“An intriguing novel of secrets, conducted with as many satisfying shifts of tempo and tone as any Romantic concerto. It asks not only what price success, but what obligation to the truth every writer bears.”

–Alix Christie, author of Gutenberg’s Apprentice and The Shining Mountains

Ellen Wroe, a celebrated biographer, sets her sights on Cecil Woodbridge, the legendary conductor whose name reverberates through concert halls and conservatories. But Woodbridge—maestro, cellist, conductor-king—rebuffs her approach and conspires to thwart her efforts. Undeterred, Wroe embarks on a relentless pursuit, trailing the maestro across continents—through the archives of his correspondence, into the confidences of his colleagues, and deeper still into the long shadow of his past.

With lyrical precision and atmospheric sweep, Concert Black echoes the psychological depth of Ian McEwan’s Atonement and the philosophical resonance of Julian Barnes’ The Noise of Time. From the frostbitten avenues of postwar London to the symphonic stages of Boston and Chicago, biographer and subject circle each other in an elegiac dance—until they collide in a reckoning neither can escape.

“A gripping tale of music, friendship, and reckless ambition rendered with the masterful touch of a literary maestro.”  Eric Siblin, bestselling author of The Cello Suites

“Masterful…Though music resonates poetically through these pages, the flaws and virtues of human nature stand at the book’s core.”  Howard Reich, Emmy Award-winning author of Van Cliburn and former Chicago Tribune music critic

“A thrilling novel that stretches effortlessly across decades and continents…A deeply resonant and intelligent page-turner.”  Debbie Urbanski, author of After World and Portalmania