RIO Celebrates Rachmaninoff’s 150th Anniversary in Switzerland

Mikhail Pletnev and the newly formed Rachmaninoff International Orchestra (RIO) under the baton of Kent Nagano will perform and record all four Rachmaninoff piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, 30 and 31 October 2023 at the Rosey Concert Hall in Rolle, Switzerland. The project commemorates the 150th anniversary of Sergey Rachmaninoff’s birth.

Pletnev, who now lives in Switzerland, previously founded the Russian National Orchestra (RNO) in 1990. Under his 30 years of leadership, the RNO achieved recognition as one of the world’s great orchestras, earning a Grammy Award, the Diapason d’Or, ECHO Klassik Award, Choc du Monde de la musique, and a Gramophone Award, among other accolades. Last year, the Russian Ministry of Culture dismissed Pletnev from the RNO. Under Pletnev, the RNO maintained a commitment to artistic independence.

Now, Pletnev, together with many former RNO members and other preeminent musicians from across Eastern and Western Europe, are continuing this legacy with the founding of the RIO. The name of the orchestra was inspired by Sergei Rachmaninoff, an artist who loved his country but left and did not return due to the political forces in his homeland. Like Rachmaninoff, the RIO is dedicated to the highest standards of performance and artistic expression. As with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra Mozart, the name symbolizes the inspiration for the ensemble, but does not limit the choice of repertoire.

Pletnev and the RIO share Richard Strauss’ conviction that “in times when spiritual goods are rarer than material ones, and egotism, envy and hatred govern the world, music will do much to re-establish love among mankind.”

The orchestra has recorded two soon-to-be-released CDs: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite conducted by Mikhail Pletnev, and works by Ravel, Hartmann, and Sadikova conducted by Kent Nagano who knows Mikhail Pletnev and his musicians well from past collaborations including the Grammy-winning Wolf Tracks album.

“Idealism is a beacon toward which beauty gravitates,” Nagano remarked during recording sessions in Bratislava in February. “There are many excellent professional orchestras in the world that are strong institutions. This new orchestra is held together by friendship and by devotion to the highest artistic standards.”

“Mikhail Pletnev has continued his commitment to artistic freedom with his founding of the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra,” said Sergey Markov, RIO General Manager. “The orchestra has a vital role to play in bridging divides through music.”

The concerts in Rolle will be the first public performances of the RIO. The program also includes works by celebrated American composer Gordon Getty with soprano Alexandra Armantrading and baritone Lester Lynch.