List of concert band literature

This is a list of some of the standards of concert band repertoire.

Original works

This is an inclusive list of the accepted standard works written specifically for concert band or wind ensemble.

Cornerstone works

The following works are some of the most universally respected and established cornerstones of the band repertoire. All have "stood the test of time" through decades of regular performance, and many, either through an innovative use of the medium or by the fame of their composer, helped establish the wind band as a legitimate, serious performing ensemble.

Samuel Barber: Commando March (1943)
Robert Russell Bennett: Suite of Old American Dances (1949); Symphonic Songs for Band (1957)
Hector Berlioz: Grande symphonie funèbre et triomphale, Op. 15 (1840)
Arthur Bird: Suite in D Major, Op. 29 (1889)
John Barnes Chance: Elegy (1972); Incantation and Dance (1960); Symphony No. 2 (1972); Variations on a Korean Folk Song (1966)
Aaron Copland: Emblems (1964)
Ingolf Dahl: Saxophone Concerto (1948); Sinfonietta (1961)
Antonín Dvořák: Serenade in D Minor (1878)
Henry Fillmore: Americans We (1929); The Footlifter (1935); His Honor (1933)
Morton Gould: Symphony No. 4 (West Point) (1952)
Percy Grainger: Irish Tune from County Derry (1918); Lincolnshire Posy (1937)
Howard Hanson: Chorale and Alleluia (1954)
Paul Hindemith: Symphony in B-flat (1951)
Gustav Holst: Hammersmith: Prelude and Scherzo, Op. 52 (1930); First Suite in E-flat Major, Op. 28/1 (1909); Second Suite in F Major, Op. 28/2 (1911)
Karel Husa: Music for Prague (1968); Apotheosis of This Earth (1971)
Gordon Jacob: An Original Suite (1928); William Byrd Suite (1923)
Leon Jessel: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (1905)
Peter Mennin: Canzona (1951)

Darius Milhaud: Suite Française (1944)
Camillo de Nardis: The Universal Judgement (1878)
Ron Nelson: Rocky Point Holiday (1967)
W. Francis McBeth: Masque (1968)
Vincent Persichetti: Divertimento, Op. 42 (1950); Psalm for Band, Op. 53 (1953); Symphony No. 6, Op. 69 (1956)
Walter Piston: Tunbridge Fair (1950)
Sergei Prokofiev: March in B-flat Major, Op. 99 (1944)
Alfred Reed: Armenian Dances (Part I) (1972); Armenian Dances (Part II) (1976); Russian Christmas Music (1944)
H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (1949)
Gioachino Rossini: Scherzo (1863)
Camille Saint-Saëns: Orient et Occident, Op. 25 (1869)
Arnold Schoenberg: Theme and Variations, Op. 43a (1943)
William Schuman: George Washington Bridge (1950)
Joseph Schwantner: ...and the mountains rising nowhere (1977)
John P. Sousa: Semper Fidelis (1888); Stars and Stripes Forever (1896); The Washington Post (1889)
Richard Strauss: Sonatina No 1 in F major (Aus der Werkstatt eines Invaliden) (1943)
Igor Stravinsky: Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments (1924); Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1920/rev. 1947)
Clifton Williams: Fanfare and Allegro (1956); Symphonic Dance No. 3: Fiesta (1967)
Ralph Vaughan Williams: English Folk Song Suite (1923); Flourish for Wind Band (1939); Toccata Marziale (1924)

Respected works

These pieces may not necessarily be quite as universally acknowledged as the above list, but occupy an extremely important place in the repertoire nonetheless. Like the previous works, they have proven themselves through many performances, most over a span of decades.

