Posted September 16, 2025
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
COMPOSED: 1900–1901
PREMIERE: November 9, 1901; Moscow, Russia
LAST DPO PERFORMANCE: April 2015; Valentina Lisitsa, piano
APPROXIMATE DURATION: 33 minutes
From Garrick Ohlsson, Piano:
“My feeling is that if Mozart were alive [in 1900], this is the concerto he might write. It starts at the beginning and it has a flawless line straight to the last note. There’s no point in which you can look at it musically and think, ‘Oh, the composer might have done differently or isn’t quite so inspired here.’ It never touches the ground until the end. It’s magic to me that way. The level of inspiration is high.”
From Rachael Young, Principal Bassoon:
“This concerto is one of the all-time great blockbusters—one of the most famous and beloved pieces ever written. You’ve almost certainly heard themes or moments from it before, but nothing beats the thrill of a live performance. It’s also about as lush, passionate, and heart-on-your-sleeve romantic as music gets, and I think we all want to get lost in that kind of fantasy from time to time when we go to the concert hall. Plus, getting to hear a living legend like Garrick Ohlsson tackle its virtuosity and beauty should be a bucket list kind of experience for everyone in the hall, including those of us on stage.”
Rachmaninoff wrote this concerto after the failed premiere of his First Symphony; its success lifted him from depression, doubt, and insecurity.
From Jonathan Lee, Principal Cello:
“I encounter these feelings almost every day. Many artists do. For anyone pursuing mastery in any craft, there are very high—even impossibly high—standards that we impose upon ourselves. I spend a lot of time working to refine my playing and growing in my musicianship, and that comes with a deep awareness of the numerous ways that I fall short of where I want to be or opportunities for growth. It’s often very challenging at best, crippling at the worst.
“At the end of the day, to me, music-making is about communication, creation, sharing, and generosity. These things are very opposed to asking ‘Am I good enough?’ When I focus on connecting with the audience, asking what I have to offer, and then choosing to generously give through the music, I think the Impostor Syndrome lessens. When I reflect on what I have, I feel blessed.”