BBC SSO 2025-26 Season Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto in Edinburgh

A piano climbing from darkness to light. A pulsing rhythm, bright with energy and colour. And a passionate melody, soaring against a storm-swept sky. The opening of any piece of music draws you into a new emotional world, and however familiar the melodies that follow, a great live performance makes you feel like you’re experiencing it for the first time.

That’s certainly the case when guest conductor Gemma New conducts the BBC SSO, described by The Scotsman as “one to watch”. Together with pianist Alessio Bax, she’ll bring something wholly new to Rachmaninov’s most popular piano concerto. To open, two postcards from America: Barber’s symphonic testament to an age of anxiety, and John Adams’ supercharged fanfare.