Oboe and English Horn
Note from the Composer: Welcome double reed players! Both the oboe and English horn hold a special place in my heart for their ability to be both super melancholic and expressive, as well as impressively nimble and easy to pair with just about anything. I hope to write a lot more for these instruments in the future, so if you’re looking for new work let’s get in touch!
Unaccompanied Solo Works
Commissions from Quarantine: 6. Rhythmic and Energetic for solo oboe (2020)
Duration: 1’00”
Commissioner: Tyler Kuehn (YouTube)
Featuring coloristic effects like flutter tongue, breath accents, unspecified multiphonics, and foot stomps, this explosive, short work for oboe packs a punch! The combination of these expressive elements, a dance-like melody, and huge dynamic contrasts makes this piece a surprising tour de force—showcases the oboe’s incredible array of colors and textures.
Commissions from Quarantine: 15a. Poignant and Singing for solo oboe (2020)
Duration: 2’15”
Commissioner: Ann Lemke (Instagram | Website | YouTube)
Commissioned as part of a trio of works for various double reed combinations during Commissions from Quarantine, Poignant and Singing highlights the expressive and facile lyricism of the oboe. A simple but pervasive rhythm drives the melody through various turns, swirling climbs, and hesitant descents throughout the piece. The dance-like melody, singing leaps, and detailed articulation helps to create a work that is both introspective and passionate.
Accompanied Solo Works
Power, Speed, Grace, and Grit for double reed soloist + brass quintet (2021)
Piece begins at 1:12:35
This work is in four movements:
1. Domonique Dawes, Gymnastics (3’40”)
2. Gertrude Ederle, Swimming (3’20”)
3. Michelle Kwan, Figure Skating (3’30”)
4. Wilma Rudolph, Sprinting (3’30”)
Duration: 14’00”
Commissioner: Rebecca Keller
Commissioned by oboist Rebecca Keller, this substantial work for double reed soloist + brass quintet is a true showcase for both soloist and ensemble. While the oboe and English horn soloist is the true focus of each movement, the brass quintet parts playfully interact throughout the work—providing moments for every performer to shine. Each movement is inspired by a different Olympic athlete (Dominique Dawes, gymnastics; Gertrude Ederle, swimming; Michelle Kwan, figure skating; Wilma Rudolph, sprinting), exploring a wide array of textures, colors, and interplay between the instruments.
Pricing
Full score, digital: $40
Per movement, digital: $15
PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C) and solo parts for each performer, formatted for page turns.
Efflorescence for oboe doubling bassoon + string quartet (2021)
This work will be recorded in 2024, but you can check out the premiere performance here in the meantime! (headphones recommended due to quiet noise level)
This work is in three movements:
1. Herbs (4’15”)
2. Cycads (3’15”)
3. Succulents (5’00”)
Coming soon: Arrangement for flute, oboe, clarinet (dbl bass), string quartet, and piano! Check back January 2025 for score. A rehearsal recording of this version can be found here.
Duration: 12’30”
Commissioner: Colton Sprenkle (Website)
Commissioned by Colton Sprenkle as part of the Spring Forward commissioning series, this three-movement work is inspired by different plant forms. In the first movement, Herbs, a large variety of colors and textures are explored - capitalizing on both the oboe's lyrical expressiveness and the bassoon's surprising facility. The end of the movement highlights the bassoon's upper register - seamlessly moving into Cycads. This breezy second movement gusts and billows in a spirited sequence of trill-like figures and scalar passages, set against a series of lusher, melodic moments. The final movement, Succulents, offers nearly as many colors and textures as its namesake - percussive knocks, extreme registers, dynamic contrasts, and raw energy throughout permeate this final movement. The result is a complete showcase for both soloist and string quartet, sure to capture the imagination of any listener.
Pricing
Full score, digital: $35
Per movement, digital: $12
PDF includes a full score and solo parts for each performer, formatted for page turns.
Duos and Trios with Oboe or English Horn
Flicker for oboe, english horn, and bassoon (2021)
Lewis Painter, oboe
Alexandra Nadvoretskaya, English horn
Caeleigh Alexander, bassoon
Duration: 8’15”
Commissioner: Kinder High School for the Performing Arts (HSPVA)
Flicker was commissioned by the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas as part of the Spring Forward project series in 2021. Inspired by the movements of a candle flame, the work is a true showcase for both the individual players as well as the ensemble—lines blend and blur together, sometimes leaping across the ensemble. Sudden stops open the texture for extended solo moments at one moment while other voices flit and flicker beneath in other sections. The result is a playful, continuous ebb and flow of energy, sure to provide a fun and unique challenge for student and professional ensembles alike.
