This project explores unaccompanied flute music written in or after 2001 by composers who were born in the United States. I was inspired to pursue this music after performing in a flute master class in Italy that drew advanced students and professionals from around the world. Although I was impressed by the variety of music and the high level of playing among the performers, there were no works from the twenty-first century other than the one I played. Most of the flutists performed music from the twentieth century or earlier, primarily by composers born outside the United States. This piqued my curiosity about the availability of new music from the United States and led to fruitful conversations with performers and composers alike.

Through these conversations, I realized there was a need for an easily accessible source of information about twenty-first century music for unaccompanied flute. This led me to ask various composers how they make their music available to performers. Many composers publish their works themselves, which can make it difficult to find their music unless they successfully promote it. For example, I first became aware of many pieces that subsequently were added to my list through word of mouth from colleagues in my own musical network. I also searched for repertoire by examining resources such as flute competition websites, composition competition publicity, publishers’ catalogues, and the websites of well-known composers and flutists. With the challenges of finding new music in mind, as well as the daunting task of searching the internet, I have created an online list that will help bring flutists and composers together, will assist flutists in finding new works, and will facilitate their communication with composers as the pieces are prepared and programmed. As my quest to find high-quality twenty-first-century solo flute works by U.S.-born composers continues, the list will expand. I hope this project will inspire flutists to push the boundaries of their technique and tone and to explore the newest music being written. I will eventually include more genres, such as solo works for alto flute, bass flute, and piccolo, and also chamber music that includes flute.

Flying Solo also results from my passion for working with composers, performing new music, and exploring new sounds for my instrument. The seven pieces I selected for this recording represent a variety of styles, compositional techniques, and overall musical structure. Some of them incorporate a wealth of challenging extended techniques, while others draw on more traditional elements of flute playing. The recording will be available for sale starting May 15, 2020. Contact me directly if you would like to order a copy.

21st Century Works for Unaccompanied Flute: U.S. Composers
The following list includes works by U.S born composers for unaccompanied flute. My intention is not to exclude quality works from composers of other nationalities, but rather, to explore the vast repertoire available from the United States. Later phases of this project will include works from other countries, as well as more genres, such as solo works for alto flute, bass flute, and piccolo, and also chamber music that includes flute.

21st Century Works for Unaccompanied Flute – US Born Composers

To add your piece to this collection – please contact me!