Works
Orchestral and chamber works published by Lauren Keiser Music (fka MMB Music) (ASCAP)
Passacaglia on a theme from Wozzeck (1973) Manhattan School of Music, April 1973, George Manahan, piano.
Cross-currents for String Orchestra and Percussion. (1974) Manhattan School of Music, May 1974, George Manahan, conductor.
Clarinet Concerto. (1975) Manhattan School of Music, Timothy Perry, clarinet, George Manahan, conductor.
Gimpel the Fool (1975-80) Opera in Yiddish. Libretto by I.B.Singer. The 92nd St Y, May 1979, Amy Kaiser conductor, Dan Bredemann, director. Revised version, March 1980. English version, April 1985, Dan Held director. More . . .
Changes for Double Bass and Piano (1976) Bob Taffett, bass; George Manahan, piano.
Two Poems of Hannah Senesh (1976) Judith Schiff, soprano; Nadine Asin, flute.
Wedding Verses (1976) Judith Schiff, soprano; Helene Reps, contralto; Lawrence Avery, tenor. The three previous works were premiered at the 92nd St Y May 1977.
At Melville's Tomb (1977) Juilliard School, May 1978. Judith Schiff, soprano; Daniel Druckman, vibraphone; Alan Cox, flute; Eric Ewazen, piano.
Elegy for String Quartet (1978) Juilliard School, April 1979. Rolf Schulte, Curtis Macomber, John Graham, Marcie Rosen. Winner League-ISCM National Composers Competition, 1980. Subsequent performances by the League-ISCM and Speculum Musicae.
Three Poems of Sir Thomas Wyatt (1979) Carnegie Recital Hall, February 1979. Cynthia Rose, mezzo-soprano; Anne Leek, oboe, Stewart Rose, horn; Barry Gold, cello.
Music for Buried Child (1980) Reed College, November 1980, Barbara Litt, violin. More . . .
Joycesketch I (1981) Merkin Hall, March 1981; Nadine Asin, flute.
Joycesketch II (1981) Reed College, April 1981; John Graham, viola. Recording: CRI. More . . .
Joycesketch III (1981) Alice Tully Hall, October 1981; New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, George Manahan, conductor.
Divertimento from Gimpel the Fool (1982) Chamber Music Northwest, July, 1982; David Shifrin, clarinet; Theodore Arm, violin; Fred Sherry, cello; William Doppmann, piano. CD by Delos 1989. More . . .
The Lass of Aughrim (1983) Chamber Music Northwest, July 1983. Lucy Shelton, soprano; Nancy Allen, harp; Ik-Hwan Bae, violin; David Shifrin, clarinet. More . . .
Two Prayers (1983) Alice Tully Hall, November 1983. David Shifrin, clarinet; William Doppman, piano. More . . .
Sacred Service for cantor, choir, organ, and chamber orchestra. (1983) Congregation Beth Israel, Portland, OR, December 1983; Cantor Judith Schiff, soprano; David Schiff, conductor. Subsequent performances by the University of Connecticut chorus and orchestra, Cantor Roslyn Jhuniver, soprano; Virginia Hancock, conductor. More . . .
Suite from Sacred Service (1984) Chamber Music Northwest, July 1984; Judith Schiff, soprano, Ransom Wilson, flute, Yoshinori Nakao, clarinet, Theodore Arm, violin, Eriko Sato, violin, Paul Neubauer, viola, Hamilton Cheifitz, cello. CD by Delos 1989 More . . .
Peace (1984) First Unitarian Church (Portland) October 1984; Choir of the First Unitarian Church, Nathan Sanders, organ; George Anne Ries, flute; Mark Slegers, conductor. More . . .
Scenes from Adolescence (1987) for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano; premiere 29 June 1987, Chamber Music Northwest; James Walker, flute; David Shifrin, clarinet; Ik-hwan Bae, Violin; Warren Lash, 'cello; Victor Steinhardt, piano. Delos CD. More . . .
Hallel for Cantor, Choir and Organ. Commissioned by Congreation Emanu-el of San Francisco. Premiere San Francisco 30 April 1988, Roslyn Jhuniver Barak, soprano. More . . .
