Classical

Pianist

Andre Watts

has performed frequently with the

Philadelphia Orchestra

for more than half a century. We'll always consider him a local artist; he debuted as a 10-year-old winner of the orchestra's student competition in 1956. For this visit, he's chosen one of the most beloved and familiar of all keyboard concertos, Rachmaninoff's soaring Piano Concerto No. 2, a work close to his heart and his performing spirit. Making his podium debut here is Montreal native

Yannick Nezet-Seguin

, who replaced Valery Gergiev as music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic and counts our chief conductor Charles Dutoit as one of his great inspirations. He'll accompany Watts and conduct a work that's become a signature for our orchestra, Tchaikovsky's final, Sixth Symphony, the famous "Pathetique."

Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Broad and Spruce streets, 8 tonight and tomorrow, $39-$125, 215-893-1999, www.philorch.org.

- Tom Di Nardo