The French world “encore” simply mean “again” and commonly indicates a short piece to be performed at the end of a concert. This is an ancient tradition, as we can found the first written description of an encore on “The Spectator” newspaper in 1712. Today, the encore is a very important part of a concert, even if not included in the official program. Just because thanks to its surprising element, it gives a particular excitement and enjoyment to the performance.

The music critic Zachary Woolfe offers an interesting analysis of the different types of encores and of the several meanings and senses that the encore can have in todays concert life; you can read the full article HERE