Vocalists, Narrators, and Actors

Note from the Composer: Hello vocal artists! I have always loved the incredible power of both spoken and sung performances to expand the emotional, dramatic, and poetic potential of the written word. This is an area of my catalogue I hope to develop further in the coming years, and welcome the opportunity to connect with singers, narrators, spoken word artists, actors, and other vocal talents about what we can dream up together! If I don’t currently have what you need, please reach out—I’m always happy to recommend works by other living composers.

Return to The Library | Commission Information

Unaccompanied Solo Works

Commissions from Quarantine: 8. Something About Isolation for solo voice (2020)

Recording of Lisa Neher’s performance (lower key)

Recording of the virtual premiere performance by Stephanie Lamprea (higher key)

Duration: 1’30”

Text: “Reaching Out” by Kimberly Osberg

Range: Ab3 - C6**

Commissioner: Stephanie Lamprea (Website | YouTube)

Soprano Stephanie Lamprea commissioned this short work for unaccompanied voice as part of both the Commissions from Quarantine commissioning project, and for the first volume of her Tiny Works recordings. Using quick turns, expressive glissandi, powerful arrivals, audible breath, and a wide array of dynamics, Something About Isolation showcases both technical variety and emotional catharsis for any voice.

Pricing

Digital: $0!

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

**Available in other keys upon request (no additional fee)

Accompanied Solo Works

You, Us, Me for tenor vocalist and piano (2021)

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

Duration: 6’00”

Text: “You, Us, Me” by Kimberly Osberg

Range: Bb2 - Bb4

Commissioner: Christopher Rodriguez (Website | YouTube)

You, Us, Me reflects on a past relationship. Throughout the course of the work, it becomes clear that the speaker and the person they were in a relationship with admired different things about their relationship. The speaker reflects “…you loved us, and I loved you.” With sharp contrasts in tone, an expansive range, and a variety of moods, this dynamic work creates a space for both empathy and reflection. This work was commissioned as part of the Spring Forward series.

Pricing

Digital: $8

Available in other keys at no additional cost.

Think’st Thou Then By Thy Feigning Sleep for high voice and guitar (2020)

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

Duration: 5’45”

Text: “Think’st Thou Then By Thy Feigning Sleep” by John Dunne

Range: F3 - A5

Commissioner: Jannis Wichmann

Commissioned as part of the Project 12 series, Jannis Wichmann (guitar) commissioned this setting of John Dunne’s Think’st Thou Then By Thy Feigning Sleep as part of a concert of works juxtaposing modern and traditional settings of the same text—tasking composers to draw out the somewhat problematic nature of some of his texts. In this poem, the speaker believes a woman to feigning sleep to fend off his advances, stating that a sleeping woman is no less tempting to touch (and may even be moreso). The work attempts to capture both the speaker’s perspective of playful sweetness, as well as a somewhat insidious undertone of how modern readers might approach these words.

Pricing

Digital: $8

Available in other keys at no additional cost

Commissions from Quarantine: 4. Anything Works for Me for high voice and piano (2020)

Performance starts at 1:17:19

Duration: 2’15”

Text: “Today” by Kimberly Osberg

Range: Bb2 - F4**

Commissioner: Christopher Rodriguez (Website | YouTube)

Featuring both original music and text, Anything Works for Me is a wistful and ultimately melancholy work for voice and piano. The text, taken from an original poem title “Today,” describes ordinary objects which remind the narrator of someone no longer in their life. With sweeping melodies, a wide variety of accompanimental textures, and lush harmonies, this short work provides an expressive and dramatic addition to any recital or public performance.

Pricing

Digital: $0!

