Composed in the summer of 1909, Rachmaninoff's third Concerto for Piano was premiered in November of that year with the composer as soloist, though he was forced to practice the work on silent keyboard he brought with him for the journey to the United States.  The first performance took place with the New York Symphony Society under Walter Damrosch, though a second performance took place only a few months later with the New York Philharmonic, Gustav Mahler conducting, an experience the composer treasured.  Rachmaninoff considered this piano concerto his favorite of those he wrote.  Dedicated to Josef Hofmann, who the composer considered the greatest pianist of the time, this work has a reputation of being one of the most technically challenging piano concertos in the standard piano repertoire.