Concerto for Orchestra

Dedicated to the memory of Oliver Knussen, George Benjamin’s 2021 Concerto for Orchestra premiered at the BBC proms by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Benjamin said that the piece attempts “to conjure a trace of the energy, humour, and spirit” of Knussen. It is varied and dynamic across its unbroken 17-minute span – skittish lines play against still, suspended ones – and full of star turns for its various instrumental protagonists. Available here as a full score. Parts available to hire from September 2022. “A terrific 17-minute tour de force, clearly inspired by the virtuosity of the Mahler CO players, but far from being merely a glittering showcase.”The Times (Richard Morrison), August 2021"As with everything Benjamin writes, the concerto gleams, all the sonic ingredients individuated, clarity and intricate detail turning every player into a soloist. In this composer’s music it’s as if every bar, every idea, is an essence of the whole: an atom, more like the smallest in a set of Russian dolls."The Observer (Fiona Maddocks), September 2021