All works in the Commissions from Quarantine series are available for free. Available in other keys upon request

**Available in other keys upon request (no additional fee)

What I Would Do for baritone voice + string quartet (2017)

Justin Parish, vocalist

Duration: 4’45”

Text: “What I Would Do” by Kimberly Osberg, adapted from crowd-sourced text

Commissioner: Justin Parish (Website | YouTube)

Vocalist Range: E2-D4

In 2017, I put a question out to my social media channels—what is something you would do if you weren’t afraid to do it? I then created a new text using these responses, collecting the unfulfilled wishes of friends and strangers. The piece explores the joy and wistfulness in these daydreams, as well as the sorrow and fear preventing them from being realized. The result is a piece that promises a grand trade-off, only to recede back into fear—leaving the listener to decide if they will choose to do the same.

Pricing

Digital: $25

PDF includes a full score and individual parts for each player, formatted for page turns. Available in other keys upon request.

Duos & Trios with Voice

If You Cheese for soprano, two mezzos, and piano (2024)

Premiere performance by New Wave Opera

Duration: 5’00”

Text: Original text by Kimberly R. Osberg

Ranges: Soprano - F4-Bb5 (opt. D6) | Mezzo 1 - G3 (opt. F3)-Ab5 | Mezzo 2 - A3-F5

Commissioner: New Wave Opera (Website)

Commissioned by New Wave Opera in 2024 for their inaugural season, If You Cheese is a short, pun-derful scene in which the main character (mezzo 1) is attempting to fulfill a last-minute order for a large cheeseboard. When her two friends (soprano and mezzo 2) begin to offer more puns then help, the mezzo owner gets more than a little cheesed off!

Pricing

Digital: $10

PDF includes a piano-vocal score, a full rendering of the text, and suggested stage directions. Alternate keys available upon requests

Hombres Necios for high voice and clarinet (2023)

This work has yet to be recorded—a MIDI file is available upon request.

Duration: 8’00”

Text: “Hombres Necios” by Sor Inés de la Cruz (d. 1695). This poem is in Spanish.

Range: F#3 (Bb3) - F6

Commissioner: Whistling Hens (Website | YouTube | Bandcamp)

Commissioned by Whistling Hens (Natalie Groom, clarinet and Jennifer Piazza-Pick, soprano) in the fall of 2022, Hombres Necios is a setting of a poem by the same name from Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz—a Mexican writer, philosopher, composer, poet, and Hieronymite nun (1648-1695). Her clever turns of phrase and directness in sharing her insights (that are all too familiar today) inspired playful, wry, and lyrical lines that eventually transform into intense, dramatic gestures as the poem reaches its conclusion. This challenging work is a true showcase piece, providing ample opportunity for both singer and instrumentalist to highlight their artistic interpretation and technical skill.

Pricing

Digital: $25

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

The Ex-Files for drumset and spoken word performer (2016-2017)

From the premiere of Maybe He’s John at Indiana University

A different performance of Maybe He’s John at the Hartford Women Composer’s Festival

From the premiere of John Makes Believe at the Aspen Music Festival

Duration: ca. 18’45”

Text: “Maybe He’s John” and “John Makes Believe” by Kimberly Osberg

Collaborators:

Mitchell Beck - premiere, Maybe He’s John (Website)
Parker James - premiere, John Makes Believe (Website | YouTube)
Nathaniel Gworek - performance, Maybe He’s John (Website | YouTube)

This unique, theatrical work-in-progress reflects on past relationships. In Maybe He’s John, the word “maybe” acts as a jumping point for hope, desperation, and despair as the speaker attempts to work through why things didn’t work out with “John.” In John Makes Believe, the speaker reflects on the ways both they and John lied to each other—and themselves—attempting to sort through what was real. While more movements have been in progress over the years, performances of the existing movements have been praised as “totally unique,” “daring and vulnerable,” “painfully relatable” and “harrowing.”

The structured improvisation allows the work to be performed effectively by amateurs and professionals alike, and the simple set-up lends itself to a variety of performance environments—from grand stages and recital halls to intimate galleries or spoken-word events at local venues. This distinctive work is an ideal project for creatives looking to explore a truly collaborative performance experience in which vulnerability is the main goal.

Pricing

Full score, digital: $25

Per movement, digital: $15

PDF includes a full rendering of the text along with annotations for drumset improvisation.