David Amram: King Lear Variations (1966)
Leslie Bassett: Concerto Grosso (1982); Designs, Images and Textures (1965); Lullaby for Kirsten (1985); Sounds, Shapes and Symbols (1977)
David Bedford: Sun Paints Rainbows over the Vast Waves (1982)
Frank Bencriscutto: Latina (1964); Let the Light Shine (1978)
Richard Rodney Bennett: Morning Music (1986)
Warren Benson: Concertino for Alto Saxophone and Band (1954); The Leaves Are Falling (1963); The Passing Bell (1974); Recuerdo (1966); The Solitary Dancer (1966); Symphony for Drums and Wind Orchestra (1963); Symphony No. 2, "Lost Songs" (1983); Wings (1984)
Jerry Bilik: Block M (1955)
Eugene Bozza: Children's Overture (1964)
Houston Bright: Prelude and Fugue in F minor (1960)
Howard Cable: Newfoundland Rhapsody (1956); Quebec Folk Fantasy (1953); Snake Fence Country (1954)
Alfredo Casella: Introduzione, Corale e Marcia, Op. 57 (1935)
Michael Colgrass: Winds of Nagual (1985)
John Corigliano: Gazebo Dances (1973); Symphony No. 3 Circus Maximus (2004)
Paul Creston: Celebration Overture (1955)
Norman Dello Joio: Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn (1968); Satiric Dances: For a Comedy by Aristrophanes (1975); Scenes from the Louvre (1966); Variants on a Medieval Tune (1963)
Thomas C. Duffy: Crystals (1985)
Frank Erickson: Air for Band (1956); Toccata for Band (1957)
Henry Fillmore: The Klaxon (1929); Military Escort (1928); Rolling Thunder (1916)
Luboš Fišer: Report (1971)
Vittorio Giannini: Symphony No. 3 (1959)
David Gillingham: Heroes Lost and Fallen (1990)
Edwin Franko Goldman: On the Mall (1924)

Morton Gould: Derivations (1956); Jericho (1939)
Percy Grainger: Children's March (Over the Hills and Far Away) (1919); Colonial Song (1928); Country Gardens (1928); The "Gumsuckers" March (1928); Handel in the Strand (1911); Molly on the Shore (1921); Shepherd's Hey (1918)
Clare Grundman: Kentucky 1800 (1954)
Kenneth Hesketh: Masque (1987)
Frigyes Hidas: Merry Music (1983)
David Holsinger: In the Spring, at the Time When Kings Go Off to War (1986); Liturgical Dances (1981); To Tame the Perilous Skies (1992); On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss (1988)
Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 4 (1959)
Karel Husa: Concerto for Wind Ensemble (1982)
Gordon Jacob: Music for a Festival (1951)
Robert Jager: Diamond Variations (1967); Esprit De Corps (1984); Third Suite (1966)
Tristan Keuris: Catena (1988)
Boris Kozhevnikov: Symphony No. 3: Slavyanskaya (1950/rev. 1958)
Robert Kurka: The Good Soldier Schweik Suite (1956)
Elizabeth Maconchy: Music for Woodwind and Brass (1965)
Martin Mailman: For precious friends hid in death's dateless night (1988); Liturgical Music (1963)
David Maslanka: A Child's Garden of Dreams (1981)
Johan de Meij: Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings" (1984–88)
Olivier Messiaen: Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum (1964); Oiseaux exotiques (1956)
Vaclav Nelhybel: Antiphonale (1972); Trittico (1965)
Ron Nelson: Medieval Suite (1983); Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) (1992)
Roger Nixon: Festival Fanfare March (1971); Fiesta del Pacifico (1966); Music of Appreciation (1944)

Vincent Persichetti: Masquerade, Op. 102 (1965); Pageant, Op. 59 (1954); Parable IX, Op. 121 (1972)
Alfred Reed: A Festival Prelude (1962); The Hounds of Spring (1980)
Anton Reicha: Commemoration Symphony (1815)
Ottorino Respighi: Huntingtower, P. 173 (1932)
Florent Schmitt: Dionysiaques (1913)
Gunther Schuller: Diptych for Brass Quintet and Concert Band (1964); Meditation (1963); On Winged Flight (1989); Symphony for Brass and Percussion, Op. 16 (1950); Symphony No. 3 "In Praise of Winds" (1981)
Joseph Schwantner: From a Dark Millennium (1981)
John P. Sousa: The High School Cadets (1890); The Thunderer (1889)
Claude T. Smith: Emperata Overture (1964); Festival Variations (1982); Flight (1984); Incidental Suite (1966)
Philip Sparke: Jubilee Overture (1983)
Eric Stokes: The Continental Harp and Band Report (1975)
Richard Strauss: Festmusik der Stadt Wien (1943)
Virgil Thomson: A Solemn Music (1949)
Fisher Tull: Sketches on a Tudor Psalm (1971)
Clifton Williams: Caccia and Chorale (1973); Dedicatory Overture (1964); Symphonic Dance No. 3: Fiesta; Festival (1962); Sinfonians (1960)
Kurt Weill: Kleine Dreigroschenmusik (1929)
Dana Wilson: Piece of Mind (1987)
Haydn Wood: Mannin Veen (1938)
Guy Woolfenden: Gallimaufry (1983); Illyrian Dances (1986)
John Zdechlik: Chorale and Shaker Dance (1971)

