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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Concertino for Scavengers

by Tonia Ko

Instrumentation
Cello, Electronics
Composed
2024
Duration
6'
Publisher
Composer (available from the composer / James Joslin Music Management)
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About this piece

A six-minute 'mini-concerto' for cello and electronics, commissioned by the Scottish cellist Louise McMonagle and premiered by her at Kings Place, London, on 29 September 2024. In the composer's note, the orchestra lives inside the electronic part and reacts to the cellist, and its sounds are the 'crumbs and debris' of orchestral instruments, such as tapping, scraping and breath. The cello begins with magnified pizzicato taps and left-hand releases, gradually gathers an invisible ensemble around the listener in 360-degree sound, then sheds it again. In 2025 it was shortlisted by the ISCM British Section for the 2026 World New Music Days in Bucharest.

Technical overview

No technical overview is available yet.

Level rubric

Professional

Left Hand

  • Complete command of the fingerboard.
  • Proficient thumb position across all strings.
  • Execute complex double stops and rapid trills precisely.
  • Fast scales and leaps with precise intonation and speed.
  • Apply expressive techniques (portamenti, micro‑adjusted intonation) tastefully.
  • Easily execute false harmonics.

Right Hand

  • Seamlessly blends martelé, spiccato, sautillé, legato & ricochet.
  • Meticulous bow distribution for sustained lines or rapid passages.
  • Clear pianissimo to controlled fortissimo.
  • Economical, efficient bow movement with smooth transitions.
  • Employ advanced effects (ponticello, bow effects) artistically.

Musicality

  • Focus on a deeply personal, communicative performance.
  • Make interpretive choices reflecting deep understanding of form, style & emotion.
  • Convey nuanced phrasing, wide dynamic range & a unique artistic voice.
  • Craft dramatic cadenzas/solos with rubato, tone & expressive timing.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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