concerto

noun

con·​cer·​to kən-ˈcher-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce concerto (audio)
 also  -ˈchər-
plural concerti kən-ˈcher-(ˌ)tē How to pronounce concerto (audio)
 also  -ˈchər-
or concertos
: a piece for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements
a violin concerto

Examples of concerto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Related Stories During his 85-year career, Janis covered composers from Bach to David W. Guion and performed major piano concertos from Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Prokofiev. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2024 The concerto is the latest in an impressive portfolio. Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 This trio of selections was followed by the premiere of Jandali’s concerto for clarinet and orchestra, composed for visiting soloist Anthony McGill, principal clarinet for the New York Philharmonic. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, the most popular concerto ever composed for guitar and orchestra, inspired by the Royal Gardens at Aranjuez in Spain. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Jan. 2024 Another camp believes that almost any spray-can concerto is art, and the sprayer an embryo Rembrandt. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Simon’s concerto was especially vivid in Milan, its vaguely phonetic two-note salvo sounding an alarm that scarcely relented. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Sometimes, her dad would bring home random recordings with cello on them; a concerto by avant-garde composer Gyorgy Ligeti opened up a fissure in her 11-year-old mind. Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2024 The Phoenix Symphony The Phoenix Symphony led by guest conductor Ankush Bahl presents Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, the most popular concerto ever composed for guitar and orchestra, inspired by the Royal Gardens at Aranjuez in Spain. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concerto.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from concerto concert

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concerto was in 1710

Dictionary Entries Near concerto

Cite this Entry

“Concerto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concerto. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

concerto

noun
con·​cer·​to kən-ˈchert-ō How to pronounce concerto (audio)
plural concerti -(ˌ)ē How to pronounce concerto (audio) or concertos
: a piece for one or more soloists and orchestra usually in three movements

More from Merriam-Webster on concerto

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