Flute and Piano

with Piano

Inspired by a tour to Brazil with the Campbellsville Univeristy Chorale, Rio de Janeiro for Flute and Piano was written for Cristina Soares, a native of Rio de Janiero. The opening section in 7-beat phrases is meant to evoke the laid back attitude of the city with some bossa-nova style. An abrupt change in character leads to the more energetic side of the city, incorporating Latin rhythms, syncopation, and some blues inspired chromaticsim. There is a return to the original section, but this time in a minor mode and at a faster tempo, concluding with the lively energy that Rio de Janiero is known for.

Seth Johnson (b.1989) is a composer, pianist, and cellist from Kentucky. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music Theory/Composition and a Master’s Degree in Music from Campbellsville University, where he served as composer-in-residence, principal cellist for the University Orchestra, and accompanist for the University Chorale. His works include numerous pieces for orchestra including “Superhero Symphony,” various solo/chamber pieces, as well as scores for the award winning Kentucky Education Television series “My Kentucky Home.”

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with Piano; Perfect when a short recital piece is needed. Fun and exciting. Learn More

with Piano

“Stress is a constant part of everyone’s lives. Finding peace and patience when stressed is a valuable virtue to have. In Scherzo, I play with the idea of chaos and beauty existing together. The chaotic life of a creative person can seen demanding at times, but creating something beautiful in the form of art makes the headaches and stress worth it at the end of the day. This piece recreates this with the piano bringing in wave upon wave of tension. Tight clusters of notes and alternating asymmetric time signatures create a tumultuous and uncomfortable setting for our flutist to try and create something of beauty…”

– Alejandro Guardia Jr.

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with Piano: This beautiful work captures the serenity of musing by the sea. On the preface page to the score is printed the following free verse by the composer. It is suggested that the poem be narrated immediately before the performance and/or printed in the program notes to set the mood for the music: “On the shore of eternity swirling currents of liquid chaos gather for and disperse as foam. As rock wears to sand all dissonance transforms to serenity. Time presses no longer.” ©Brixton Publications Learn More

In three movements, this "Sonata" for Flute and Piano is a great recital for a Flute player in college.

Program notes from the composer:

Brian Joyce’s two sonatas, one for flute and piano, the other for oboe and piano (also published by Cimarron Music Press) are sister works. Both were written in 1971 when Joyce was an undergrad composition major in college and both are reflective of the seasons in which they were composed: the flute sonata, written in Spring, is fresh, expansive and tuneful while the oboe sonata, composed the following September, has a more burnished autumnal quality. About the flute sonata the composer writes:

“Sooner or later, most college students find themselves victims of information overload. It was at such a time in my own life that I began work on this piece: I was being exposed to more styles of music than I had ever known – everything from underground rock and roll to polytextual motets of the Ars Antiqua. – and the sheer number of ideas and possibilities resulted in a debilitating state of confusion. I was learning the hard way that nothing stifles creativity as much as absolute freedom, and I still have a string of dismal pieces to prove it! The Flute Sonata was the first successful effort to come along in several months. Despite whatever virtues it may have had, however, the sonata was never performed but was simply put away on the shelf as soon as it was completed. During 1993 and 1994 the entire sonata was reworked (especially the 3rd movement) but in all its essentials (themes, form and "grand design") the sonata still remains true to its original conception.”

The sonata finally had its premiere early in 1995, 24 years after it was originally written. Music theorists may enjoy the formal problems set up in the first movement which are not fully resolved until the third (if then!). The rest of us can simply enjoy what is one of the composer’s most unabashedly tuneful works. 

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Violin, Flute, Oboe, Viola or Cello solo with Organ Learn More

with Piano

This piece was written for Dr. Catherine (Kate) Bergman from Emporia State University KS.  The biggest problem I had in writing this piece was that Kate is so NICE that there seemed to be almost nothing to write about! So I decided to write a piece about being “nice” and what it is like to be really “nice”, especially for a flute player, the flute being such a “nice” instrument in the first place.

The first two movements, “A Cheerful Heart” and “Kindness” are, I think, fairly obvious, but I decided to do something different in the third movement and allow Kate (and our player) to have a little temper tantrum and lose her prevalent composure. In the third movement we hear the teacher instructing patiently and persistently yet growing, over time, increasingly impatient and frustrated. By the end she has lost much of her “niceness” and stamping her foot and has a minor fit of temper, still a large step for someone who started out where she did at the beginning of the piece.

I always enjoy, even in my most serious or traditional music, having a little sense of humor lest we all take ourselves too seriously.

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For Flute and Piano, the second movement of this "Sonata", Adagio, was written first and in large part contains the essential thematic material found in the other two movements. It is in ternary form and features beautiful, pastoral, innocent melodies in the flute. For the most part, the piano accompaniment consists of gently undulating major and minor chords that reinforce the modal and tonal centers of the movement. The first movement, Introduction, was composed last. It features melodic and rhythmic figures introduced in a fragmentary and sometimes dissonant way, inviting the listener into a somewhat stark musical landscape. The third movement, Rondo, is a brisk seven part rondo that recalls motives and themes from the first two movements. It features four statements of the rondo theme and three digressions interspersed between these statements. The highly rhythmic piano accompaniment creates a rhythmic bed over which athletic flute lines are woven. Learn More

with Piano: Commissioned by and dedicated to my good friend and colleague, Dr. Colton Wansitler Learn More

with Piano: Lush harmonic language and toccata-like textures invoke the shifting moods of a summer storm in this new work by Lee Heritage.  A lyrical prelude opens the piece with an ascending flute melody and gentle cross rhythms in the piano hinting at the storm to come.  A cloudburst interrupts this Adagio with running sixteenths in the flute punctuated by syncopated chords in the piano.  A dialogue of sixteenth notes between flute and piano moves forward with optimistic energy until dissolving into a return of the prelude.  This piece is an excellent choice as a recital opener. Learn More

with Piano

Commissioned by Chiasong Ensemble for Min-Jui Kao

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with Piano: "Vibrant Horizons" for flute and piano by Howard J. Buss was composed for flutist Brian Luce in the autumn of 2017. While not referring to any one individual in particular, this work is suggestive of a person’s journey from one reality to another. It is in 3 movements: New Beginnings (5’15”) has an optimistic character, and the spirited thrust of the music projects movement in a hopeful and positive direction. The contemplative second movement, Old Thoughts (5’45”), juxtaposes beautiful, atmospheric sections with brooding passages, as if to suggest a tension between desirable elements of the past with those that prompted the individual to seek new horizons. The final movement, Circles (6’30”), addresses the fact that once one is settled into a new situation, routines develop. When viewed over time these routines often resemble circular patterns. Score & part included. Learn More

with Piano

The War of Fire and Ice was inspired by the tremendous impact that global warming has had on mankind. This piece opens with an airy, shakuhachi-like flute solo. The “icy” flute melody is gradually “ignited” by the upward sweeping figures in the piano part, and together they battle against each other in the “melting” process. This piece was commissioned and premiered by Canadian flautist Stephen Tam in 2009.

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with Piano: The interaction of the lyrical melodies in this beautiful and frequently performed work is reminiscent of the patterns created by intermingling waves on the surface of water. Learn More