THUMP for mezzo-soprano, tenor, and baritone vocalists with piano or chamber orchestra

From the staged premiere of Thump (Connor Lidell, soloist)

This operetta is in multiple acts:

I. Trio I (2’45”)
II. Tenor Aria (6’30”)
III. Mezzo Aria (9’00”)
IV. Baritone Aria (10’45”)
V. Trio II (3’00”)

Ranges:

Mezzo-Soprano - G#3 (or B3) - Ab5
Tenor - C3 - B4
Baritone - G2 - G4

Instrumentation:
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Bassoon, Horn 1&2, Trumpet (in C or Bb), Trombone, Bass Trombone (or Tuba), Percussion (2 players), Harp, Piano, String Quartet, and Double Bass

Percussion Instrumentation:
Bass Drum, Vibraphone, Triangle, Tambourine, Tam-Tam, Claves, Crash Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal, Timpani, Temple Blocks, Wind Chimes

Duration: 35’00”

Text: Adaptation of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe

When I was young, there were a series of late evenings when wild storms forced my entire family into the basement for shelter. At the time, my sister and I were young enough to need constant entertainment – and being stuck in a stuffy, dark basement with my father’s kerosene lamp and an old radio were simply not enough to sustain our interest. My sister and I both loved stories, but the kerosene lamp wasn’t strong enough for two unruly children to share. While my sister was the true family bookworm, my mother was the actress – thus, during these storms, my sister and I would squeal with delight as my mother pulled out her collection of short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. With her expressive face cast in flickering shadows, her voice slow and grave, her sudden (and rather enthusiastic) sound effects – she always knew how to scare us, and we loved these short moments of terror.

Thus, it was only natural that when I decided to write an opera, I began digging through my own collection of Poe’s works. “The Tell-Tale Heart” had always been a favorite, and – while it has become one of Poe’s most famous short stories (redone for film, television, radio and plays) – I had never heard of a particularly famous musical rendition of the tale. Rereading it, I began to see the potential a partnering of Poe’s words and my music could have – musical ideas, stage design and even lighting cues seemed to burst off the pages. With such a strong mental inspiration from the text, I knew I had found the right text for the opera.

While I loved Poe’s writing, I didn’t feel that developing a libretto around the linear plotline would add anything to his work. Instead, the libretto is crafted using only direct quotations from the text, but split into the distinct moods and personalities inherit in Poe’s unnamed narrator. There seemed to be a violent, cold-hearted voice; a compassionate, guilt-ridden voice; and a third voice which oscillated between these two extremes. This 35-minute psychodrama explores the psyche of this multifaceted narrator, as well as his relationship with the old man. Thump attempts to shed new light on Poe’s chilling short story, further exploring one man’s struggle with loss, resentment, and guilt.

Pricing

Orchestral Version*:

Full score, digital : $120

Per aria, digital: $50

*PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C), a piano-vocal reduction, and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns. This also includes a synch license and grand/performance rights.

Piano Version*:

Full score, digital: $50

Per aria, digital: $20

*PDF includes a full score, formatted for page turns as possible; page-turner recommended for most performances. This also includes a synch license and grand/performance rights.

Prometeo for high voice and viola (2020)

Duration: 9’15”

Text: “Prometeo” by Mauricio Herrera (b. 1994). This text is in Spanish.

Commissioner: Conrad Sclar (Website)

Vocalist Range: G3-C6 or G2-C5

Commissioned by Conrad Sclar, Prometeo sets a poem by the same name by Mauricio Herrera. The poem is a contemplation on the Prometheus myth, and its consequences on humanity. Beginning dark and simple, the vocalist and violist weave in and out—slowly building and brightening as the music swells in preparation for the arrival of Prometheus. Mixing freely spoken text, rhythmic sprechstimme, and full-voiced singing, the vocalist and violist both work to create highly dramatic shifts in tone, as the text describes both the actions of Prometheus and their consequences on the land and its people. With a mix of coloristic effects in the viola, rich text painting, a wide array of textures, and theatrical pacing throughout, the work is a true showcase piece.

