Pianist Misha Dichter will bring his 80th birthday tour to the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach on December 16 at 7:30 p.m., performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, with the Palm Beach Symphony under the baton of Music Director Gerard Schwarz. The concert, part of the Palm Beach Symphony Masterworks Series, also features Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden Suite, Gabriela Lena Frank’s Elegía Andina, and Manuel de Falla’s The Three Cornered Hat.
Dichter, a silver medalist at the 1966 International Tchaikovsky Competition, has enjoyed a storied career performing with major orchestras worldwide. His discography spans works by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Gershwin, among others. After a three-month hiatus in 2007 for surgery on Dupuytren’s Disease, he returned to the stage and became a spokesperson for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He also shares his expertise through masterclasses at institutions like Juilliard and Yale.
Maestro Schwarz described the Rachmaninoff piece as “24 variations on the last of Paganini’s set of Caprices for violin,” each with its own character. He praised Dichter as a “great artist and a dear friend,” promising a memorable performance. The program opens with Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden Suite, which Schwarz called “exquisite, beautiful music” that evokes winter scenes. Following intermission, the orchestra performs Frank’s Elegía Andina, inspired by her Peruvian heritage, and de Falla’s The Three Cornered Hat, for which Schwarz has created an extended suite.
Before the concert, the Symphony Sessions: Lunch & Learn on December 11 offers insight into the repertoire, hosted by principal cellist Claudio Jaffé. Tickets range from $27.50 to $104.50 and are available at PalmBeachSymphony.org or by phone at (561) 281-0145. The Masterworks series continues with cellist Alisa Weilerstein (Jan. 13), violinist Vadim Repin (March 2), pianist Simon Trpčeski (April 19), and pianist Emanuel Ax (May 17).
Palm Beach Symphony, founded in 1974, is known for its community engagement, having reached over 90,000 students through educational programs. This concert marks a highlight of Dichter’s milestone tour, celebrating his artistry and contributions to classical music.
