In this post, I'll share my suggestion for concerto order for upper intermediate and advanced players. This list is based on my own experience as both a student and a teacher.

#1: Bach A Minor

This is typically the first standard concerto that students learn. It's in a friendly key for the violin with lots of ringing notes, it's not too long (only about 7 pages total for all 3 movements), and doesn't require any special or extended techniques. Fun fact-this concerto is in Suzuki book 7! Some students may also prefer to play the Bach E Major concerto, which is of similar difficulty.

#2 Accolay Concerto in A Minor

The Accolay is also relatively short-it's only one movement and ranges from 4-6 pages depending on the edition. This piece has a lot of diversity-there's fast passages, slow passages, a key change, double stops, chords, slurs, spiccato-it really has it all! It's a lot of fun to play and sounds very impressive.

#3 Mozart 3

Mozart 3 is often the first Mozart concerto that students learn because it's thought to be the "easiest" (although certainly not easy!) What makes Mozart difficult is not necessarily the notes, but the style. Every not must be exactly in tune, your playing must be extremely clean and light, and two note slurs should emphasize the first note. Mozart 4 and 5 are also comparable in difficulty, so you could easily pick whichever one you like best. Other comparable pieces include the Kabalevsky Concerto and the Conus Concerto.

#4 Bruch

This piece is also relatively short, with the first movement coming in at a little over three pages. This piece has a lot to offer-chords, double stops, fast chromatic passages, and tricky rhythms. My favorite movement is the third movement-but I also think it's the hardest because of the 3rds and 10ths! Another concerto to consider at this stage is Wieniawski 2. I've never personally played it, but I've heard it's not too difficult except for the fingered octaves!

#5 Saint-Saens 3

I absolutely loved playing this concerto! Each movement has a powerful and memorable melody. It is a bit longer than the previously mentioned pieces, so it does require more stamina.

#6 Lalo Symphonie Espagnole

This is a really fun piece to play due to its unique Spanish flare. It does have 5 movements, making it pretty lengthy, but the first movement is the most standard. There are big jumps, runs, a beautiful slow melody section, and a very exciting ending.

#7 Mendelssohn

Once you've played all of the other previously mentioned concertos, the Mendelssohn isn't too terribly challenging at face value. What makes the Mendelssohn difficult is the style. It's similar to Mozart-you must have an incredibly clean and clear sound, your intonation must be impeccable, and each note must be handled with care. This was the piece that I played for my college auditions and with two orchestras!

#8 Khachaturian

This piece is a bit further down the list due to its tonal language. Khachaturian was Armenian, and therefore did not subscribe to the more traditional Western music.

At this point, you're ready to move on to the big three-Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. Each of these has their own difficulties, and it's hard to say which one is harder than the other. Beethoven is likely the most technically accessible, but stylistically challenging. I personally played them in this order-Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, and Korngold. After these, you're ready to venture into the more modern concertos like Shostakovich, Berg, and Korngold. I personally think these are more challenging due to their tonal language-but since you played the Khachaturian, you should have some experience with that 😉

What order did you learn these concertos in? Which one is your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know!