Pricing

Digital: $12

PDF includes a full score, as well as an optional isolated part for viola. Also includes full text and translation.

Chamber Ensemble Works with Voice

Seek What You Want to Find for choir (SSSAAATTBB) + string quartet (2023)

From the premiere of Seek What You Want to Find. Performance starts at 35’00”

Vocal Ranges:

Sopranos: Db4–B5
Soprano Solo: D4–Bb5

Altos: F3–E5
Alto Solo: Eb3–Eb4

Tenors: C3–A4
Tenor Solo: D3–Bb4

Basses: Db2–E4
Bass Solo: G2–D4

This work features a series of solos, which can either be performed by single soloists or split amongst chorus members as appropriate. A guide for splitting the solos up is included in the PDF.

Duration: 10’00”

Text: “Seek What You Want to Find” by S. Renee Mitchell

Commissioner: Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble (Website)

Seek What You Want to Find was commissioned by Resonance Ensemble for a concert of works responding to paintings by Portland-based artist, Henk Pander. The paintings on display depicted scenes from the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd, as well as scenes from a historic flood that washed the entire town of Vanport (a neighboring area to Portland proper largely populated by people of color). Dr. S. Renee Mitchell's poem offers the opportunity for the reader to seek something deeper than what you first see when viewing the paintings. Her poem doesn’t shy away from the pain or brutality of the scenes depicted (drawn guns and gated barriers…the shouting and angry rush of cold, unforgiving change), but urges us to look closer, to recognize the fearlessness of ordinary human beings. The references to “Wade in the Water” could be taken literally as referring to the flood, but the song’s history as a way for escaping slaves to communicate that they should enter the water to throw off the scent of tracking dogs also places the events we saw in the paintings as part of a much larger story about how Black communities have always found ways to move forward—and using song as a means of not only maintain freedom and community, but to survive. The poem asserts that Even in death, in disorder, in a forced passage, Hope is always there, and it is up to us to seek it out. What do you see?

Pricing

Digital: $35

PDF includes a full score, a piano-vocal reduction for the chorus, as well as individual parts for the string players, formatted for page turns.

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

World premiere performance at The Rabbit Hole (Children’s Literature Museum).

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

Quite Like the Quiet for soprano voice, alto saxophone, and cello (2020)

Video includes captions

To read more about this work, visit the blog post linked here.

Duration: 7'30"

Commissioner: Joshua Thomas, Bassless Trio (Website)

Joshua Thomas commissioned this work both as part of my Project 12 series, and also as part of the Bassless Trio project to commission works about the pandemic told from the perspective of inanimate objects. Having just moved to Portland in January of 2020, there was a lot to think about—the lockdowns, the protests, the pandemic, the wildfires. Spending most of 2020 in a one-bedroom apartment with my partner, I would often spend time gazing out the window. I have a fantastic view of the city and the forests beyond, and could see much of the robust train and streetcar network, so I took the TriMet as inspiration for this piece. The trains were one of the few things that kept moving during most of the pandemic. Clamorous effects, huge contrasts in texture, and passing text between players create a vibrant opening that becomes thinner and more sparse as the piece progresses. For groups looking to do something a bit more theatrical, this is a great challenge that will showcase both individual players as well as ensemble playing.

Pricing

Digital: $25

PDF includes a score (transposed and/or in C) as well as individual parts for saxophone and cello, formatted for page turns

Large Ensemble Works with Voice

The Noise for soprano and baritone vocalists with wind ensemble (2019, rev. 2023)

This recording is from the premiere performance. A new recording by UNI will be available in 2024.

