Radu Ratoi & Benett Tsai
Radu Ratoi and Benett Tsai bring accordion and cello together for an unusual Phillips Music program. Moldovan accordionist Radu Ratoi and Australian cellist Benett Tsai, both winners of the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, explore how familiar classical works change when performed by this rarely paired combination of instruments.
Ratoi’s arrangements draw on music by Rameau, Bach, Enescu, Balakirev, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, and Bartók, highlighting the accordion’s color, texture, and expressive range alongside Tsai’s cello. The concert is presented in partnership with Young Concert Artists.
When: Sunday, October 25, 2026
Showtimes: 4–6 PM
Venue: The Phillips Collection
Format: In-person Sunday Concert
Program: The first half includes Rameau’s Overture to *Zaïs*, arranged by Ratoi; Bach’s *Chaconne in D minor*, BWV 1178, arranged by Ratoi; Bach’s *Partita for Solo Violin No. 2*, BWV 1004; Bach’s *Chaconne in D minor* in an arrangement by Ferruccio Busoni and Ratoi; and Enescu’s *Romanian Rhapsody No. 1*, Op. 11, arranged by Ratoi.
Program after intermission: The second half continues with Balakirev’s *Islamey*, Op. 18, arranged by Ratoi; Glinka’s *The Lark*, in Balakirev’s piano arrangement and an arrangement by Ratoi; and de Falla’s *Seven Popular Spanish Songs*: “El paño moruno,” “Seguidilla murciana,” “Asturiana,” “Jota,” “Nana,” “Canción,” and “Polo.” The program concludes with Bartók’s *Six Romanian Dances*, arranged by Ratoi, and the finale of Tchaikovsky’s *Violin Concerto*, Op. 35, also arranged by Ratoi.
Performers: Radu Ratoi, accordion; Benett Tsai, cello.
About Radu Ratoi: Ratoi is an award-winning accordionist known for expanding the instrument’s classical repertoire. His honors include the 2024 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Denmark’s Leonnie Sonning Talent Prize, and Moldova’s “Master in Arts” Award. He has received more than 60 national and international awards, served as a soloist with Moldova’s National Chamber Orchestra since 2024, and performed at venues including the Berlin Philharmonic, Radio Concert House Copenhagen, and the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall. He plays a custom Pigini Nova–RR accordion and is represented worldwide by Young Concert Artists.
About Benett Tsai: Tsai is an Australian cellist who won third prize and the Best Haydn Concerto Special Prize at the 2022 Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann. In 2023, he won first prize and the Stern Young Artist Award at the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. He has appeared with orchestras including the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Lahti, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, and Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy, and has performed at venues such as The Kennedy Center, Berliner Philharmonie, Kaufman Music Center, and Melbourne Recital Centre. Born in 2003, he studies with Clive Greensmith at The Colburn School in Los Angeles and plays a 1719 Giuseppe Guarneri “filius Andreae” cello on loan from a benefactor.
Run time: Approximately two hours, including intermission.
Tickets: Price not available
Rush tickets: Limited rush tickets are released on the Friday before the concert at 4 PM and may be requested in person, online, or by phone, depending on availability.
Standby tickets: Limited standby tickets are available first come, first served. In-person requests begin at 3 PM on the day of the concert in the admissions lobby.
Accessibility: The page does not provide accessibility information.