Piccolo and Flute

Note from the Composer: Welcome flutists! I have long loved the flute for its versatility, dynamic colors and effects, and how unique the instrument can sound from performer-to-performer. It’s an instrument I genuinely adore writing for—I hope you enjoy this music, and we can work together to keep the flute community a vibrant and flourishing one!

Piccolo and Flute Music Perusal Packet | Commission Information | Return to The Library


Unaccompanied Solo Works

Hoppy Feet for solo flute (2020)

This work is also featured on Elizabeth’s debut album, Aviary, alongside works by Nicole Chamberlain, Anne McKennon, Lisa Bost-Sandberg, and Gay Kahkonen—produced by Aerocade Music.

Duration: 5’00”

Commissioner: Elizabeth Robinson (Website | YouTube | Aviary)

Commissioned as part of the Project 12 series by flutist Elizabeth Robinson, this expressive work for solo flute captures both the grace and not-so-graceful charm of the adorable Rockhopper penguin. Footstomps, playful trills, percussive articulations, a dynamic array of tone colors, and flutter tongue gestures are carefully balanced with song-like melodies—showcasing the incredible versatility and sensitivity of any advanced flute player.

Inrageous for solo flute (2017)

Duration: 3’30”

Commissioner: Daniel Gallagher (Website | YouTube)

Commissioned by flutist, Daniel Gallagher, Inrageous is a dynamic and rambunctious work. The use of extreme registers, rhythmic breathing, footstomps, vocalizations, and other extended techniques makes this a fun, unique, and challenging work for any soloist.

Commissions from Quarantine: 12. Sultry and Sexy for solo flute (2020)

Duration: 2’15”

Commissioner: Erin Helgeson Torres (Website | YouTube)

This short work for flute packs a punch. Combined with dynamic contrasts and dramatic rests, Sultry and Sexy uses a wide array of coloristic effects—including flutter tongue, tongue rams, jet whistles, and harmonic glisses, timbral trills, and variations in vibrato. This short-but-demanding work provides a unique challenge and exciting showcase work for the concert flutist.

Pricing

Digital: $0!

All works in the Commissions from Quarantine series are available for free.

Commissions from Quarantine: 16. Moderately Energetic for solo flute (2020)

This work has not yet been recorded - a MIDI rendering is available upon request.

Duration: 2’30”

Commissioner: Lisa Graham (Website)

This playful work uses simple elements to create rich and exciting textures. Building off of the opening rhythm, the texture is filled out exponentially before speeding into a singing section that leaps and bounds around the flute. Grace note figurations and careful use of flutter-tongue create a thick and contrapuntal texture, expanding this solo instrument into it’s own melody and accompaniment. All of these elements combine in the final section of the piece to leap, zip, and dance throughout the range of the flute—creating a whimsical, light, and thrilling experience for both listener and performer.

Pricing

Digital: $0!

All works in the Commissions from Quarantine series are available for free.

Commissions from Quarantine: 20. Haunting for solo flute (2020)

Performance by Robin Meiksins (Website | YouTube). Performance starts at 0:23

Duration: 1’30”

Commissioner: Lillia Woodbury (Website | Twitter | Instagram)

This brief work for flute focuses on the lower range of the instrument, reaching no higher than a D6. Even within this limited range, however, the use of dynamics, airy tone, breath accents, and pitch bends all work together to create a short-but-impactful listening experience. The slow, floaty nature of the piece allows for a wide range of expressive interpretations, making this fun project for any flutist looking to experiment with phrasing, tone, and dynamic shaping.

Pricing

Digital: $0!

All works in the Commissions from Quarantine series are available for free.

Commissions from Quarantine: 24. Adventurous and Spunky for solo flute (2020)

Duration: 1’30”

Commissioner: Alice Jones (Website | YouTube)

Commissioned by flutist and composer Alice Jones, for her students, Adventurous and Spunky uses simple rhythms and a condensed range to great effect. Mixing trills, large dynamic contrasts, footstomps, and vocalizations, this short work provides a fun and fulfilling challenge for beginning performers. This version is optimized for students, using easy spellings rather than “the most correct.”

Pricing

Digital: $0!

All works in the Commissions from Quarantine series are available for free.

