Concerto Competition: Suggested Repertoire

Many teachers and students aren't aware of the wide variety of concertos written by living or recently living composers, so we are excited to present these suggested concertos for each instrument provided by MMF faculty members. Of course, this is merely a starting point and is not exhaustive, and participants may always apply with a different concerto. Generally, works composed no more than a hundred years ago are preferred. Works for other instruments for a different type of instrument, if available, are listed as subcategories within each instrument (marimba concertos in the percussion category, for example).

Here are a few parameters that were used when choosing these concertos:

  1. The total duration of the concerto is not longer than 40 minutes

  2. Orchestral materials are readily available from the publisher or composer

  3. The orchestration fits the instrumentation of Mostly Moden Orchestra

  4. Each of these works has a readily available piano reduction

  5. They are stylistically diverse

  6. Composer diversity is encouraged

Please note that concertos that have been performed during the previous five seasons are ineligible.

  • Leonard Bernstein: Halil (1981)
    John Corigliano: Pied Piper Fantasy (1992)
    Michael Daugherty: Trail of Tears (2010)
    Lukas Foss: Renaissance Concerto (1985)
    Nancy Galbraith: Concerto (2019)
    Kevin Puts: Concerto (2013)
    Joaquin Rodrigo: Concierto Pastorale (1978)
    Christopher Rouse: Concerto (1993)
    Joan Tower: Concerto (1989)
    Ellen Taaffe Zwillich: Concerto (1991)

  • Elliot Carter: Oboe Concerto (1988)
    John Corigliano: Aria for Oboe and Strings (1977)
    John Corigliano: Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra (1975)
    Bill Douglas: Songs and Dances for Oboe and String Orchestra (2003)
    Michael Daugherty: Firecracker for Oboe and Strings (1991)
    Ruth Gipps: Oboe Concerto Op. 20 (1946)
    Eugene Goosens: Oboe Concerto Op. 45 (1927)
    John Harbison: Oboe Concerto (1991)
    Gordon Jacob: Concerto (1933)
    Bohuslav Martinu: Concerto for oboe and small orchestra (1955)
    Darius Milhaud: Oboe Concerto (1957)
    Thea Musgrave: Helios for oboe and orchestra (1994)
    George Rochberg: Concerto (1983)
    John Williams: Oboe Concerto (2011)
    Ellen Taaffe Zwillich: Oboe Concerto (1991)

  • Aaron Copland: Clarinet Concerto (1947)
    John Corigliano: Clarinet Concerto (1977)
    Magnus Lindberg: Clarinet Concerto (2005)
    Oscar Navarro: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 or 3 (2012)
    Joan Tower: Clarinet Concerto (1988)
    Anders Hillborg: Peacock Tales (1998-2001)

  • André Jolivet Concerto for Bassoon, String Orchestra, Harp, and Piano (1954)

    Gubaidulina Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings

    Zwillich Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra

    Joan Tower Red Maple for Bassoon and String Orchestra

    John Williams Five Sacred Trees

    Villa Lobos Ciranda das Sete Notas

    Nino Rota Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra

    Francaix Concerto

    Mignone Bassoon Concerto

    Panufnik Bassoon Concerto

  • Ruth Gipps: Horn Concerto, Op. 58 (1958)
    Gina Gillie: Reverie (1981)
    Paul Hindemith: Horn Concerto (1950)
    Gordon Jacob: Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra (1991)
    Lars Larsson: Concertino for horn and string orchestra, Op 45 No. 5 (1991)
    Cathy Likhuta: Vivid Dreams – Concerto for Low Horn and Wind Ensemble (2018)
    August Read Thomas: Silver Chants and Litanies (2004)
    John Williams: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2003)
    Ellen Taaffe Zwillich: Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra (1993)

  • Henri Tomasi: Trumpet Concerto (1954)

    Andre Jolivet: Concertino for Trumpet, String Orchestra and Piano (1948)

    Alexander Arutunian: Trumpet Concerto (1950)

    Aleksandra Pakhmutova: Concerto for Trumpet and Symphonic Orchestra (1955)

    John Williams: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (1996)

    Toshio Hosokawa: Im Nebel (2016)

    HK Gruber: Aerial – Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (1998-1999)

    Ellen Taaffee Zwilich: American Concerto (1994)