This work is in four movements:

1. Fully-Functional (5’30”)
2. Lost in Thought (5’30”)
3. Meditation (3’15”)
4. Just Background Noise (5’45”)

Difficulty: Intermediate college to professional

Instrumentation: Baritone and Mezzo Soprano Soloists, Piccolo, Flute 1&2, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet 1&2, Bass Clarinet, Alto Sax 1&2, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax, Horn in F 1-4, Trumpets in Bb 1-3, Trombones 1-3, Euphonium, Tuba, Piano, and Percussion (5 players)

Percussion Used: Snare Drum, Bongos, Toms (3), Bass Drum, Marimba, Bells, Vibraphone, Suspend Cymbal, Splash Cymbal, Hi-Hat, Tam-Tam, Tambourine, Temple Blocks, 3 bows needed

Duration: 20’00”

Text: “The Noise” by Kimberly R. Osberg

Range: Mezzo-Soprano (G3 - A5), Baritone (C3-G4)

Commissioner: Andrew Chybowski, Pittsburg State University Wind Ensemble (2019), and an updated version by Justin Mertz, University of Northern Iowa Symphonic Band (2023).

Commissioned by the Pittsburg State University Wind Ensemble (Dr. Andrew Chybowski). The Noise explores a personal experience living with, succumbing to, fighting against, and coping with anxiety. An excerpt from the final movement reflects what I feel to be the essence of the work’s message:

I don’t know if there are answers

to the despair, the loneliness, the pain.

But if the voices can’t be silenced,

I hope the noise can change.

Pricing

Full score, digital: $50

Per movement, digital: $25

PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C) and solo parts* for each performer, formatted for page turns.

*Piano reduction included for vocalists, but is not intended for performance.

Rocky Summer for chamber orchestra with optional narration (2019)

Difficulty: Intermediate college to professional

Instrumentation: Flute, Clarinet in Bb, Bassoon, Percussion (1 player), Piano, and Strings [div 4.2.2.1], plus optional narration or projected text

Percussion Used: Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Marimba (Low Db), Suspended Cymbal, Temple Blocks

Duration: 14’15”

Text: “Rocky Summer” by Kimberly R. Osberg

Commissioner: Dallas Chamber Symphony (Richard McKay)

When I first started writing this piece, the experience it was based on was simply a fun memory: a hike in the Rocky Mountains gone a bit awry. Lagging miserably behind the rest of the group, falling into a lake when I (finally) got to the top, and ending up eye-level with a thunderstorm, the adventure turned out to be much more than what I bargained for—and having a much deeper impact than I ever could have imagined. The work can be successfully presented with spoken text over the ensemble, projected text advanced throughout the piece, or as a soley instrumental work.

The ensemble works to create a fully-fledged soundscape of the journey up and down the mountain, leading listeners to what they expect is the peak of the work—only to drop them off somewhere else entirely by the end.

Pricing

Digital: $50

PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C) and individual parts formatted for page turns. A pre-existing powerpoint with separated text is also available at no additional charge.

hashtagmasonjar for high voice plus chamber orchestra (2016)

Difficulty: Intermediate college to professional

Instrumentation: Mezzo-Soprano Soloist, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb, Bassoon, Horn in F, Trumpet in C, Trombone, Bass Trombone, Percussion (2 players), Harp, Piano, String Quartet, and Double Bass

Percussion Used: Claves, Temple Blocks, Triangle, Suspended Cymbal, Vibraphone, Bass Drum, Snare Drum

Duration: 9’00”

Vocal Range: A3-B5

Text: “hashtagmasonjar” by Kimberly R. Osberg

I had long been fascinated with the process people undergo when they post on social media. hashtagmasonjar explores the inner monologue of a user as she puts together a simple post consisting of a selfie with some hashtags.

The work goes through details about the post itself, a lengthy attempt at picking a flattering filter for the posted photo, reactions to receiving likes to her post, as well as some passing thoughts about the comments left on her post and the people posting them. Throughout the work, we get glimpses of other relationships and conflicts she hasn’t shared.

The work’s innate theatricality, angular text-setting, simple pitch material, and melodramatic musical gestures contribute to a quirky—yet ultimately relatable—work about the social media we use every day.

Pricing

Digital: $35

PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C) and individual parts* formatted for page turns.

*Piano reduction included for vocalists, but is not intended for performance.

Looking for more?

You may also find more works for voice or narrator 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 recommend other living composers who might have just the thing!