Marimba concerto

A marimba concerto is a musical composition written for a marimba soloist and a large ensemble such as an orchestra, wind band, or a chamber music ensemble.

Notable Marimba Concertos

The first solo marimba concerto, Concertino for Marimba, was composed by Paul Creston in 1940. Paul Creston was commissioned by Frédérique Petrides to compose this work. The Concertino for Marimba was premiered on 29 April 1940 in the Carnegie Chamber Music Hall with marimba soloist Ruth Stuber Jeanne and the Orchestrette Classique directed by Frédérique Petrides.

Marimbist Vida Chenoweth and the Orchestra of America premiered Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 34, by Robert Kurka on 11 November 1959. This performance marked the first time that the marimba was invited to Carnegie Hall.[1]

Marimbist Alex Jacobowitz commissioned Edith Borroff to compose "Concerto for Marimba and Small Orchestra" in 1981, and was premiered on November 23, 1981 with the State University of New York at Binghamton's University Symphony Orchestra, under conductor Paul Jordan. This work might be the first marimba concerto composed by a woman. "And at that moment I pictured the concerto, a dolphin in the distance, leaping out of the water in the sunlight and casting golden ocean-drops all around! I agreed and laboriously turned those drops into a concerto..." Edith Borroff, Autobiography

The Boston Symphony Orchestra commissioned Maurice Wright to compose Concertpiece, for marimba and orchestra. The piece was composed in 1993 and premiered in 1994 by percussionist Will Hudgins.[2]

The Oregon Symphony Orchestra commissioned Tomáš Svoboda to compose Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 148, in 1995, which it recorded in 2003, conducted by James DePreist and with Niel DePonte on marimba. The recording was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra).

List of marimba concertos

Following is a partial list of marimba concertos.[3]

Composer	Life	Concerto name	Date composed
James Basta		Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra
Andrew Beall		Testament: Symphony for Marimba and Orchestra	2004
Scott Blasco		Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra	2003
Bradley G. Bodine	1960–	Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra
Edith Borroff	1925-2019	Concert for Marimba and Small Orchestra	1981
Akira Ifukube	1914–2006	Lauda concertata for marimba and orchestra	1979
Michael Burritt		Concerto for Marimba
Casey Cangelosi		Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, No. 2	2008
Paul Creston	1906–1985	Concertino for Marimba	1940
Emma Lou Diemer	1927–	Concerto in One Movement for Marimba and Orchestra	1991
Eric Ewazen	1954–	Concerto for Marimba	1999
Evan Hause	1967–	Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra	1994
Felix Herron	1997–	Marimba Concerto	2015
Robert Kurka	1921–1957	Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 34	1959
Marta Ptaszyńska	1943–	Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra	1985
Libby Larsen		Marimba Concerto: After Hampton	1992
David Long	1950–	Concerto for Marimba & Concert Piece for Marimba and Orchestra	1997
Lior Navok	1971–	...of weaving the shadowed waves – for two marimbas and chamber orchestra	2003
Michael Nyman	1944–	gdm – for amplified marimba and orchestra	2006
Kevin Puts		Marimba Concerto
Ryan Elvert	1994–	Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra	2016
Julie Spencer		Waterfalls for Marimba and Orchestra
Tomáš Svoboda	1939–	Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 148	1995
Noah D. Taylor	1982–	Concerto No. 1 in D minor	2003
Andrew Thomas	1939–	Loving Mad Tom	2002
John Thrower		Rhythms of Life	2005
Mark Lanz Weiser		Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra[4]	1996
Austin Yip		Marimba Concerto: Road Business	2019
Emmanuel Séjourné		Double Concerto for Vibraphone, Marimba and Orchestra	2012
Emmanuel Séjourné		Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra	2005
Ney Rosauro		Concerto No. 1 for Marimba and String Orchestra	1986
Ney Rosauro		Concerto No. 2 for Marimba and String Orchestra	2001

References

1. Strain, James A. "Vida Chenoweth". Percussive Arts Society. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
2. "BSO Commissions". Boston Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
3. "Focus Day 2011: Five Decades of New Music for Percussion: 1961–2011" (PDF). Percussive Arts Society. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
4. "Mark Lanz Weiser, Concerto for marimba and string orchestra or piano reduction". Editions Bim. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2019.