead and excerpts from Peter Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker . As if in a dream, The Isle of the Dead

3rd Symphony Concerto: Automatic

Opernplatz

In a frenetic world where there never seems time 'to stop and stare', this evening of song celebrates the art of contemplation and what it means to be alive. Drawing inspiration from the poetry of the Romantics to the present day the programme will reflect 'On Man, On Nature and On Human Life'.

Samling Artists

Tschaikowsky Rakhmaninov Rimskij-Korsakow

ARK Hills

Get ready to be swept off your feet as we invite you to an unforgettable evening filled with the sweet serenades of love and the poignant melodies of longing! The RSO is thrilled to present a concert that promises to resonate with your heartstrings and leave you humming with joy.

Romantic Rachmaninoff

Jefferson Center

Glinka Rakhmaninov Rimskij-Korsakow

Cologne Philharmonie

Cité de la Musique

Pianist Zee Zee, violinist Esther Yoo and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan met on the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists’ scheme in 2015 and have gone on to form an ensemble whose name is an acronym for the artists’ initials. The 1952 trio by Armenian composer Arno Babadjanian (1921-83) is widely regarded as a major work for the medium.

Z.E.N. Trio

Explore the mysteries of love and the cosmos with New World Symphony. Conductor Xian Zhang brings out the pain and pleasure of Tristan and Isolde, Richard Wagner’s medieval romance. Alexander Malofeev, a 22-year-old Russian genius and phenom pianist, takes on one of the best-loved works by Sergei Rachmaninoff (Corriere della Sera). Journey through our solar system as 87 of the world’s best young musicians bring new energy to Gustav Holst’s The Planets.

The Planets + Rachmaninoff

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

The famous Caprice No. 24 by the devilish violinist Paganini is considered one of the most difficult pieces for solo violin. Sergei Rachmaninov took the theme of the Caprice and composed devilishly difficult variations for piano and orchestra. It's a good thing that a pianistic devil of a guy, the young French pianist Alexandre Kantorov, is taking to the keys for this piece. For his suite "Scheherazade", Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was inspired by the fairy tales with which the wise Scheherazade appeases the vengeful Sultan in One Thousand and One Nights. The storyteller, played by the solo violin, is accompanied on her journey through the Arabian fairy tale world by Tugan Sokhiev at the conductor's desk and moderator Malte Arkona.

1. Youth Concert

Gasteig HP8

Within just a few years, the French pianist Alexandre Kantorow has developed into one of the most exciting artistic personalities of the younger generation. Since his debut with the Munich Philharmonic in November 2021, he has had a remarkable career; now he is returning with the virtuoso "Paganini Rhapsody" by Sergei Rachmaninov. Kantorow's technical skills are intimidating even for some of his colleagues. This makes him the ideal soloist for this work, the technical demands of which even made the piano virtuoso Rachmaninov's hands flutter before each performance. A magnificent polonaise opens the third act of Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin" and, in passing, provides the musical surface portrait of the Russian aristocracy in the 19th century. In his suite "Scheherazade", Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wanders through the oriental fairy-tale world of "From a Thousand and One Nights". Masterfully orchestrated, it is not only a fantastic narrative cast in sound, but also a showpiece for the orchestra and its soloists.

Sergey Rachmaninov

Events

Upcoming events

16 - 17 May, 2026

Pines of Rome · Boise Philharmonic

Jun 6, 2026

Čajkovskij & Rachmaninov · Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Sep 12, 2026

Thomas Ospital · Lucerne Festival

Past events

May 2, 2026

Boléro · Huntsville Symphony Orchestra

24 - 26 Apr, 2026

Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 · Phoenix Symphony

About

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