Commissions from Quarantine: 25. Change of Color for solo flute (2020)

Duration: 3’30”

Commissioner: Alice Jones (Website | YouTube)

Commissioned for students by flutist and composer Alice Jones, Change of Color uses the ROYGBV spectrum to explore a wide variety of textures. Red explores short upward runs and grace note pulsations. Orange creeps downward using a series of wide vibrato sustains and trills. Yellow brings grace notes back in a melodic context, leaping upwards, incorporating vocalizations, and short, expressive pitch bends. Green uses a lilting melody, grace notes pulses, and footstomps. Blue sees the return of wide vibrato and pitch bends, now in a more expressive and melancholy mood. The final section, Purple, descends dramatically downward—ending in a quiet, cathartic final grace note pulse.

Pricing

Digital: $0!

All works in the Commissions from Quarantine series are available for free.

Commissions from Quarantine: 27. Calm and Soothing for solo flute (2020)

Performance by Robin Meiksins (Website | YouTube). Performance starts at 1:57

Duration: 3’30”

Commissioner: Connor Hay

This short flute work showcases a performer’s expressivity and control—demanding careful use of breath, pacing and color. The piece outlines a single outburst; beginning with delicate, airy sounds and tender grace note gestures, the piece suddenly catapults into the upper register for an emotional peak. This outburst is followed by a series of gestures that coax the melody back into the lower registers, calming itself once more. The result is a single, cathartic experience for both listener and performer.

Pricing

Digital: $0!

All works in the Commissions from Quarantine series are available for free.

COMING SOON: If It’s Not Too Much Trouble for solo bass flute (2024)

Duration: 4’00”

Beth Devlin has commissioned a new work for solo unaccompanied bass flute that was just completed in spring 2024.

More information will be coming soon about this work!

Pricing

More information soon!

Accompanied Solo Works

Silver and Brown for solo flute + string quartet (2013)

Duration: 5’45”

Commissioner: Daniel Gallagher

Commissioned by and dedicated to Daniel Gallagher, Silver and Brown is small chamber work for solo flute with string quartet accompaniment. The highly lyrical, often melancholic, flute writing soars brilliantly above swelling, pulsing, buzzing, and burbling string textures. This gap between the strings and flute ebbs and flows throughout the work, resulting in an ever-evolving, expressive, and highly dramatic work.

Pricing

Digital: $25

PDF includes a full score, solo flute part, and string parts with an ossia flute line

Duos and Trios with Flute

My Father’s Dragon for flute and cello + optional narration (2021)

This work has yet to be premiered—a MIDI rendering is available upon request.

This work is in 12 movements:

1. Introduction (0’10”)
2. Chapter One: My Father Meets The Cat (1’30”)
3. Chapter Two, Part One: My Father Wanted to Fly (3’30”)
4. Chapter Two, Part Two: My Father Runs Away (1’30”)
5. Chapter Three: My Father Finds the Island (2’15”)
6. Chapter Four: My Father Finds the River (1’30”)
7. Chapter Five: My Father Finds Some Tigers (2’00”)
8. Chapter Six: My Father Meets a Rhinoceros (3’15”)
9. Chapter Seven: My Father Meets a Lion (3’30”)
10. Chapter Eight: My Father Meets a Gorilla (2’30”)
11. Chapter Nine: My Father Makes a Bridge (3’30”)
12. Chapter Ten: My Father Finds the Dragon (3’30”)

Duration: 20’00” (creature feature) | 25’00” (instrumental) | 30’00” (complete)

Commissioner: tuo duo - Emlyn Johnson, Daniel Ketter (Website)

My Father's Dragon is a tone poem of the children's story of the same name by Ruth Stiles Gannett; the story is about a young boy, Elmer Elevator, who runs away to Wild Island to rescue a baby Dragon. The work follows Elmer through each segment of his adventure—from his fateful meeting with an old alley cat, to the shores of Tangerina, deep in the jungles of Wild Island, and in the face of every danger he comes across on his way to the dragon. Lyrical, whimsical, quirky, and dynamic, My Father's Dragon is sure to provide a unique and fun challenge to any duo—and an unforgettable experience for listeners of all ages.

About the versions:

This work is designed to be as modular as possible, with versions with and without narration, as well as the option to perform only only the second half the work (“creature feature option,” for a total of 15’00”). You can read more about the different versions below.

