Khachaturian & Rachmaninoff

The established main concert of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra (TSSO) within the framework of the Dimitria Festival is once again a magnet for music lovers, featuring two rare gems of the repertoire. Aram Khachaturian’s Flute Concerto is a transcription for this specific instrument of the composer’s famous “Violin Concerto”, written at the request of the leading French flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal—the man who brought the flute back to the forefront as a solo instrument in the mid-20th century.

The same applies to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Symphony No. 3”, which is one of his most beloved works, filled with nostalgia for his cherished homeland, which he missed deeply during his exile. An evening that exquisitely combines post-romantic lyricism with a harmonic style that was modern and innovative for its time, as the entire structure is built upon a solitary psalm motif, creating thrilling episodes along the way through a continuous shift of moods.