On January 22, 23 and 26 at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Garrick Ohlsson performs with the Hallé Orchestra, bringing his penetrating insight to Rachmaninov’s Paganini Rhapsody, which is renowned for the lush romanticism of its 18th variation. Also on the program are Sibelius’ Swan of Tuonela and Lemminkäinen’s Return, as well as Stravinsky’s Pétrouchka.

He then travels to London to join the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Barbican Hall on January 29, regaling the audience with one of the most energetic and quixotic piano concertos ever written. After the meditative stillness of Arvo Pärt’s sonic sculpture and Dimitrios Skyllas’s Kyrie Eleison, Ohlsson takes on Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto, which begins with a theme chanted like a prayer, soon becoming something altogether more immense, luxurious and heroic.

Lastly, on February 4, Garrick Ohlsson comes back to the Herbst Theatre, marking the second to last instance of his two-year survey of Brahms’ complete solo piano works begun last season. On this occasion, he plays his Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79; Seven Fantasias, Op. 116; Variations on a Theme of Paganini Bk. 2, Op. 35; and Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5.