Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2

The BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kristiina Poska in Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2, with soloist Gabriela Montero, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 and music by Julia Adolphe.

Recorded at the Barbican London on 27th Feb 2026. Presented by Martin Handley.

Julia Adolphe: Underneath the Sheen
Sergey Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor

Interval

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor

Gabriela Montero (piano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Kristiina Poska (conductor)

In the distance, a horn sings a sad, sweet song – and Tchaikovsky begins his journey to the heights of passion and sorrow. Julia Adolphe gazes up at giant Redwood trees, and sees the shimmer of a better world. And Rachmaninov places a dark, quiet chord into silence, at the beginning of the piano concerto that made him a star.

Every story has to start somewhere, and the emotions in Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto remain as vital as ever. Julia Adolphe’s forest meditation is new to the UK, but for guest conductor Kristiina Poska, it has all the makings of a favourite. She’s joined by the remarkable Gabriela Montero – a pianist who believes that “music is a purposeful art”, and proves it every time she plays.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert".