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

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

Rachmaninoff can turn a simple theme into a whole world of surprises. Alexandre Kantorow makes his Cleveland Orchestra debut inside that challenge, with Semyon Bychkov guiding a program that also gives Britten and Elgar their own moments to shine.

Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini has a special kind of pull: it takes a familiar idea and keeps revealing new angles, one variation after another. That’s the musical center of this Cleveland Orchestran outing, where Alexandre Kantorow makes his TCO debut and Semyon Bychkov brings the program into focus with the precision and drive he’s known for.

The performance also has two strong framing pieces. Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra turns the orchestra itself into the subject, while Elgar’s Enigma Variations gives the program a more personal, reflective side. Together, those works make the concert feel like a conversation about orchestral color, personality, and transformation rather than a single spotlighted solo.

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Catch the debut and every musical twist around it. See The Cleveland Orchestra: Semyon Bychkov & Alexandre Kantorow - Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody ticket options.