Prizewinning Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov brings his "sizzling account, from the top drawer" (The Guardian) of Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini to the world-class Dallas Symphony Orchestra — the centerpiece of an atmospheric French-Russian program! The Rhapsody, Rachmaninov's de facto fifth piano concerto, is one of the composer's most ingenious creations, translating the virtuosic stylings of violin demigod Paganini to the piano with thrilling chromatic runs, imposing recurrences of the famous "Dies irae" motif, and an 18th variation that counts among the most sumptuously romantic themes in music. Latvian conductor Andris Poga also leads the DSO in Lili Boulanger's charmingly impressionistic, Debussy-esque D'un matin de printemps and Shostakovich's heavily allusive Symphony No. 15, a surprisingly cheerful work created for the composer's own 65th birthday.