Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff: Passion and Drama

Item details

Date

Sunday, Nov 2, 2025 3:00PM

Name

Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff
Passion and Drama

Description

📍 This concert takes place at Powell Hall

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, violin

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2

As daylight wanes and the air turns brisk, reconnect with the warmth of the SLSO and two of the most exhilarating and romantic pieces in orchestral music. Danish violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider showcases his exquisite virtuosity as he soars through Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Then the orchestra demonstrates what Music Director Stéphane Denève describes as “love in sounds” in a performance of Rachmaninoff’s breathtakingly beautiful Second Symphony.

A few things to know:

• Tchaikovsky wrote his Violin Concerto in a remarkably short amount of time, working for one week on the first movement and completing the entire work in only one additional week.
• After a less-than-successful First Symphony, Rachmaninoff battled internally with the idea of attempting another. When he took the leap, he still worked through months of revisions and paralyzing doubt. In the end, it was worth the struggle, as Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony has become one of his most celebrated compositions.
• In recent years, violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider has expanded his resume to add the job title of orchestral conductor, leading ensembles including the SLSO, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.

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