Daniel Harding

As part of a two-night spotlight on Rachmaninoff, Daniel Harding teams up with Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for an evening full of dreamy passion and sizzling triumph. Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is often considered one of the most challenging pieces in the repertoire due to its daunting cadenza and passages of zippy intensity. According to The New York Times, Trifonov’s rendition stands out above all others because of his “white-hot virtuosity,” “coolheaded thinking,” and ability to “shape phrases and colors chords with milky richness.” In the second half of the evening, Harding leads the gorgeously heartfelt Second Symphony—one of the immensely popular pieces that helped restore Rachmaninoff’s confidence after years of writer’s block, depression, and stress caused by his first symphony’s disastrous premiere.