Cincinnai Symphony Orchestra: The French Connection — Stéphane Denève, conductor, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

A French tour de force, these concerts feature evocative works written by three prominent French composers, led by a distinguished French conductor and performed by a French pianist acclaimed for his virtuosity and pure artistry. At the center of this radiant program is Saint-Saëns’ Fifth (and last) Piano Concerto, known as “The Egyptian,” both because Saint-Saëns composed the work while on vacation in Luxor and also because of its exotic mixture of Javanese, Spanish and Middle-Eastern music.