Piano Concerto (2005) for solo piano and strings was commissioned by Nathaniel Blume and Symphonic Underground.  The work was written in celebration of the Mozart Year 2006.

Unlike most recent piano concerti, this work is a concerto designed for small performing forces.  It sits between typical chamber music and the “typical” piano concerto.

The work was inspired by the various Mozart concerti (such as K. 449) which are often performed with very small string sections.  Thus, this concerto may be performed with as few as single strings on each part, or a larger full string orchestra.

The work is cast in one movement, containing two large sections (sub-movements).  Structurally, the piece is a highly condensed version of Classical period symphonic form.  The first section of the work is an exposition-development/”sonata allegro” combined with a slow movement.  The second section is a combination of a triple-meter scherzo and a rondo finale.

The musical material throughout derives tonally from the three notes of a D-major triad (D, F#, and A).  Those three pitches serve as transformation centers for the work’s material and also plot the tonal areas of each section.  The musical material of the work thus ranges from highly Classical melodies (although all original) and textures to more Romantic and modernist elements that transform out of the initial material.