Cadenza is typically performed by which performer in a concerto?

• A. Soloist
• B. Conductor
• C. Orchestra
• D. Chorus

Answer: (A)

In a concerto, a cadenza is a moment where the solo instrument takes center stage to display virtuosity and personal expression, often improvising or elaborating a passage with little or no orchestral accompaniment. This showcase occurs toward the end of a movement, just before the orchestra returns to the principal material. The conductor’s role is to guide the whole ensemble, not to perform the cadenza, and the chorus is not typically part of instrumental concertos. Even when cadenzas are written out by the composer or performer, they are performed by the soloist herself or himself. So the performer who performs the cadenza is the soloist.