Gimpel-Suite for Violin and Piano (1988). More . . .
Slow Dance for large orchestra. (1989) Commissioned by the Oregon Symphony. Premiere , March 4, 1990., James De Preist , conductor. More . . .
Stomp for Orchestra (1990) Commissioned by Concordia. Premiere, 8 November 1990, Alice Tully Hall. Marin Alsop, conductor. Recorded by the Baltimore Symphony, David Zinman, cond. for Argo. More . . .
Kedusha for Cantor, Choir and Organ (1991). More . . .
Shtik for bass trombone and jazz quintet (1992). Premiere, Manhattan School of Music, February 1992. David Taylor, solo bass trombone. Recorded for New World Records. More . . .
Solus Rex for bass trombone and chamber ensemble. Commissioned by Chamber Soc. of Lincoln Center. Premiere 4 December 1992, Alice Tully Hall, David Taylor, solo bass trombone. More . . .
Speaking in Drums for Timpani and string orchestra. Commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra. Premiere 27 January 1995, The Minnesota Orchestra, Christopher Seaman, cond., Peter Kogan, timpanist. More . . .
Psalm 121 for SATB chorus. Commissioned by the American Guild of Organists. Premiere June 16, 1995, Portland Oregon.
Zinman Freylakh for orchestra. Commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra in honor of the sixtieth birthday of Maestro David Zinman. Premiere July 10, 1996.
Bridge City Commissioned by the Oregon Symphony. Premiere Dec 3 1996, Murry Sidlin, conductor. More . . .
Vashti, or the Whole Megillah. A Purim shpiel for mezzo-soprano, clarinet and piano. Commissioned by the Gold Coast Chamber Music Festival. Premiere 12 January 1997, Delray Beach Florida. More . . .
4 Sisters; Concerto for Jazz Violin and Orchestra. Premiere 1 December 1997, Cambridge, England. William Street, violin, Peter Britton, conductor. American premiere Detroit Symphony January 28, 2004, Regina Carter, violin, Christoph Poppen, conductor. More . . .
Low Life for bass trombone and jazz orchestra. Commissioned by the Manhattan School of Music. Premiere, November 1998, Manhattan School Jazz Ensemble, David Taylor, bass trombone. More . . .
New York Nocturnes for violin, cello and piano. Premiere, Chamber Music Northwest. June 26 2000. More . . .
Pepper Pieces for string quintet. Commissioned by Hollis Taylor. Premiere, Lewis and Clark College, November 12, 2000. More . . .
Longview Local for wood wind quintet. Commissioned by Reed College in honor of Richard P. Wollenberg. Premiere, Reed College February 6, 2001.
After Hours, five encores for flute and piano. Commissioned by Nadine Asin and Thomas Van Straaten. Premiere, Aspen Music Festival, July 9, 2001. More . . .
DZ fingers for piano, commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival in honor of David Zinman's 65th birthday. Premiere, Aspen, July 11, 2001.
Canti di Davide, concerto for clarinet and orchestra. Premiere, David Shifrin, solo, with The Virginia Symphony, Norfolk Virginia, October 6, 2001. More . . .
Singing in the Dark for alto saxophone and string quartet, commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest, premiere July 4, 2002. More . . .
All About Love for mezzo-soprano, tenor and chamber ensemble, commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest, premiere July 1, 2004. More . . .
Canzona for brass, percussion and strings., commissioned by the Seattle Symphony, premiere January 6, 2005. More . . .
Singing in the Dark (orchestral version) for alto saxophone, strings and percussion premiere May 2006, New York, Metropolis Ensemble, Marty Ehrlich, saxophone, Andrew Cyr, conductor.
All About Love (expanded version) for mezzo-soprano, tenor and chamber orchestra, premiere November 2006, Hai-Ting Chinn, mezzo, Thomas Glenn, tenor, Metropolis Ensemble, Andrew Cyr, conductor.
Havdalah for flute, singer and piano. Written to celebrate twenty-five years of service by Cantor Judith Schiff at Congregation Beth Israel. Premiere December 3, 2005.
