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

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

One piano, an orchestra, and a famous theme that refuses to stay put. Alexandre Kantorow's Cleveland Orchestra debut gives Rachmaninoff's Paganini Rhapsody a real sense of occasion—and Britten and Elgar make the evening more than a single showpiece.

Alexandre Kantorow’s Cleveland Orchestra debut gives this Rachmaninoff program an immediate spark. When a pianist known for bold, detailed playing takes on Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the music’s mix of brilliance, surprise, and lyric sweep becomes the main event. Add Semyon Bychkov on the podium, and the performance has the kind of musical tension that rewards hearing it unfold in real time.

The program also gives listeners two sharp perspectives on orchestral storytelling. Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a compact, clever showcase for the ensemble itself, while Rachmaninoff’s rhapsody turns the spotlight toward the piano without losing the full-orchestra drama around it. That balance makes the concert feel carefully shaped, not simply assembled.

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Hear a celebrated debut, not just another recording. See The Cleveland Orchestra: Semyon Bychkov & Alexandre Kantorow - Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody ticket options.