“Complete with narration” is a full score that includes the narration embedded into the score, and should be performed with a third person reading the text over the music. This version can be done in its entirety (about 30’00”), or with the option of starting halfway through for those wanting to focus solely on the animal movements (“creature feature” version, movements 7-12, 15’00”). This version is best for those who wish to perform the work with guest narrators. Those who wish to perform without narration may prefer one of the other options if the text proves distracting in the score.

“Narration between movements” is meant for duos who wish to include narration without a third person performing—the narration happening prior to each movement with a single instrument playing a vamp under the narration. After the reading is finished, the music can seamlessly continue from the vamp into the movement proper. Please note: While this makes the movements shorter (not having to vamp under a narrator), it can still result in a longer run time depending on the pace of whoever is reading. Due to the formatting, this version also includes the flexibility to play each movement without narration, and may be best for groups who wish to have the ability to do either option and without relying on a third person.

“Instrumental only” is best for groups that do NOT plan to incorporate the text at all, as it only includes the musical material. This is also the shortest version, usually taking about 23’00”-25’00” depending on tempos and durations between movements.

Pricing

Complete with narration

Full score, digital: $70

Per movement, digital: $15

Narration between movements

Full score, digital: $65

Per movement, digital: $12

Instrumental only

Full score, digital: $55

Per movement, digital: $10

Suite-Ass Cycle for flute and clarinet in Bb (2016)

This work is in three movements:

1. Fat-Ass Robin (3’00”)
2. Lazy-Ass Pterodactyl (4’00”)
3. Big-Ass Moth! (3’30”)

Duration: 10’30”

Commissioner: Robin Meiksins (Website | YouTube)

Suite-Ass Cycle was commissioned by flautist Robin Meiksins as additional movements to Big-Ass Moth! (originally a stand-alone work). This final movement was inspired by a dramatic meeting with a very large moth (later identified as a Luna Moth), who was just as upset as I was that we ended up in the shower together late one evening in Brevard, North Carolina. Big-Ass Moth seeks to capture not only the movements and frantic buzzing of the startled creature, but my subsequent reaction as well—hence the screams and footstomps! While the suite is ultimately rather theatrical and silly (dipping into cartoonish at times!) it is filled with advanced extended techniques, intricate dialogue between parts, and sudden shifts in character - making this a challenging showcase work for any duo.

Pricing

Full score, digital: $35

Per movement, digital: $15

PDF includes a full performance score (transposed). Each movement is intended to spread across two music stands.

*Programmers who wish to avoid curse words in their printed programs may use acronyms instead:

SAC…………Kimberly Osberg
FAR | LAP | BAM

Night Lights for flute, viola, and harp (2023)

This work has yet to be premiered—a MIDI file is available above

This work is in three movements:

1. Headlights Wreathed in Fog (3’45”)
2. Fireflies Among the Trees (4’00”)
3. Cinders in the Air (4’30”)

Duration: 12’15”

Commissioner: Michelle Lundy, Beau Soir Ensemble (Website)

Commissioned by Michelle Lundy (harpist), Night Lights is inspired by different sources of light at night. The first movement features a gentle and mysterious ostinato in the harp, the viola and flute trading moments to soar above, as well as playful wrap between the melody and accompaniment. In the second movement, woody effects and buzzing punctuations pulse in the background as bright accents peak out from the texture before giving way to sparkling and lush outbursts of lyricism. The dancelike third movement lilts and breezes as each instrument takes it’s turn with the unfurling melody and pulsing accompaniment. The infectious joy of the final movement builds to a triumphant finale, making this an excellent closing work for any trio.

Pricing

Full score, digital: $35

Per movement, digital: $15

PDF includes a full score, as well as solo parts for the flute, viola, and harp formatted for page turns.

COMING SOON: Perpetual Motions for piccolo duo + electronics (2024)

Duration: ca. 5’00”

Chris Opperman commissioned a new work for Natasha Loomis and Tara Rozinski for piccolo duet + electronics that was just completed in Summer 2024.

Check back again soon for more information about this work!

Pricing

More information soon!

Chamber Ensemble Works with Flute

Night Shifts for flute choir + optional harp (2024)

This work is premiering at NFA this August! In the meantime, a MIDI rendering of the work is available upon request (without optional parts, with optional flutes only, or with all voices).

