This violin concerto has been through a lot as have I. This is supposed to represent how the world is a harsh place and that there is some sliver of hope to help us get through life (mvmt. 2 and moderato mvmt. 3). I did take some inspiration from composers: Bach, Mendelssohn, and Paganini. Paganini for the flashy showy things such as fast arpeggios and scales, and Bach for the part that I took out of his "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" Mendelssohn for the tremolo rising part of his concerto, and also of course my take on music. I have a strong connection with this concerto, and this is one of my longest works of music (mainly due to many interruptions of composing, family, and school) I find it amazing that music can be there when words fail to be. -Vincenzo Ortiz