Sergei Rachmaninoff completed four piano concertos.
Rachmaninoff’s four numbered piano concertos span much of his career. The First was written while he was still a student and later revised. The Second, composed after a period of severe creative depression, became one of his best-known works. The Third is famous for its demanding solo part, while the Fourth has a more concise, modern character.
He also wrote the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra, but it is not a piano concerto. This distinction explains why some listeners mistakenly count five major piano-and-orchestra works.
The concertos were written between 1890 and 1926, with revisions to some scores. Rachmaninoff was both composer and celebrated pianist, and he often performed these works himself. His writing combines expansive melodies, complex piano textures, and demanding virtuoso technique.