Work of the Week – Christian Jost: Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra

4 May 2026

Banner collage against dark architecture: On the left, Christoph Sietzen in a dynamic pose with floating mallets; on the right, a portrait of composer Christian Jost in a brown corduroy blazer.

What happens when a contemporary composer looks back at one of the most personal works in music history? For Christian Jost, it leads to a "Blade"—a musical incision into the past. His new Concerto for vibraphone and orchestra, premiering in Salzburg on May 7, 2026, uses Mozart's Masonic Funeral Music as its sonic seed. It’s a journey that starts in the depths of a funeral march and ends in the electric atmosphere of modern jazz.

The vibraphonist acts as a time traveler in this score. Using the instrument’s metallic clarity, the soloist cuts through the historical DNA of Mozart’s Cantus Firmus to release its latent energy. As the piece progresses, the initial "conduct-like" lament and strict forms transform into groovy rhythms and jazz idioms. It is a celebration of aesthetic freedom, moving from the shadows of history into a bright, rhythmic present.

A musical time traveler with the precision of a blade: Christian Jost's Vibraphone Concerto

There is also a profound political layer to the work. By referencing Freemasonry, Jost highlights the humanist and liberal ideals that have historically been suppressed by totalitarian regimes. In this context, the transformation from rigor to jazz becomes a metaphor for the triumph of the human spirit.

With the phenomenal Christoph Sietzen on the vibraphone and Roberto González-Monjas leading the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, this premiere promises to be a gripping experience. To fully appreciate the dialogue between centuries, the composer even suggests playing Mozart’s original work immediately following the concerto.