The Difference between a Recital and Concert

It is now the time of year where the weather has finally begun to warm up and the first signs of summer of are upon us. While some families might be spending their weekends at the beach or the lake, many will be sitting inside nicely air conditioned performing arts halls listening to the beautiful music of the hard working musicians they know and love. While the excitement and anticipation heats up, the music note shaped cakes are being purchased and staff paper streamers line the entry doors of many homes of the musical standouts. I wanted to take a quick minute and answer a question many people have during this time of year:

What is the difference between a “Recital” and a “Concert”?

A Recital Is:

1. A Performance by a Student
Recitals are performances that highlight a music school, studio or student’s hard work during a season.

2. A Solo or Small Duo
Recitals are almost always solo performances, highlighting one student’s repertoire. While there are exceptions, this is the general expectation.

3. Support by Family and Friends
Most attendees of a recital are family and friends of the performers who are there to give 100% support. The environment is friendly and welcoming. Unlike a concert, you are not going find music critics, but only people who fully support the performers

A Concert Is:

1. A Performance by a Professional
A professional is someone who is paid for his/her services. This is the differentiating factor between pupils and professional.

2. A Performance by a Group
Concert comes from the Italian word “Concerto” meaning together. Concerts are performances with an ensemble or a group.

3. Fans or Critics
Unlike a recital, every concert will have its diehard fans and skeptical critics. There will be people who love it and people who hate it, good reviews and poor critiques. The environment is not as automatically supportive as one can expect to find at a recital

Fun fact- Franz List is noted as the inventor of the solo recital.