Composed for piano and orchestra, The Concerto in C was completed just two weeks before its first performance on July 18, 1953 with pianist Eugene List and the composer conducting the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra in Chicago, Illinois. It is 17 minutes and 35 seconds long.
Leroy Anderson conducted the work twice in Chicago, on July 18 and 19, 1953 and once the following year in Cleveland on July 29, 1954 with the Cleveland Summer Orchestra, again with Eugene List as piano soloist. Dissatisfied with it, Anderson withdrew the work and omitted it from a complete list of works that he prepared in 1970. He considered rewriting the Concerto two years before his death in 1975 but he wrote nothing down. The Anderson family posthumously released the work. Its first performance after the composer's death was on November 6, 1989 with Erich Kunzel conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with William Tritt, pianist. Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recorded the Concerto for Telarc in 1992 with Stewart Goodyear as pianist. In 1999 pianist Catherine Wilson recorded the Concerto with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and conductor Skitch Henderson.
Composer quotes: "As soon as I can I shall begin work on a piece for piano and
orchestra requested by Leo Litwin for next season's Pops concerts." (note: Leo Litwin
was the Boston Pops pianist for many years)