Infernal (freely after Stravinsky) Commissioned by the Seattle Symphony. Premiere May 18, 2006. Recorded for Starbucks Hear Music CD "Echoes".
RJ meet ED meets LJ written in honor of the twentieth anniversary of Third Angle. Premiere April 29 2006, Ron Blessinger, violin.
Nonet for four clarinets, string quartet and bass. Premiere July 23, 2007, Chamber Music Northwest
Four Seasonal Interludes from All About Love. Premiere, Fear No Music, Portland Oregon April 20, 2008.
Psalm 150 for Klezmer band, cantor and chorus. Commissioned by Congregation Beth Israel of Portland, Oregon in honor of its 150th Anniversary. Premiere May 2008.
Mountains/Rivers for improvising soloist and chamber ensemble. Premiere June 6, 2008 by Larry Karush, piano and the Third Angle New Music Ensemble at Reed College
Stomp (re-lit) for orchestra. Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra. Premiere February 2009, ACO, George Manahan, conductor.
Borsht Belt Memories for klezmer clarinet, bass trombone, violin, cello, piano and drums. Commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest. Premiere 5 February 2011, with David Krakauer, David Taylor, Curt Macomber, Michael Kannen, Marija Stroke, Michael Sarin and David Schiff (narrator).
Canzonetta for trumpet(s) horns, percussion and strings. Commissioned by the Seattle Symphony in honor of Maestro Gerard Schwarz. Premiere, 30 April 2011, Seattle Symphony.
Khatsi Kaddish and Mi Shebeirach for cantor, choir and orchestra. Premiere Reed College Chorus and Orchestra, Portland, Oregon 21 Arpil 2011.
Class of 1915 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano. Premiere, Chamber Music Northwest, January 2012.
Fanfare for (5) Reed(s). Premiere Chamber Music Northwest, July 2012.
Blast! (with Bruce Bennett) For two trumpets and electronics, commissioned for the opening of the Performing Arts Building at Reed College September 2013.
Borrowed Times for clarinet and string quartet. Premiere Chamber Music Northwest January 2014.
Road Maps for improvising soloists and chamber orchestra. Premiere by Myra Melford, Brian McWhorter, Marty Ehrlich and the Third Angle New Music Ensemble, February 2014.
Five pieces and a Ghost from Debussy's Children'sCorner for clarinet and string quartet. Premiere, Chamber Music Northwest, June 2014.
Nonet no. 2 for Reed Quintet and String Quartet, commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest. Premiere July 23, 2015: Dover String Quartet and Akropolis Reed Quintet.
Ducal Duo for Clarinet and Piano. Premiere November 6, 2015 by David Shifrin and Darrell Grant as part of Ellington and Strayhorn: a celebration.
Eight Pieces from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt, arranged for chamber ensemble. Commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest. Premiere July 21, 2016.
Allemande en rondeau for solo cello. Commissioned by Nancy Ives, principal cellist of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. Premiere 6 June 2018.
Six Songs Without Words. Commissioned by Portland Piano International. Premiere by Vladislav Kosminov, 10 November 2017.
Ducal Suite for Clarinet and String Quartet. Arrangements of four pieces by Duke Ellington, commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest. Premiere July 26, 2017.
Blue Birders. Commissioned by the Oregon Symphony, premiered by James Shields, bass clarinet and Carin Miller Packwood, bassoon. Premiere February 6, 2018.
Chamber Concerto no. 1 for Clarinet and ensemble. Commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest. Premiere by David Shifrin 6 July 2019.
Homage to Benny for clarinet and string quartet. Commissioned by David Shifrin. Premiere 3 April 2022 at Chamber Music Northwest with David Shifrin and the Miró Quartet.
Prefontaine: a symphonic tribute. Commissioned by the Eugene Symphony. Premiere 4 June 2022, Francesco Lecce-Chong, conductor.
Chamber Concerto no. 2, Vineyard Rhythms, for solo violin and string nonet. Commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest with the generous support of Susan Sokol Blosser. Premiere 28 July 2022. Soovin Kim, soloist.