About this Piece

When I first received the request to write a piece for solo violin and ensemble, the idea of a violin concerto immediately came to mind. Having played the violin extensively during my childhood, I had always envisioned my first concerto would be written for this instrument.

My Violin Concerto places particular emphasis on the relationship between the solo violin and the orchestra—“distinct, yet unified.” It seeks to highlight the virtuosity of the soloist while also blending the instrument seamlessly into the ensemble.

This piece follows the traditional three-movement concerto form. The titles of each movement give a hint of the general idea and ambience of the music: I. Poco a poco, II. Passacaglia, and III. Con moto.

Poco a poco: Poco a poco is a musical term indicating a gradual change in tempo, dynamics, or texture. In this spirit, the first movement begins with a single note from the solo violin—evocative of tuning open strings—and the music gradually expands. As the orchestra joins in, a simple gesture develops into scales, then into a richly woven polyphony. The movement portrays a gradual coalescence of individual voices into a unified texture—little by little (poco a poco).

Passacaglia: While conceptualizing the Violin Concerto, I was also in the midst of composing my first opera. Writing multiple arias during that time inspired me to shape the second movement like an aria. Structured as a passacaglia—a 17th-century musical form based on a repeating bass line—the movement features the violin singing in vocal-like phrases and flowing rhythms that evoke the spirit of operatic lyricism.

Con moto: In music, con moto often appears in tempo markings—Allegro con moto, Andante con moto, and so forth—signifying that a passage should be played with movement or energy. Similarly, the final movement carries a restrained rhythmic structure, yet it pulses with an underlying kinetic energy. The tension between the solo violin and the ensemble escalates throughout, building toward a climax of intense drive and momentum. —Yie-Eun Chun