Classical Guitarist Sam Desmet assistance in music score publication of Jean Absil's Concerto for guitar and small orchestra.

Jean Absil – Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra

Composed in 1971 by Belgian composer Jean Absil, this guitar concerto stands as one of his final works, completed just two years before his passing.

The world premiere of Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra by Jean Absil took place on June 15, 2025, at CC De Schakel in Waregem, Belgium. The concerto was performed by Belgian guitarist Sam Desmet as the guitar soloist, accompanied by Casco Phil, under the baton of conductor Benjamin Haemhouts. This special event marked the first public performance of Absil’s captivating work for guitar and orchestra, bringing it to life with nuance, energy, and clarity.

Click for LIVE VIDEO of Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra by Jean Absil


This piece is published by Berben Italy / Edizioni Curci and is not currently carried by an online sheet music retailer. Click ‘Inquire’ to get in touch about obtaining a copy.

Title: Concerto Pour Guitare et Petit Orchestre (1971) Opus 155
Composer: Jean Absil (1893-1974)
Score reviews: Angelo Gilardino / Sam Desmet
Orchestration: guitar (soloist), 1 bassoon, 1 clarinet, 1 flute, 1 oboe, 2 contrabasses, 2 horns, 3 celli, 4 violas, 5 violin 2, 6 violin 1, percussion (woodblock, 4 timpani, snare drum, triangle, xylophone)
Publisher: Berben Italy / Edizioni Curci (catalog #EB3614)
Format: Full score and parts (81 pages)
Notation: Traditional
Level: Advanced
Download: pdf format

About Absil and the Concerto

Jean Absil (1893–1974) remains one of the most significant Belgian composers of the 20th century — a Brussels Conservatoire-trained organist and composer who won the Belgian Prix de Rome (1922) and the Prix Rubens (1934), taught harmony and counterpoint at the Brussels Conservatoire for over two decades, and shaped a generation of Belgian composers as professor and later academician at Belgium’s Royal Academy. His mature style, which emerged in the mid-1930s under the influence of Milhaud and Schoenberg, favored self-invented modal systems over strict atonality — each work built around its own harmonic language rather than a fixed key or a twelve-tone method. The Concerto pour Guitare et Petit Orchestre, Op. 155, completed in 1971, is one of his final works, written just three years before his death, and stands as a rare entry in the classical guitar concerto repertoire from a major 20th-century Belgian voice.

About this edition

This score carries a critical/editorial review by Sam Desmet, who also gave the work’s world premiere — see the Absil Guitar Concerto project page for the full story of that premiere and performance details.

FAQ

Has this concerto been performed or recorded?
Yes — the world premiere took place June 15, 2025, at CC De Schakel in Waregem, Belgium, with Sam Desmet as guitar soloist, Casco Phil, and conductor Benjamin Haemhouts. Watch the live video.

What level of experience does this require?
Advanced. This is a substantial concerto-length work for guitar and small orchestra, not an introductory piece.

Is a piano reduction available for rehearsal?
A piano reduction was prepared by Sam Desmet ahead of the 2025 premiere, but it isn’t commercially published — the publication rights rest with the score’s publisher, Edizioni Curci, who hasn’t taken it on. If a piano reduction would help you prepare for a performance of this concerto, get in touch directly to discuss options.