The Concerto for Oboe and Strings - 'Epitaphium' was originally written in 1980 to 1981 during a tragic period in the composer’s life. His wife, Simona, died on 8 May 1980, leaving the composer with a son, Nicholas, so this piece is dedicated to Simona and is inscribed with the words ‘In Loving Memory of Simona’. It was revised in 2012.

The concerto is in two movements, played without a break and lasts just over 16 minutes. The first movement is called ‘Elegy’ and alternates a slow meditation with a faster ‘agitated’ section. The strings alone begin with the slow meditation and the oboe follows with the faster music, as a solo cadenza.  The second movement is called ‘Wild Dance’ and is a fast dance-like movement with a cadenza for the oboe in the middle. The work ends with a development and return of the first movement.