Dr. Susan Eischeid, Oboe Professor at the University of Valdosta (Georgia, USA), got to know the first oboe concerto and made contact with Hidas. She had - despite his tonal language - surprisingly found out that he was still alive. She consequently commissioned him to compose the Second Oboe Concerto. Hidas wrote the original version in 1998, which was first performed one year later with Susan Eischeid as the soloist with the chamber orchestra at Valdosta conducted by Laszlo Marosi conducting. Ms. Eischeid used this opportunity to host a Hungarian festival with a special concert series on campus. She even made a speech with the title Music behind the Iron Curtain. Although Valdosta does not have Hungarian residents, the university and a Hungarian culture club in Washington funded the festival after an initially unsuccessful search for sponsors.
Originally for Oboe and string orchestra, Hidas wrote a version with wind ensembles for Stormworks Europe in 2000, which had its premiere on the CD Five Concertos with the oboe player Pauline Oostenrijk and the Delphi Ensemble under Lute Hoekstra.
