Austrian composer and teacher Thomas Modrej (b. 1973) had long entertained the idea of writing a solo concerto but was always preoccupied with the crucial question of how to achieve an ideal balance between soloist and orchestra. So often in works of this kind the soloist can easily dominate the texture and lapse into empty virtuosity. His firm conviction is that technical display must never be an end in itself but should serve a purely aesthetic purpose. At last he resolved to put pen to paper and attempt to realize his musical ideas and ambitions. The result: this superb new work for trumpet and orchestra, which, it is hoped, will soon enter the repertoire of all aspiring or established trumpet soloists.

 Music example (pdf)