"For me," wrote Zwilich, "the concerto is an inherently dramatic situation with many analogies to the theater. For instance, a soloist -- or protagonist -- may have a cadenza -- or soliloquy -- in which to voice his or her essential nature . . . In the case of the oboe, it seems to me that a soloist's highest virtuosity is displayed in the way a phrase is shaped, in the variety of color and the shadings occurring in long melodic lines, in the intense vocal artistry of the finest solo player. So this concerto comes largely from the 'bel canto' spirit of the oboe. (…) The full development of a character requires a dialogue with other strong characters. An unusual feature of my Oboe Concerto is the use of the orchestral oboe, oboe d'amore, and English horn to form a sort of 'close family' trio that interacts with the solo oboe throughout. My Concerto is dedicated, with affection, to John Mack, whose artistry inspired it."