Concerto Crash Course

Penney Stergios • January 23, 2023

Solo concerto? Concerto Grosso? Here's a primer.

The concerto (pronounced con-CHAIR-toe) is a genre of classical music featuring a solo musician(s) playing with a full orchestra. Most of us can easily recognize a solo concerto when we see one, as they include only one soloist playing with an orchestra. The solo concerto became a favorite compositional style during the Baroque era and continues on into the modern era of music today.

A concerto grosso (Italian for “big concerto”) is a sub-genre of the solo concerto made popular during the latter half of the Baroque period (1600-1750). A concerto grosso is composed of several soloists playing with an orchestra. Generally speaking, concerti grossi are written in three movements, fast-slow-fast.

An example of a modern solo concerto: Percussionist She-E Wu performing Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Percussion with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Stephen Alltop conducting, on May 7, 2022. Photo by Elliot Mandel.

By the 1700’s the concerto grosso was in full swing. It had gained popularity in society, moving from the chapel (church music) to the court (social). Composer Georg Muffat (1653-1704) remarked:

These concertos, suited neither to the church (because of the ballet airs and airs of other sorts which they include) nor for dancing (because of other interwoven conceits, now slow and serious, now gay and nimble, and composed only for the express refreshment of the ear), may be performed most appropriately in connection with entertainments given by great princes and lords, for receptions of distinguished guests, and at state banquets, serenades, and assemblies of musical amateurs and virtuosi.

Musicians use specific terms to refer to different sections of a concerto gross:

Tutti (pronounced TOO-tee) means “everyone” or the full group. In a concerto grosso, when the soloists and full orchestra play together, it is called a tutti section.
Concertino (Italian for “little ensemble”) refers to the small group of soloists only.
Ripieno (rip-e-AIN-o) translates to the “stuffing” or “padding”, and refers to the non-soloist musicians of the accompanying orchestra.

So, tutti is everyone, concertino is just the soloists, and ripieno is just the accompanying orchestra. Remembering these terms will help you make sense of statements like “the music moves back-and-forth between the concertino and ripieno before concluding with a grand tutti passage to bring the work to a climactic end.

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ESO Announces Winner of the 2025 Stanger Young Artist Competition

May 12, 2025

The Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to announce that Tong-Bai Deng , pianist, has been named the winner of the 2025 Stanger Young Artist Competition. The announcement was made live at the conclusion of the Rising Stars of Stanger concert on Saturday, May 10, 2025, held at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church. Deng earned top honors for his electrifying performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Movement IV , captivating both the audience and judges with his technical command and passionate artistry. The concert featured three finalist performances by exceptional high school musicians: Tong-Bai Deng , piano — Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (Mvt. IV) Sarah Gomez , Sam Deverman , Elyse Schlesinger , and Julian Kolthammer , horns — Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra Neal Eisfeldt , violin — Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (Mvt. I) The Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Assistant Conductor Eli Chen , also performed Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Movement I , rounding out a dynamic and celebratory afternoon of music. A panel of esteemed judges— Andrea Lafranzo , Michael Lewanski , and Peter Lipari —was embedded in the audience to evaluate each finalist on musicianship, interpretation, and stage presence before announcing the winner live from the stage. “This competition is one of the most inspiring events we host all year,” said Michael Surratt, Coordinator of the Stanger Young Artist Competition. “We are so proud of all the finalists and extend our warmest congratulations to Tong-Bai Deng for his extraordinary performance.” The Stanger Young Artist Competition is an annual tradition that supports and celebrates the next generation of classical musicians by offering high school performers the opportunity to appear as soloists with a professional orchestra. It is in part sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst , whose generous and ongoing support is gratefully acknowledged. For more information on the competition or upcoming performances, please visit ElmhurstSymphony.org or contact the ESO office at 630-941-0202 (Monday-Friday 10AM-3PM).