Celebrate Rachmaninoff’s 150th anniversary of birth in 2023
As we approach the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birth on 1 April 2023, we invite you to join worldwide celebrations for the iconic composer and pianist.
One of the most widely performed composers of the 20th century, Rachmaninoff is well known for his lyrical melodies and late Romantic style. A virtuoso pianist, his four concertos for the instrument garnered him fame early in his career, and a fifth has been posthumously arranged from his Second Symphony. Rare repertoire for exploration includes his operas, songs and tone poems The Rock and The Isle of the Dead, while his later masterpieces, like Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphony No.3, and Symphonic Dances, are among the most beloved today for their expressivity and rich harmonies.
To celebrate the Rachmaninoff anniversary Boosey & Hawkes is offering our readers a 15% discount code when purchasing sheet music or scores from The Shop at Boosey.com. Enter the code RACH15 into the checkout when visiting the shop.
> Visit our Rachmaninoff 150 shop
The range of Boosey & Hawkes publications of Rachmaninoff’s music is testament to the long-standing relationship between publisher, composer and his estate. Keyboard best-sellers include the Preludes, Etudes-Tableaux, Piano Sonatas, reductions of the concertos for two players, piano collections and favourite themes in simple keyboard arrangements. The Masterworks full score series, much favoured by conductors, students and collectors, contains six Rachmaninoff volumes featuring the piano concertos and symphonic works.
> Explore Rachmaninoff piano music
> Explore Rachmaninoff scores
Gifts available from Boosey & Hawkes in the Rachmaninoff anniversary year include a bag and mug celebrating his evergreen Piano Concerto No.2. The exteriors of both the eco-friendly tote bag and the china mug adopt the iconic brown and green cover design of the Hawkes Pocket Scores. The bag, ethically produced, is reversible with the interior carrying a page from Rachmaninoff’s score. Both gifts have proved popular with conductors, musicians, students and music-lovers alike and are ideal for Rachmaninoff fans.
> Buy the Rachmaninoff tote bag
> Buy the Rachmaninoff mug
International 150th anniversary events in 2023 were launched with a spectacular concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York. Yuja Wang performed all four Rachmaninoff piano concertos plus the Paganini Rhapsody on a single epic programme conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Future anniversary highlights include four concerts shared between the Philharmonia Zürich and the Tonhalle Orchestra under Gianandrea Noseda and Paavo Järvi, while Brussels hosts a festival at the Bozar and a five-concert series at the Flagey. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra gives four performances of an all-Rachmaninoff programme in Amsterdam conducted by Riccardo Chailly, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents a series of five concerts with Rachmaninoff’s music spread throughout its 2023 season.
> Watch our score video of the Paganini Rhapsody
> Listen to Sergei Rachmaninoff Radio
The Rachmaninoff Network, operating in conjunction with the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation based at the Villa Senar, the composer’s house on the shores of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, is planning a number of initiatives for the anniversary year. These include a new website with an extended photo gallery, and a new Sergei Rachmaninoff International Database for researchers.
> Further information on Work: Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor
