Performatist
    Classical

    Rouvali & Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances

    Illustration for Rouvali & Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances

    Monday, March 16, 2026

    9:41 PM

    David Geffen Hall

    New York, NY

    Scheduled

    About This Event

    Finnish conductor Santtu‑Matias Rouvali leads a program built around Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances at David Geffen Hall. The lineup includes Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos; Rouvali’s dynamic conducting and Kavakos’s dual career as soloist and conductor frame a performance focused on the orchestral and soloistic demands of Rachmaninoff’s Romantic score.

    About Symphonic Dances(symphony)

    First heard in New York when the New York Philharmonic premiered it at Carnegie Hall in 1961, *Symphonic Dances from West Side Story* reshapes Leonard Bernstein’s stage score into a nine-movement orchestral suite. It compresses the musical’s street tensions, lyric interludes, and Latin-inflected rhythms into symphonic form, written for a large orchestra. At David Geffen Hall, Santtu-Matias Rouvali leads the New York Philharmonic in a program that also includes Leonidas Kavakos. The suite’s durability comes from its clean dramatic pacing rather than narrative detail.

    About the Artists

    Santtu-Matias Rouvali

    Santtu-Matias Rouvali is a Finnish conductor known for his dynamic conducting style and has worked with various orchestras internationally.

    Leonidas Kavakos

    Leonidas Kavakos is a Greek violinist and conductor known for his performances in classical music, particularly as a soloist and with orchestras.

    Sergei Rachmaninoff

    Sergei Rachmaninoff

    Immerse yourself in the evocative melodies of Sergei Rachmaninoff, a luminary in the world of Romantic classical music. Revered for his intricate compositions and masterful piano performances, Rachmaninoff captivates audiences with a unique blend of lyrical expressiveness and complex textures.