KZN Philharmonic Orchestra 2026 Spring Symphony Season Concert 1

Concert 1: 12 November 2026

Conductor: Jean - Claude Picard

Soloist: Polina Osetinskaya (Piano)

Programme:

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 in c minor

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, Op. 64 in e minor

Dive into a thrilling night of orchestral music designed for everyone, whether you are a lifelong aficionado or hearing a live symphony for the very first time.

Maestro Jean-Claude Picard kicks off the season with a high-energy journey straight out of nineteenth-century Russia.

Renowned pianist Polina Osetinskaya joins the orchestra for Sergei Rachmaninoff’s iconic Second Piano Concerto. If you have ever heard a movie soundtrack with a

gorgeous, rolling piano melody that builds into an absolute wave of emotion, this is the masterpiece that inspired them all. Starting with moody, bell-like chords

that grow into a soaring rush of sound, it swings between heartbreakingly beautiful moments and dazzling, fast-fingered fireworks. Following years of severe self-doubt, Rachmaninoff overcame his depression with hypnotherapy. When he finally premièred this triumphant concerto in Moscow in 1901 with himself at the piano,

the public adulation and ecstatic applause catapulted him back to fame and restored his confidence.

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony is a masterclass in musical storytelling, built around a haunting “Fate” theme that acts like a recurring character in a gripping drama. As the piece begins, this dark, fateful motif creeps in quietly through the clarinets, setting an atmosphere of gloomy uncertainty. Tchaikovsky brilliantly transforms this single melody across four movements, tracking its journey from quiet despair to roaring defiance. Listeners are pulled into a psychological tug-of-war: will fate crush the music, or will hope triumph?

By the time the theme returns transformed into a blazing, victorious march in the finale, you will be utterly captivated by how a few notes can capture the entire

emotional rollercoaster of the human spirit.

Accessible, dynamic, and bursting with unforgettable tunes, this opening concert is the ultimate introduction to the magic of live orchestral performance, inviting

listeners of all generations to experience the raw, unadulterated power of great music in real time.

Date: Thursday, 12 November 2026

Time: 19:00

Venue: Playhouse Opera Theatre, 231 Anton Lembede Street, Durban

Tickets: Season Tickets available through our office on 031 369 9437/8 or [email protected]

Single tickets available online through Quicket or at https://qkt.io/9Br2op

We look forward to sharing an evening of beautiful music with you!