The Cleveland Orchestra: Semyon Bychkov & Alexandre Kantorow - Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody

The Cleveland Orchestra: Semyon Bychkov & Alexandre Kantorow - Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody at Severance Music Center

A pianist's debut with The Cleveland Orchestra is already an occasion. Put Alexandre Kantorow in front of Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and you get something better: the suspense of hearing a brilliant soloist tackle music that can change character in a heartbeat.

Classical concerts in Cleveland can feel routine until a program like this comes along. Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is already a built-in showpiece, a piece that turns a familiar melodic idea into a pianist’s and orchestra’s shared challenge. When Alexandre Kantorow makes his Cleveland Orchestra debut in that score, the performance gains the kind of fresh tension that makes a concert feel immediate instead of familiar.

The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center brings even more context. Semyon Bychkov has spent decades shaping major orchestras and opera houses across Europe and beyond, and his connection to Rachmaninoff runs deep enough to feel earned, not decorative. That matters in a repertoire built on color, shape, and momentum. The hall itself, home to the orchestra since 1931, gives the performance a setting with history behind it.

Be there for Kantorow's Cleveland Orchestra debut. See The Cleveland Orchestra: Semyon Bychkov & Alexandre Kantorow - Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody ticket options.