Masterworks at the MACC: Passion & Fate – Rachmaninoff & Tchaikovsky April 25

March 13, 2026

Saturday, April 25, 2026 | 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. | Music & Arts Community Center

Gulf Coast Symphony presents Passion & Fate: Rachmaninoff & Tchaikovsky, on Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., at the Music & Arts Community Center in Fort Myers.

Featuring accomplished teen pianist William Wu playing Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 with the Gulf Coast Symphony, this is a concert of unforgettable drama, virtuosity and triumphant sound.

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 – which he composed after a period of deep depression and creative silence – bursts with sweeping melodies and romantic passion. 

After intermission, the orchestra unleashes the full force of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, a gripping musical battle with “Fate” that erupts into one of the most exhilarating finales in the symphonic repertoire.

Tickets start at $55, and student tickets are $15. To purchase tickets for Masterworks at the MACC – Passion & Fate: Rachmaninoff & Tchaikovsky, call (239) 277-1700 or visit MACCtickets.org. The Music & Arts Community Center is located off Daniels Parkway at 13411 Shire Lane, on the campus of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers. 

William Wu is a junior at the St. Albans School in Washington, DC, and has studied piano with Marina Alekseyeva at Levine Music since 2018. 

William has received numerous national and international honors, including the 2025 National Young Arts Award in Classical Music/Piano, First Prize and Best Performance of a Solo Work Award at the 2025 Arthur Fraser Concerto Competition of the Southeaster Piano Festival (SEPF), Grand Prize at the 2024 Piano Star International Competition. He is also the Virginia State Winner for the Senior Piano Division of 2024 Music Teachers National Association and First Place winner in the 2024 VMTA Concerto Competition. In addition, William is a recipient of the 2025 General Career Grant Award for Piano from Emergent Ventures and a finalist for the From the Top Learning and Media Lab Fellowship.

William’s recent and forthcoming highlights include performances at Levine’s 50th Anniversary Gala celebration, and with the South Carolina Philharmonic Symphony.

William has participated in masterclasses with world renowned artists including Emanuel Ax, Simone Dinnerstein, Boaz Sharon, and Arnaldo Cohen.He studied with Anton Nel and Yoheved Kaplinsky at the Aspen Music Festival and School last summer and will return this summer to continue his studies with Yoheved Kaplinsky.

In addition to music, William enjoys mathematics, reading, swimming, and exploring nature. He serves as Vice President of Impact & Engagement at Hopeful Minds Outreach, a youth initiative that brings music performances to the community in support of youth mental health. Through his music, William seeks to connect with audiences and share the expressive power of the piano.