Seitz Violin Concerto No 2 Violin and String Orchestra

Seitz's Violin Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 13 is one of the most widely used student concertos in the violin repertoire: a three-movement work written specifically to develop young players, with melodies that engage and a technical programme that systematically covers the ground a Grade 7 student needs to consolidate. This arrangement sets it for solo violin and string orchestra, giving young soloists their first genuine concerto experience with a real orchestral ensemble behind them.

What makes the Seitz concertos so effective is that they don't treat technique and music-making as separate concerns. This concerto covers a lot of technical ground: a variety of bow strokes, scales and arpeggios in the solo line, double stopping, and passages that require clear left-hand articulation at increasing speeds. But Seitz frames all of it within melodically appealing, musically shaped phrases, so the student is always working on sound and expression at the same time as developing the technique. A player who works seriously through this concerto at Grade 7 will find that it consolidates a wide range of fundamental skills that will underpin everything they go on to learn, and it does so through music that is genuinely worth playing.

The string orchestra adds a dimension the piano version cannot offer: the experience of playing with an ensemble, listening across a larger group, projecting the solo line, and managing the balance between soloist and orchestra. These are skills that practice with a piano cannot fully prepare a student for, and the Seitz concerto is an ideal piece in which to develop them for the first time.

At nine minutes across three movements, this is a substantial undertaking for a Grade 7 student, and a rewarding one. It suits student recitals, school concerts, and examination programmes where a complete, well-structured concerto is needed at an accessible level.

See and hear the difference

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear picture of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Solo Violin + String Orchestra (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
• Difficulty: ABRSM Grade 7 (solo); Intermediate (ensemble)
• Duration: approximately 9 minutes
• Technical focus: varied bow strokes, scales, arpeggios, double stopping
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

Who it's for

This is a strong choice for Grade 7 students who are ready for their first full concerto experience with a string orchestra, and for teachers looking for repertoire that consolidates fundamental technique while developing musical shaping and ensemble awareness. It works well in student recitals, school concerts, and examination programmes where a complete, structured concerto is needed at an accessible level.