French conductor Samy Rachid stepped in at short notice to lead the Orchestre de Paris at the Philharmonie de Paris on September 16, 2026, delivering a theatrical interpretation of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 after a Beethoven piano concerto featuring soloist Seong-Jin Cho, according to reviews from classical music publications.
Last-Minute Conducting Change at the Philharmonie de Paris
Samy Rachid, a former cellist of the Arod Quartet and former assistant to Andris Nelsons in Boston, accepted the engagement on short notice. Rachid arrived at 11 a.m. on the day of the concert for the general rehearsal, marking a reunion with pianist Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 Chopin Competition.
Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto Opens the Program
The evening commenced with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, performed by Seong-Jin Cho alongside the Orchestre de Paris under Rachid’s direction. Reviewers noted that while Cho displayed refined tone colors and precise virtuosity, his tendency to slow down phrases occasionally approached mannerism. The orchestra maintained a cautious reserve during the first movement, resulting in an initial lack of balance between the ensemble and the soloist.
According to concert reviews, the dramatic contrast intended at the beginning of the Andante movement—between the energetic accents of the strings and the responses of the piano—felt disjointed rather than confrontational. Complete accord between soloist and orchestra was reportedly reached only in the finale. As an encore, following the removal of The Blue Danube from the original program, Cho performed Alfred Grünfeld’s Soirée de Vienne, a virtuoso paraphrase on themes from Die Fledermaus, to an enthusiastic reception from the audience.
Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 Highlights Rachid’s Phrasing
The second half of the program featured Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, providing conductor Samy Rachid an opportunity to demonstrate his command of orchestral dynamics and phrasing. Drawing on his background as a former string player, Rachid shaped the opening theme with a distinct sensitivity to line and tempo variation.
Critics highlighted the performance’s pronounced theatricality and shifting tempos across movements. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause after each movement, excepting the Allegretto, which flowed directly into the final movement. Observers expressed hope for future collaborations between Rachid and the Orchestre de Paris under standard preparation conditions.
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