NSO: Stéphane Denève conducts 'Pictures at an Exhibition' | Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays Khachaturian

• Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
• Stéphane Denève, conductor

From Russia, with love: two phenomenal French stars return for an uplifting, spirited evening of Russian music.

The great Stéphane Denève opens the program conducting Guillaume Connesson's Maslenitsa, written in celebration of the sunny Slavic folk festival—a holiday also known as "Russian Mardi Gras." Then, powerhouse pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet brings a rare joie-de-vivre to the pyrotechnic Piano Concerto by Soviet-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. To close, Parisian composer Maurice Ravel's majestic orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition carries us through a colorful gallery of soul-stirring emotion.

Runs Feb. 6-8.

About National Symphony Orchestra

https://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/

About Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

http://www.jeanyvesthibaudet.com/

About Stéphane Denève, conductor

Stéphane Denève is Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the New World Symphony, and from 2023 will also be Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. He recently concluded terms as Principal Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic, and previously served as Chief Conductor of Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR) and Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Recognised internationally for the exceptional quality of his performances and programming, Stéphane Denève regularly appears at major concert venues with the world’s greatest orchestras and soloists. He has a special affinity for the music of his native France, and is a passionate advocate for music of the 21st century.