Concerto for Chamber Orchestra

All the Right Things for All the Wrong Reasons

by Stephen Lias

Commissioned and premiered by Maciej Żółtowski and the Fenimore Chamber Orchestra.

ABOUT THE PIECE:

This varied and engaging work for chamber orchestra takes the listener on a sweeping journey through an evocative harmonic landscape in a single 25-minute movement. A series of poetic metaphors from the book The Name of the Wind (Rothfuss) serve as the framework of the piece with sections titled:

Sharp Stone Beneath Swift Water
A Lover in an Empty Bed
Looking for Notes in the Wrong Places
Warm Grass and Cool Breeze
Patient as a Heavy Stone
Like a Hot Knife in His Mind
A Lesson in Punitive Anatomy.
Sunlight, and a Smile, and a Question

With solo moments for nearly every player, this work is challenging and virtuosic, but direct, colorful, and audience-friendly. It uses the same instrumentation as Mozart's Symphony No. 40.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER:

Stephen Lias is an American composer whose music is inspired by the intersection of wilderness, science, literature, and the human experience. His works have been performed by orchestras, chamber ensembles, bands, and soloists throughout the United States and abroad, and his collaborations with national parks have made him a leading voice in connecting music with the natural world. His music is published by Alias Press and he is represented by Black Tea Music. (read full bio)

Written in 2026
25 minutes

INSTRUMENTATION:
(same as Mozart Symphony No. 40)

Flute
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets
2 Bassoons
2 Horns
Violin a
Violin 2
Viola
Cello
Double Bass