A MONDAY WITH RACHMANINOV
LES PRINTEMPS SLAVES 2026
International Festival of Slavic Music and Culture
Matt Herskowitz, piano
What if a Monday felt unlike any other?
A Monday with Rachmaninov — like an encounter.
Intimate, lyrical, at times playful, and open to the unexpected.
An evening devoted to exploring different sides of his musical world.
From the suspended stillness of the Adagio of the Second String Quartet, to the light, mischievous spirit of the Italian Polka, works originally written for piano and chamber music are reimagined for string orchestra — revealing a wide spectrum of expression through colors and textures inherent to the strings, as if they had belonged there from the start.
The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini opens into another dimension with a contemporary reinterpretation by pianist Matt Herskowitz, a brilliant and singular artistic voice at the crossroads of classical and jazz.
In a spiral-like motion, the music unfolds, transforms, and reconnects, with certain variations staying true to their original form, while others slip into a jazz-inflected idiom — revealing a language that is both familiar and unexpected.
A Monday.
Otherwise.
Program
A selection of Rachmaninov’s works arranged for string orchestra
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, for piano and strings
(Arr. Louis Sauter – Matt Herskowitz)
Matt Herskowitz, piano
Monday, June 1, 2026 – 8 pm
Concert Hall of the Conservatoire de Montréal
