The four Rachmaninoff piano concertos plus his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra make up the heart of the Florida Orchestra's masterworks programming in January in a festival devoted to the Russian composer. Three pianists, all from Russia, are on the agenda, beginning with Lilya Zilberstein this weekend, playing the second and fourth piano concertos. Ravel's La Valse fills out the program. The other soloists are Nikolai Lugansky, playing the first concerto and the Paganini Rhapsody Jan. 15-17, and Kirill Gerstein in the fourth concerto Jan. 21-24. Music director Stefan Sanderling, who conducts all the concerts, is interviewed in today's Floridian section.
The performances with Zilberstein are Saturday at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg and Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, both at 7:30 p.m. $15.50-$50.50. 813 286-2403 or toll-free 1-800-662-7286; www.floridaorchestra.org
