Proms 2025 Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto

A Romantic classic meets two 20th-century masterworks in a concert of widescreen orchestral drama. From its thunderous opening chords to its heartbreaking slow movement, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is an emotional tour de force. Vadym Kholodenko joins the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Conductor Laureate Tadaaki Otaka. Framing the concerto are two orchestral showpieces: Bacewicz’s vibrant Concerto for String Orchestra – whose motoric outer movements contrast with a sublime Andante – and the daring invention of Lutosławski’s folk-inspired Concerto for Orchestra.

Tadaaki Otaka © Masahide Sato