Repertoire Recommendations

Click for recommendations in the following genres:

ORCHESTRA

If you are looking for a short orchestral work:

Testament (movement 3 from Vishwas) — 5’ (2014) is a short, lively work for orchestra (available in 4220 or 2210 brass versions), that also has an optional tabla part. It is third movement of a longer work for sinfonietta, (see below), orchestrated for full orchestra. Vishwas is slightly easier than RE|Member — it is suitable for younger college ensembles, but a straightforward play for professionals. The tabla part will require a dedicated player, trained in Hindustani percussion (a member of the orchestra will not be able to handle the part unless they have specific tabla training). If you are considering performing this work with a tabla player and need a recommendation, please contact us.
Instrumentation: [2222.4220, timp +1, strings] OR [2222.2210, timp +1, strings] +optional tabla
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RE|Member — 7’ (2021) is an wild, colorful overture for orchestra (3333.4231), with a minute-long prelude and postlude on either side for oboe solo/duet (so, 7’ total). The work has some tricky passagework, especially for the winds, but is suitable for professional and high-level college ensembles. (Note: this work is currently under exclusivity, and will be available in 2023.)
Instrumentation: [3333.4231, timp +2, strings]
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Ram Tori Maya — 4’ (2022) – this short work is a great introduction to my music, especially for younger ensembles. It is an arrangement of a bhajan (Hindu devotional song), and is suitable for a high school orchestra. Additionally, it comes with the option of adding a short prelude before the piece, to which students can either sing or play recorder.
Instrumentation: [2222.4220, timp +1, strings]

For longer orchestral works (without soloist):

Teen Murti — 11’ (2013) is the string orchestra version of the last three movements of my String Quartet. It is the single most-performed large ensemble work in my catalog. The work is suitable for professionals and high-level student ensembles. There is quite a bit of divisi, but there has been success playing the work one-on-a-part with about a dozen musicians. An ideal size ensemble would be 6.5.4.3.2 or above.
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Black Iris — 14’ (2017) is a longer work for orchestra that reflects on the complexity of a woman’s experience in classical music. A feature of this work is a passage where all musicians with treble voices are asked to hum a drone note, which creates an unusual, haunting texture. It has some tricky passagework, but is suitable for professional and high-level college ensembles.
Instrumentation [2222.4221 timp +3, harp, piano/celesta, strings]
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Avartan — 9’ (2016) – This is a mid-size work for sinfonietta, suitable for college to professional ensembles. It explores subtly changing colors and textures, starting with classically Indian textures, and moving slowly into a more Western palette.
Instrumentation [1111.1111, piano (lightly prepared), 1 perc, strings]
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Vishwas (all 3 mmts) — 12’ (2014) – This is a mid-size work for sinfonietta, and is suitable for college up to professional level musicians. It is based on a bhajan of Mirabai – an Indian saint-poet whose ideas were dangerously ahead of their time.
Instrumentation [1111.1110, sop/alto sax, ten sax, piano, 1 perc, strings] (strings can be one on a part fine if mic’d, string section if not mic’d)

There are a variety of orchestral works with soloists. Works with Western-classically trained soloists include:

The History of Red — 20’ (2020) — this is a work similar in scope to Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, with poetry by Linda Hogan. It is about our complex human lineage and how we grapple with it in the present. The work is suitable for professional and college groups, and can be handled by an excellent college-level soprano as well.
Instrumentation [solo soprano, 1111.2100 1 perc, harp, strings]
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Clarinet Concerto — 17’ , 2 mmt (2017) — There are two versions of this work. The original version of the work was written for a soloist who is able to improvise in a Hindustani style (the piece can work for a player with a jazz or other improvisational background as well). But there is another version meant for Western-classically-trained clarinetists that is completely notated. Orchestra parts suitable for professional and college ensembles.
Instrumentation [solo clarinet, 3332.4211 timp +2 perc, harp, strings]
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Concerto for You — 12’, 3mmts (2019) — this is a work for solo violin and string orchestra. While the solo violin part should be played by a professional violinist, the orchestra parts are designed specifically for intermediate level students. The piece breaks down the traditional separation between soloist and orchestra, and provides an avenue for inter-level collaboration (the soloist is also asked to collaborate).
Instrumentation: solo violin and string orchestra

