Greer's OC

Pacific Symphony launches its 47th season with “Rachmaninoff & Sibelius,” bringing together two late-Romantic masterworks and two acclaimed guest artists.

French conductor Ludovic Morlot, music director of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and conductor emeritus of the Seattle Symphony, leads the orchestra in Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 and Sibelius’ sweeping Symphony No. 1. Pianist Alessio Bax, praised by Gramophone as “among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public,” joins for the concerto.

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, written in 1900-01 after the failure of his First Symphony, restored the composer’s confidence and became one of the most celebrated works in the classical canon. Its lush romanticism and soaring themes have inspired everything from Frank Sinatra ballads to classic films such as Brief Encounter and The Seven Year Itch.

After intermission, Morlot conducts Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1, the 1899 work that announced the Finnish composer’s arrival on the world stage. Opening with a haunting clarinet solo, the symphony brims with Nordic expression, romantic lyricism, and dramatic contrasts.

Pacific Symphony’s Opening Weekend concerts take place Sept. 18-20 at 8 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Tickets start at $36, with season packages from $126. A preview talk with Alan Chapman begins at 7 p.m. 

For tickets and details, visit PacificSymphony.org or call (714) 755-5799.