The Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra, Opus 46, is a

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

featuring a

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

soloist, written by English composer Malcolm Arnold. The piece was composed in 1954 for the American harmonica

virtuoso A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...

Larry Adler, and was premiered on August 14, 1954 at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

, with accompaniment by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The concerto has a duration of nine minutes and is cast in three movements: *Grazioso *Mesto *Con brio

Sources

*''The World Guide to Musical Instruments, Max Wade-Matthews, Anness Publishing Ltd., 2001''
Official Malcolm Arnold Website
Compositions by Malcolm Arnold 1954 compositions

Harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

Harmonica {{concerto-stub