Works with Hindustani-trained soloists include:

Meri Sakhi Ki Avaaz — 21’, 3mmts (2018) This is a work for soprano, Hindustani singer and orchestra about sisterhood across cultures. Suitable for professional and college ensembles. The Hindustani singer does not need to have Western training, but it is quite tricky for a Hindustani singer who has not performed with an orchestra before. If you are programming this piece, please feel free to contact us for Hindustani singer suggestions.
Instrumentation — two versions are available: 3333.4221 and 2222.4220 winds. Both also include timp +2perc, piano, harp and strings.
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Testament (movement 3 from Vishwas) — 5’ (2014) is a short, lively work for orchestra (available in 4220 or 2210 brass versions), that also has an optional tabla part. It is third movement of a longer work for sinfonietta, orchestrated for full orchestra. It is suitable for younger college ensembles, but a straightforward play for professionals. The tabla part will require a dedicated player, trained in Hindustani percussion (a member of the orchestra will not be able to handle the part unless they have specific tabla training). If you are considering performing this work with a tabla player and need a recommendation, please contact us.
Instrumentation: [2222.4220, timp +1, strings] OR [2222.2210, timp +1, strings] +optional tabla
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Clarinet Concerto — 17’ , 2 mmt (2017) — There are two versions of this work. The original version of the work was written for a soloist who is able to improvise in a Hindustani style (the piece can work for a player with a jazz or other improvisational background as well). But there is another version meant for Western-classically-trained clarinetists that is completely notated. Orchestra parts suitable for professional and college ensembles.
Instrumentation [solo clarinet, 3332.4211 timp +2 perc, harp, strings]
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Violin Concerto (for Hindustani violin and orchestra) — 25’, 5mmts+postlude (2022) — This is a work I co-wrote with Hindustani violinist Kala Ramnath, using the five elements (Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth) as a canvas to explore the effects of climate change. The piece requires a violin soloist who is trained in the Hindustani style (to date, only Kala herself has performed this concerto). The orchestra parts can be rhythmically quite tricky, and is suitable for a professional orchestra.
Instrumentation [solo Hindustani violin, 3333.4331 timp +3perc, harp strings]
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Aria — 12’ (2009) — an early work for Hindustani singer and orchestra. Some aleatoric elements. Suitable for professional and college ensembles. As with Meri Sakhi Ki Avaaz, the Hindustani singer does not need Western training, but experience performing with an orchestra is a huge advantage.
Instrumentation [2222.4220, timp +2perc, harp, strings] Available exclusively from CF Peters.

ORCHESTRA w/CHOIR

If you are looking for works with orchestra and choir together:

She Will Transform You — 14’ (2019) This is a single movement work about the immigrant experience, with text by Neelanjana Bannerjee. It is suitable for college or professional ensembles.
Instrumentation [2222.4231 timp +2perc, harp, harp, celesta, strings, SATB choir]
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I Rise: Women in Song — 25’ (2016) This is a five movement work for treble choir, flute, harp and strings. The movements can be performed individually (the last movement, a setting of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” is the one most often performed by itself.)
- There are many versions of I Rise. If you order this piece, please let us know
  - 1) whether you are doing the piece with 4 individual singers or a treble ensemble of 8 or more
  - 2) the size/makeup of your instrumental ensemble:
    - a) single strings, flute and harp (7 players total)
    - b) string ensemble (at least 22221) flute and harp, or
    - c) with just piano (this should be done only when strings/fl/hp are impossible)
  - 3) if you would like the three-movement version (mmts 1,3,4 only) for treble choir with flute obbligato (no other instruments)
  - 4) if you would like the SATB version of only mmt5 (Still I Rise, 4’ text by Maya Angelou)
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Take What You Need — 5-25’ (2016) for string orchestra and chorus. This is my most flexible/adaptable work, also with many versions. It is a series of call-and-response choruses and textless interludes (where someone can speak, improvise et al). While the interludes are all the same, the choruses vary in difficulty. The full version has four choruses and three interludes, but many ensembles choose to perform this piece with a deep cut, so they are only performing two choruses with a single interlude (about 10 minutes). The piece is designed to be easily customizable to fit the needs of your performers and community. All versions are available for free download, and are licensed under Creative Commons.

Recommendations for other genres are forthcoming!