Are you planning a recital soon? Not sure where to start? Here's a recital planning guide to assist you and your teacher/student. (Also embedded below)
Would you like to include repertoire by historically marginalized composers? Here's a list of pieces to consider available for download, embedded as a PDF file below, or listed here:
Oboe Repertoire Additions to Consider
Disclaimer: this is by NO means a comprehensive list!
In all honesty, I find comprehensive lists overwhelming with too many options from which to choose. So here are a few pieces that I enjoy teaching/performing that I encourage you to consider if you don’t know them already. There are a variety of difficulties, lengths, and styles represented here, and I think almost all can have fine performances available on either Youtube or Spotify. A few can be found for free on IMSLP where noted, but all can be found through simple internet searches at double reed music stores such as https://www.trevcomusic.com/ or by ordering directly through the composer’s own website.
I encourage you to reach out to me with pieces that you think should be added to this list!
Solo oboe pieces:
Teófilo Alvarez (b.1944): Lamento Andino (2:40) / Allegro (both are on IMSLP)
Jenni Brandon (b.1977): Woodsong (7:00) /Three Desert Fables (9:00)
Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953): Diaphonic Suite No. 1 (1930) (6:00)
Nancy Chandler (1911-1996): Summer’s Lease (1981) (7:00)
Viet Cuong (b.1990): Six Canadian Scenes (9:00)
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999): Piper of Dreams (4:00)
Kathy Henkel (b.1942): Highland Fantasy
Ulysses Kay (1917-1995): Prelude (for flute) (3:15)
James Lee III (b.1975): Principal Brothers 2 (6:00)
Quin Mason (b.1996): Dream Triptych (mvt 1 is 2:30)
Alyssa Morris (b.1984): Collision Etudes (2017) (20:00)
Thea Musgrave (b.1928): Niobe (ob/CD track) (1987) (6:49)
Gary Powell Nash (b.1964): 9 New York Miniatures (2020) (8:30) (Norma Hooks
Competition ‘24)
Emma Ruth Richards (b.1985): De Stamparare (Soul Cry) (2012) (5:15)
Freda Swain (1902-1985): Three Whimsies (1965) (3:15)
Hilary Tann (1947-2023): Like Lightnings (7:20)
Jacqueline Wilson (b.1984): Xitway for solo oboe (2022) (7:00)
Chen Yi (b. 1953): Mountain Song (2022) (1:15) Elegy (2020) (4:20)
Oboe and Piano
Gamal Abdel-Rahim (1924-1988): Bohayrat Al-lotus (The Lotus Pond)(5:30)
Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969): Oboe Sonatina (9:30)/ Oboe Sonata (1937), (10:45)
Anna Bon (1738-after 1767): Flute Sonata in g minor, Op. 1, No. 5 (7:15) (Norma Hooks
Competition ‘24)
Jean Coulthard (1908-2000): Oboe Sonata (1947) (13:20)/ Shizen: Three Nature
Sketches from Japan (7:00)
Marina Dranishnikova (1929-1994): Poem (1953) (8:30)
Madeleine Dring (1923-1977): Italian Dance (1960) (2:45), Danza Gaya (1965) (2:45),
Three Piece Suite (1984) (12:45) (Norma Hooks Competition ‘22)
Reena Esmail (b.1983): Jhula Jhule (2017) (9:50)
Vivian Fine (1913-2000): Sonatina (1942) (7:13) IMSLP
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999): Kensington Garden Suite (6:00) / Sea Shore Suite (5:15)
Jennifer Higdon (b.1962): Aria for Oboe and Piano (6:15)
Chiayu Hsu (b.1976): Contrast for oboe and piano (9:39)
Ulysses Kay (1917-1995): Suite in B minor (Norma Hooks Competition ‘22)
Alyssa Morris (b.1984): Four Personalities for oboe and piano (2007) (10:30)
Thea Musgrave (b.1928): Night Windows (2008) (13:00) (ob/pn or ob/strings) /
Niobe (1987)(6:49)(ob/tape)
Brian Nabors (b.1991): Sonata for oboe and piano (2016) (18:00)
Katherine Needleman: qua resurget ex favila Sonata for oboe and piano (2022) (15:30)
Althea Talbot-Howard (b.1966): The Door of No Return (2021) (13:35)
Earnest Washington Simms: Oboe Sonata (1947)
Marcelle Soulage (1894-1970): Pastorale Op.15 (3:30) (ob or EH/harp or piano) IMSLP
William Grant Still (1895-1978): Incantation and Dance (1942) (5:10)
Hilary Tann (1947-2023): Shakkei (ob/pno or orch) (16:20)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912):Deep River Sonata Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
tran. by Althea Talbot-Howard (b. 1966)
Works for Oboe or EH and Orchestra
Stacey Berk (b.1970): Flight (2011) (12:45) (for orchestra or wind ensemble)
Viet Cuong (b.1990):Extra(ordinarily) Fancy (double oboe concerto) (10:30)
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999): Concerto (24:20)
Marie Clemence de Grandval (1828-1907): Oboe Concerto (1877) (17:00)
Jennifer Higdon (b.1962): Oboe Concerto (2005) (18:00)
Ulysses Kay (1917-1995): Pieta for EH and strings (8:00)
“Madame” Laschanzky: (Baroque era, dates unknown) Oboe Concerto (8:30)
Alyssa Morris (b.1984): Dreamscape Concerto (23:00)
Thea Musgrave (b.1928): Helios (concerto)
Hilary Tann (1947-2023): Shakkei (ob/pno or orch) (16:20)
Joan Tower (b.1938): Island Prelude (1989) (ob/str orch or ob/str4 or ob/ww4)
Chamber Music
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969): Trio for Oboe, Violin and Cello (1936) (11:50)
Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979): Trois Pieces for Oboe, Cello, Piano (7:30) arr. K.
Needleman
Jenni Brandon (b. 1977): Sequoia Trio for ob,cl,bsn (15:00) /Found Objects ob,cl,bsn
(21:00)
Connor Chee (b.1987): Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, Piano (2022) (9:00)
Valerie Coleman(b.1970): American Vein for oboe/EH and double bass (2021) (21:00)
Daniel Cueto (b.1986): Encuentros for ob/bsn (9:00)
Viet Cuong (b.1990): Suite (2 ob, EH)
Reena Esmail (b.1983): Goole dodi (Dark Flower) for voice, EH, pno, narrator (11:00)
Elizabeth Faulkner: Three Pieces (1977)
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999): Pan and Apollo Op.78 for 2 Ob, EH, harp (5:41)
Chiayu Hsu (b.1976): Voyage for reed trio (2015) (12:00)
Alyssa Morris (b.1984): Parable of a Stormy Sea for 2ob,EH 16:00)