The work was commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra for the violinist Jaime Laredo and the cellist Sharon Robinson and in memory of the sculptor Albert Wein.
In the score program note, Zwilich described the two movements as "both employing related expansive themes in a mixture of speeds and moods."
[1] Reviewing a recording of the work performed by Laredo, Robinson, and the Florida State University Orchestra conducted by Michael Stern, John Fleming of the Tampa Bay Times described the concerto as "Zwilich at her best, perhaps because she is a violinist."
He added, "Cellist Sharon Robinson and violinist Jaime Laredo mesh beautifully, their instruments often coming together as one complex, beguiling voice.
Stern and the FSU students do a fine job of creating an orchestral texture that includes some splendidly forthright brass play.