This work is in three movements:

1. Cosmic Nursery (2’00”)
Piccolo and C flutes only (+ optional harp)

2. Dwarves and Giants (3’45”)
All voices, includes solo moments

3. Adding to the Dark (4’00”)
All voices, includes solo moments

Duration: 10’00”

Commissioner: Natasha Loomis, New Jersey Youth Symphony Flute Ensembles

Instrumentation*: Piccolo, 3 C flute parts, alto flute, bass flute + optional parts for contrabass flute and optional harp

*Due to solos throughout, for movements 2 and 3 it is recommended you have a minimum of 3 players per part for the C flutes and 2 for piccolo and alto flute.

Night Shifts was commissioned by Natasha Loomis for the New Jersey Youth Symphony combined Flute Ensembles in the spring of 2024. The work, inspired by their program surrounding stars and space, depicts the life cycle of stars in three movements.

In Cosmic Nursery, the upper flutes and piccolo feature as baby stars toddle, fall, bounce, and chirp. This upper voice movement is great for smaller flute choirs, or even a quartet.

In Dwarves and Giants, the full ensemble splits into different themes and motives, shooting off in all directions and providing ample opportunity for each member of the flute family to shine. The piece bursts and fragments into an explosive finish before stripping away in a final coda that leads into the final movement.

Finishing with Adding to the Dark, the listener witnesses the gradual fading of stars into the night—leaving space for the next generation of stars to shine.

Note: The work was written to accommodate multiple experience levels, and includes alternate versions of difficult passages throughout. If you require further simplification, please contact me directly.

Pricing

Full Score: $40

Per movement: $15

PDF includes a full score (transposing and/or in C) and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns.

Fowl Play for flute quartet (2021)

Fourth movement from Fowl Play. Check out the whole piece - and album! - on the following platforms:
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube

This work is in four movements:

1. Discopeckque (3’00”)
2. Chasing Tail (3’00”)
3. Featherbrained (2’30”)
4. Cock Flight (2’30”)

Duration: 11’00”

Commissioner: Elizabeth Robinson

This work includes doubling for each player (two players double piccolo, one doubles alto, one doubles bass)

Fowl Play was commissioned by Elizabeth Robinson. Inspired by the striking images of chickens from around the world by photographer Stephen Green-Armytage in his book Extraordinary Chickens, each movement is inspired by a different type chicken and highlights a different combination of flute-family instruments.

Pricing

Full score, digital: $35

Per movement, digital: $15

PDF includes a full score (transposing and/or in C) and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns.

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.

Broken Boomerang for flute, clarinet, viola, cello, and piano (2014)

Duration: 5’30”

While I was getting coffee one summer, I saw some local kids throwing various discs, boomerangs, and other flight toys around a field. At one point, a cheap boomerang they had been playing around with snapped off at one end; the kids started flicking it around, trying to get it to return to them with varying degrees of failure. I started thinking about how to depict this struggle musically, and the result was this work. A large variety of textures flit and scurry as the main idea struggles to return, resulting in rhythmic-but-fragmented interruptions, lyrical-but-melancholic melodies, and a final outburst that leaves the listener with only cinders.

Pricing

Digital: $25

PDF includes a full score (transposing and/or in C) and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns.

COMING SOON: Running in the Eye for flute choir (2023)

This work has not yet premiered—a MIDI rendering is available upon request.

Duration: 6’00”

Commissioner: Shelley Martinson, Southwestern Oklahoma State University flute studio

Instrumentation: 3 C flute parts, 1 alto flute part, 1 bass flute part + optional contrabass flute part

Commissioned by the Southwestern Oklahoma State University flute studio, Running in the Eye attempts to capture both the awe-inspiring power and stunning mobility of twisters. Using a combination of simple, aleatoric textures and lush, lyrical melodies, this work gives each instrument a moment at the foreground and displays the expressive capacity of even the lowest-sounding members of the flute family—making this a great showcase piece for both performer and listener!

Pricing**

Digital: $30

PDF includes a full score (transposing and/or in C) and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns.

**this is a pre-order; delivery in September 2024

 

Looking for more?

You may also find more works for flute in the Large Mixed Ensemble section of The Libraryor reach out to me directly! If I don’t have what you’re looking for, I’m always happy to recommend other living composers who might have just the thing!