  • Ida Gotkovsky: Concerto for Trombone
    Christian Lindberg: Concertos 1, 2, 3
    Ellen Taffe Zwilich: Concerto
    Nino Rota: Concerto for Trombone
    Takashi Yoshimatsu: Orion Machine
    Anthony Barfield: Red Sky

  • Barbara York - War and Rumors of War (2004)
    John Williams - Tuba Concerto (1985/2016)
    Martin Ellerby - Tuba Concerto (1988)
    Roland Szentpali - Tuba Concerto (20
    2)
    Jennifer Higdon - Tuba Concerto (2018)
    Gunther Schuller - Tuba Concerto 2 (2008)

    Please do not apply with the Vaughan Williams Concerto

  • Paul Creston: Concertino for Marimba (1940)
    Toshiro Mayuzumi: Concertino for Xylophone (1965)
    Emmanuel Sejourne: Marimba Concerto (2006)
    Kevin Puts: Concerto for Marimba (1997)
    Eric Ewazen: Concerto for Marimba (1999)
    Anders Koppel: Concerto No. 1 for Marimba (2015)

  • Vivian Fung: Harp Concerto (2013)
    Alberto Ginastera: Harp Concerto (1956)
    Jennifer Higdon: Harp Concerto (2018)
    André Jolivet: Concerto per arpa e orchestra da camera (1952)
    Walter Piston: Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra (1963)
    Einojuhani Rautavaara: Harp Concerto (2000)
    Joseph Rebman: Hyperion – Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (2015)
    R. Murray Schafer: Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (1988)
    Germaine Tailleferre: Concertino pour Harpe et Orchestre (1927)
    John Williams: On Willows and Birches (2009)

  • Grażyna Bacewicz,: Piano Concerto (1949)
    Samuel Barber: Piano Concerto (1962)
    Béla Bartók: any of the 3 piano concerti
    Unsuk Chin: Piano Concerto (1997)
    Aaron Copland: Piano Concerto (1926)
    Alberto Ginastera: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 28 (1962)
    Aram Khachaturian: Piano Concerto (1936)
    György Ligeti: Piano Concerto (1988)
    Witold Lutosławski: Piano Concerto (1988)
    Krzysztof Penderecki: Piano Concerto (2002)
    David Rakowski: Piano Concerto No. 1 (2009)
    Esa-Pekka Salonen: Piano Concerto (2007)
    Alfred Schnittke: Concerto for Piano and Strings (1979)
    Joan Tower: Concerto for Piano (Homage to Beethoven) (1986)
    George Walker: Piano Concerto (1976)
    Yehudi Wyner: Chiavi in mano (2006)
    Ellen Taafe Zwilich: Piano Concerto (1986)

  • John Adams Violin Concerto (1993)

    Sofia Gubaidulina Offertorium for Violin and Orchestra (1980)

    Jennifer Higdon Violin Concerto (2008)

    Witold Lutoslawski Partita for Violin and Orchestra (1988)

    Florence Price Violin Concerto No. 1 (1939) OR Violin Concerto No. 2 (1952)

  • Item description

  • Britten Cello Symphony (1963)

    Walton Cello Concerto (1957)

    Vigil Augusta Reid Thomas (1990)

    George Walker: Movements for Cello and Orchestra (1982/2012)

    Barber: Cello Concerto (1945)

  • Katarzyna Brochocka – concerto

    Gordon Jacob, concerto

    Wilfred Josephs, Double Bass-Concerto Op. 118

    Giovanni Bottesini, Concerto No. 2 in B minor

    Johann Baptist Van Hall Concerto No. 2 in D major

  • Robert Paterson: Triple Concerto, “Summit” (2023)

  • Florent Schmitt: Légende, Op. 66 (1918)

  • Chen Yi: Percussion Concerto (1998)
    Jennifer Higdon: Percussion Concerto (2005)
    James Romig: Percussion Concerto (2010)
    James MacMillan: Veni, Veni, Emmauel (1992)
    Joseph Schwantner: Percussion Concerto No. 1 (1995)
    Darus Milhaud: Concerto for Percussion and Small Orchestra, op. 10 (1930)
    Andre Jolivet: Percussion Concerto (1958)
    Berhold Hummel: Concerto op. 70 for Percussion and Orchestra (1982)