Violin Concerto (Adams)

This article is about the violin concerto. For Peter Martins' 1994 ballet to this music, see Adams Violin Concerto.
Violin Concerto
by John Adams
Portrait of John Adams
GenreMinimalism
FormViolin Concerto
Commissioned byNew York City Ballet
Composed1993 (1993)
DedicationDavid Huntley
Durationabout 35 minutes
MovementsThree
Premiere
DateJanuary 19, 1994 (1994-01-19)
LocationOrdway Music Theater, Saint Paul, Minnesota
ConductorEdo de Waart
PerformersJorja Fleezanis (violin) Minnesota Orchestra

The Violin Concerto by the American composer John Adams was written in 1993. Its premiere was on January 19, 1994, by Jorja Fleezanis with the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Edo de Waart, at the Ordway Music Theater, Saint Paul, Minnesota.[1][2]

The piece was co-commissioned by the New York City Ballet, leading to a strong sense of rhythm throughout the entire work. For it, Adams received the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.[1]

A typical performance lasts around 35 minutes.[3]

The Violin Concerto has been described as "the most original approach to the genre since the Alban Berg Concerto".[4]

  1. ^ a b "1995 – John Adams". Grawemeyer Awards. 20 July 1995. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  2. ^ "John Adams - Violin Concerto". Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  3. ^ Adams, John. "About the Piece - Violin Concerto". Los Angeles Philharmonic. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018.
  4. ^ Christopher Latham, review of recording by Chloë Hanslip, Limelight, January 2007, p. 47