Piano Concerto No. 4 (Rorem)

Ned Rorem's Piano Concerto No. 4 is a single-movement work for piano and orchestra. It was commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and premiered in 2001 with soloist Jeffrey Biegel and conductor Leonard Slatkin. The concerto is known for its lyrical and expressive character, typical of Rorem's compositional style, often described as neo-Romantic. It incorporates elements of jazz and popular music within a broader classical framework. While not as widely performed as some of Rorem's other works, Piano Concerto No. 4 is considered a significant contribution to the piano concerto repertoire of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It showcases Rorem's skill in blending dissonance and consonance to create a rich and emotionally resonant sound world.