Benjamin Lees's Concerto for string quartet and orchestra was written on commission for the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, and was first performed by them under the conductor Hans Schwieger, with the Paganini Quartet as soloists, in January 1965. The unusual nature of the work arose out of the desire of Mrs. Louis Sosland who commissioned it, to help the Kansas orchestra while also continuing to foster the art of the string quartet, which was her own special interest. Lees, whose output includes highly successful works in both concerto and string quartet media, responded with a work which solves the difficult problem of combining the two with characteristic artistic mastery and inventiveness.