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Premiere of the Month: Jeffrey Mumford’s new double concerto

2026-01-23T09:37:00

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The movement of clouds inspired a densely layered work

‘This piece has been percolating in my head for 15 years,’ says US composer Jeffrey Mumford about floating layers interwoven with expanding brightness, his recently completed double concerto for violin, cello and orchestra. ‘I love the idea of combining the personalities of the two soloists and working with the sonorities and capabilities of these instruments,’ he adds. A conversational tone runs throughout the work among and between the soloists and various members of the orchestra: ‘At times the solo violin plays very high figurations when the solo cello interrupts. Or one of the two solo instruments may do a little dance and then they will come together. It ranges from adversarial to cooperative.’…

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