What is a Concerto?

Ah, the Concerto! You see one on nearly every classical masterworks program. In fact, it is one of the highlights of our Carefree concert on March 5, 2022 (page 32). But, what exactly does the word tell you about the music you’ll hear?

First, a little history; originally, the Italian word simply meant “concert”: the act of doing something together; or musically speaking: the act of playing as a group. Early composers used “Concerto” as a name for all their pieces. Over the long history of western music, this term evolved to describe a specific type of piece. Today, the word applies to a music composition for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra.

If you read our blog online (see link below), you might be a bit familiar with what a “Symphony” is as a composition. (Spoiler alert: it’s a long, large orchestral piece, generally with three, four, or even five movements). Similarly, the most-performed type of concerto is three movements or sections. It stands out from a symphony because it always features a part for a soloist. A concerto is also a musical study in contrast. Popularized in the Baroque era and refined by Mozart, Haydn, and Classical period composers, the concerto is essentially a conversation between soloist and orchestra in three movements. Different textures, themes, and emotions are explored, and in a way, it’s much like a good play or movie plot.

Act 1: First Movement (I. Allegro)

The longest, most complex of all the parts and establishes two melodies that develop throughout the movement. Like any good drama, the first movement introduces the characters, exposes the conflict, and sets up the entire story. You know you’re nearing Act 2 when the soloist reaches the “cadenza” (read: soliloquy) - an extended solo performed without the orchestra. It’s the hero’s time to shine.

Act 2: Second Movement (II. Adagio)

The second movement is where the romance happens - lush, lyrical, and frequently swoon-worthy. The characters in our story become even more real, and it’s our soloist’s/hero’s opportunity to show their true potential. Under the pressure of the passage’s complexity, their skill and grace can be utterly beautiful and inspiring to all.

Act 3: Second Movement (III. Allegro)

The third movement is the action sequence - it’s fast, loud, and an emotional high. Plus, it wouldn’t be a proper finale if the hero didn’t get one more moment in the solo spotlight.

Concertos are typically very technically challenging and require extra expression. For this reason, most

“My teacher, Ms. Foster, introduced me to this piece. She fell in love with it after she played it with a soloist in her youth orchestra. The piece and this composer aren’t very well known, so I wanted to share it with our orchestra, especially since being exposed to new music is one of my favorite parts of SPYO.”

“One of my best friends was a finalist last year, and he encouraged me to audition. I wanted to challenge myself to be the best musician I can be. So, I picked Mozart’s 4th Horn Concerto, movement 1, because I felt that it challenged me as a musician, and it would make me stand out. Plus, I love the timbre of the piece.”

Divya Srijay

2022 SPYO Concerto Competition Winner

Shelby Arnold

2022 SPYO Concerto Competition Winner

musicians’ repertoires are packed with concertos as they allow them to show off their superb skills. Soloists also get the prime spot on the stage. Front and center to be seen and heard most clearly - and near the podium so the conductor and soloist can be in direct communication and the conductor can lead the accompanying orchestra based on the soloist’s cues.

Sometimes, as with our 2021 Glorious Fanfare concert, principal or lead, orchestra members will perform the solo. This March 2022, we look forward to welcoming our superbly talented Concertmaster, Callie Brennan, back to the spotlight playing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 3. It is a piece she is exceptionally familiar with, as her mesmerizing audition performance is what won her the Concertmaster position.

Concertos allow the Philharmonic to present a worldclass musician in Spartanburg. We’ve been fortunate to welcome performers such as: clarinetist Anthony McGill; guitarist Pepe Romero; trumpet player Jens Lindemann; percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, and many more throughout our 90+ year history.

“Leading up to the competition, I consistently listened to professionals play the Haydn solo. Using a metronome, I was easily able to identify the tempo at which I can play it at with very few to little mistakes. I heavily focused on note accuracy, then applied dynamics and expression, practiced memorization, and finally constructed my own cadenza. I finished this process at about a week before auditions took place. In my head, I imaged the audition to be maybe just one or two people judging, however I think there were five judges, so I did grow a bit nervous! Having a live pianist assigned to me helped a lot as well. I was able to stay on tempo and set that boundary to help ensure my chances at success. I utilized the rests to breathe so that the stress and tension wouldn’t continue to build up. After the audition, I received great commentary from all of the judges that I later applied to my performance. Because we practiced this in almost every single rehearsal, there were no nerves aching during my performance! The atmosphere of parents and staff motivated me to play to my full potential, and for that I’ll always be grateful! I throughly enjoyed not only the performance, but the season as a whole!

“Even though many years have passed, I still remember getting to perform with the Spartanburg Philharmonic as the Concerto Competition winner. The week of the performance we had bad winter weather that threatened to cancel a rehearsal or two. That uncertainty added to the excitement of the concert week! The concert experience itself was so thrilling that the first couple of minutes of the concerto went by in the blink of an eye. A Concerto is a dialogue between the solo instrument and the orchestra and our conversation got off to a rocket start! I was so appreciative of the Spartanburg Philharmonic to allow me that awesome music making opportunity as a youth soloist.

Marqual Littlejohn

2021 SPYO Concerto Competition Winner

Benjamin Smith

1996 Concerto Competition Winner & Cellist in the Spartanburg Philharmonic