As the winds of change blew in the early twentieth century, Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) was perfectly content to write music in the Romantic, nationalistic tradition of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. He quickly developed his own unique style, and his supreme skill as a performer and composer allowed him to create works of unquestioned excellence. Other composers may have considered him something of an anachronism, but performers and audiences have enthusiastically recognized his genius and the richness and power of his music.

Rachmaninov was born into a wealthy family whose fortunes were rapidly failing due to his father's ineptness. Young Sergei was floundering in his schooling until his family decided to send him to the Moscow Conservatory to study with Nikolay Zverev, a notoriously strict taskmaster. Rachinaninov flourished under the demanding discipline and completed both his piano and composition examinations a full year earlier than expected. He was only the third student to receive the conservatory's Great Gold Medal. During his professional career he became known as one of the finest living pianists, a fine conductor and an outstanding composer.

Rachmaninov wrote his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini during the summer of 1934, and he was the pianist for its first performance in Baltimore on November 7th of that year. Leopold Stokowski conducted the orchestra.