At just 22 years old, Alexandre Kantorow is the first French pianist to win the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition (in 2019); he also won the Grand Prix, which has been awarded only four times in the competition’s history, and only twice to pianists (the other winner was Daniil Trifonov). Already hailed by critics as “the real deal, a fire-breathing virtuoso with a poetic charm” (Gramophone), he makes his UMS debut performing Saint-Saëns’ “Egyptian” concerto, which has not been performed on a UMS series in nearly four decades. Saint-Saëns composed the work in the temple town of Luxor on one of his frequent vacations from Parisian winters, and this refreshingly sunny work reflects his love of travel. The Mariinsky Orchestra also performs Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, which was also a centerpiece of their very first UMS program, in 1992.