Lauren Bernofsky wrote this work as her doctoral dissertation for Boston University. The composer decided to write for trumpet citing its clear, brilliant sound, but also with the desire to contribute a more "meaty" concerto to the trumpet’s library. In three movements, the composer attempts to create variety in the piece through different textures. Originally orchestrated for a classical-size orchestra with double winds and brass, the piano reduction was commissioned by trumpeter Mary L. Thornton as part of her doctoral dissertation project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This work received its piano reduction premiere on July 28, 2001 in Madison, Wisconsin, with Mary Thornton as soloist, and its orchestral premiere on August 12, 2001 in Bergen, Norway, with Gary Peterson as soloist.