Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Van Zweden & Kantorow

For its concert in Brussels, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has included an absolute masterpiece by Rachmaninov: the Variations on a Theme of Paganini, performed by the French piano prodigy Alexandre Kantorow. In 24 variations, Rachmaninov relates the famous theme and pays homage to the genius of the Italian violinist in his language, abound with Romanticism. The concert opens with a highly contrasting work by Hong Kong composer Alvin Tam, and the second half of the concert features Brahms’ monumental Symphony No. 1. Highly impressed by Beethoven, Brahms only began composing his first symphony after a sign of destiny: the discovery of a feather on his mentor’s grave.