After two nights in Madrid, the SFSO travels through Spain, stopping in Pamplona, Zaragoza, and Barcelona, before visiting Turin and Athens, where the orchestra makes its Greek debut on November 12 and 13. Andsnes reprises the Rachmaninoff concerto in Zaragoza, Turin, and Athens.

The repertoire for the tour also includes Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9, and Debussy's La Mer. In addition, the SFSO is performing the European premiere of a Robin Holloway orchestral arrangement of Debussy's En blanc et noir, originally for two pianos.

The tour is the SFSO's fifth of Europe under Tilson Thomas's leadership. The 34-year-old Andnes first performed with the orchestra in 1994, playing Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto.