Con cierto toque de tango translates as “With a certain hint of tango”. Orchestrating Argentine tango does present its challenges. One possible solution is to try to make the orchestra sound as much like a tango ensemble, an “orquesta tipica”, as possible.

Another option is to cut a few corners and translate it into an easier language for the more conventional orchestra to decipher. A third is to invent new, unfamiliar solutions. I’ve done a bit of all three here. The violin concerto Con cierto toque de tango was commissioned by Hugo Ticciati for O/Modernt in Stockholm, a festival which focuses on reflections of the musical past in the present, an agenda consistent with my own.

Musically, there’s probably more than just a hint of tango in this concerto, considering that the movements are named after the Argentine dance forms - milonga, zamba and tango.

Sverre Indris Joner (born 1963, in Oslo) is a composer, arranger, orchestra leader, pianist, percussionist (and occasional author, illustrator, actor etc.). He has founded and led a number of orchestras and bands, most of them associated with Latin American music.

Violinist and composer Henning Kraggerud’s extraordinary position as an artist is the result of his versatility and passion for music. He regularly performs with many of the world’s leading orchestras as well as at major international festivals and arenas, including the BBC Proms.