Pricing
Full score, digital: $25
PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C) and solo parts for each performer, formatted for page turns.
Commissions from Quarantine: 15b. Scherzo, Playful for oboe and english horn (2020)
Duration: 1’30”
Commissioner: Ann Lemke (Instagram | Website | YouTube)
This playful duo for oboe and English horn verges on impish with it’s use of hocketing interplay, scattered pecking gestures, large leaps, zipping ascents, sudden tutti arrivals, and quick dynamic changes. This short work puts its musical material through a surprising number of character changes, creating a fully-rounded work in under two minutes that will provide a fun challenge for any oboe and English horn duo.
Commissions from Quarantine: 15c. Peaceful, Together for oboe d’amore duo (2020)
Duration: 2’30”
Commissioner: Ann Lemke (Instagram | Website | YouTube)
This calm, lyrical work highlights the beautiful expressive capacity of the oboe d’amore. Large dynamic contrasts and grace note embellishments develop this simple, chorale-like melody, providing a compelling calm and quiet peace for both audience and performer.
Commissions from Quarantine: 21. Joyful for oboe and clarinet in Bb (2020)
This work has not yet been recorded - a MIDI rendering is available upon request.
Duration: 3’30”
Commissioner: John Hong (Twitter)
This light-hearted, playful work for creates an absolute symphony through the use of hocketing, groove-based rhythms, and singing melodies. In addition to its pervasive counterpoint, the work also luxuriates in surprising moments of tutti arrivals and brief solo moments. Also providing ample highlight of both oboe and clarinet individually, Joyful explores themes across the entirety of each instrument’s range—creating a dynamic, light-hearted work sure to add a burst of energy to any public performance!
Chamber Ensemble Works with Oboe or English Horn
Just Another Climb for flute, oboe, clarinet, viola, and harp (2020)
From a performance at the Grand Teton Music Festival. Original premiere can be found here.
Duration: 4’30”
Commissioner: Merian Ensemble (Website | YouTube)
Commissioned by Elizabeth Remy Johnson (harp) for the Merian Ensemble as part of the Project 12 commissioning series, this work was inspired by the first “manless” ascent of the Grand Tetons (by Margaret Bedell, Anne Sharples, Margaret Smith Craighead, and Mary Whittemore). I loved that they had worked together as a team to reach the summit, which I felt was a great parallel to The Merian Ensemble's dedication to raising awareness of the contributions of overlooked women throughout history. When interviewed about the historic climbing experience, Craighead simply said, “This may have been of importance to the record of events, but to us it was just another climb.” You can read more about this work on my blog—including score excerpts—linked here.
Pricing
Digital: $25
PDF includes a full score (transposing and/or in C) and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns.
Mountain Dances for oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, and piano (2013, rev. 2021)
This work is in three movements:
1. Thin Aire (5’30”)
2. Bearceuse (3’45”)
3. Sun(ata) Burnt (4’15”)
Duration: 13’30”
Mountain Dances was written in the summer of 2013 in Estes Park, Colorado. Inspired by the lush forests, towering peaks, brilliant sunshine, and even the occasional bear spotting, the suite encompasses a wide variety of moods, colors, and textures. In Thin Aire, the bouncing rhythms and intricate voicings work to create a perpetually swirling soundscape that is simultaneously light and lush. In Bearceuse, both bear and lullaby appear in the piano's extreme registration and the reeds' lyrical and singing melodies. Sun(ata) Burnt sizzles, burbles, and shimmers in colorful sustains, playful mixed meter grooves, and sweeping melodies that weave between the instruments. The result is a showcase piece for the entire ensemble—roaming, tumbling, and dancing their way through the wilderness.
Pricing
Full score, digital: $35
Per movement, digital: $15
PDF includes a piano score and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns.
Looking for more?
You may also find more works for oboe or English horn in the Large Mixed Ensemble section of The Library—or reach out to me directly! If I don’t have what you’re looking for, I’m always happy to reccomend other living composers who might have just the thing!
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