Recent works

The following works are rapidly gaining acceptance as standard repertoire. Most have been composed within the last twenty years.

Richard Rodney Bennett: Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Orchestra (1993); The Four Seasons (1991)
Steven Bryant: Concerto for Wind Ensemble (2007); Dusk (2004); Ecstatic Waters (2008)
Howard J. Buss: Fanfares (1981); Trombone Concerto for trombone and band (1983); Illuminations for Bass Trombone (or tuba) and Band (2013); Energico! (2014)
Mark Camphouse: A Movement for Rosa (1992)
Michael Colgrass: Urban Requiem (1996)
Michael Daugherty: Bells for Stokowski (2001); Niagara Falls (1997)
Eric Ewazen: A Hymn for the Lost and the Living (2001)
Aldo Rafael Forte: Synergy! (1997)
Michael Gandolfi: Vientos y Tangos (2003)
David Gillingham: Apocalyptic Dreams (1997); Galactic Empires (1998); With Heart and Voice (2000)
Julie Giroux: Culloden (2000); No Finer Calling (2007); Khan (2008)
Peter Graham: Harrison's Dream (2001)
Donald Grantham: Fantasy Variations (1997); J'ai ete au bal (1995); Southern Harmony (1998); Baron Cimetière's Mambo (2004)
Edward Gregson: Celebration (1991)
Samuel Hazo: Ride (2003)
John Harbison: Three City Blocks (1991)
Kenneth Hesketh: Diaghilev Dances (2002)
Yasuhide Ito: Gloriosa (1990)

Scott Lindroth: Spin Cycle (2001)
James MacMillan: Sowetan Spring (1990)
David Maslanka: Give Us This Day (2007); Symphony No. 4 (1994)
Nicholas Maw: American Games (1991)
John Mackey: Kingfishers Catch Fire (2006); Redline Tango (2004); Aurora Awakes (2009); Asphalt Cocktail (2009); Hymn to a Blue Hour (2010); Sasparilla (2005); Wine-Dark Sea (2014)
Scott McAllister: Black Dog (for Clarinet & Band, 2003)
W. Francis McBeth: Of Sailors and Whales (1991)
Cindy McTee: Circuits (1990)
Lior Navok: Gleams from the Bosom of Darkness (2002); Tetris (2009)
Ron Nelson: Courtly Airs and Dances (1996); Epiphanies (Fanfares and Chorales) (1994); Lauds (1991); Pastorale: Autumn Rune (2006); Sonoran Desert Holiday (1994)
Carter Pann: Slalom (2003)
Javier Pérez Garrido: Fantasía, Op.14 (2005)
Marco Pütz: Derivations (2003); Four Sketches (2007); Four Earth Songs (2008); Time for Outrage (2014)
Steven Reineke: Symphony No.1, New Day Rising (2007)
Jan Van der Roost: Suite Provençale (1992)
Rolf Rudin: The Dream of Oenghus, Op. 37 (1996)
Richard Saucedo: Windsprints (2004)

Joseph Schwantner: In Evening's Stillness (1996); Recoil (2004)
Robert W. Smith: The Divine Comedy (1995); The Odyssey; Twelve Seconds to the Moon (1996); Inchon (2001)
Philip Sparke: Dance Movements (1997); Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
Jack Stamp: Cloudsplitter Fanfare (1999); Escapade (2002); Gavorkna Fanfare (1990/1)
Steven Stucky: Funeral Music for Queen Mary (1992)
Frank Ticheli: Amazing Grace (1994); An American Elegy (2000); Angels in The Architecture (2009); Blue Shades (1996); Postcard (1991); Symphony No. 2 (2004); Vesuvius (1997)
Michael Tippett: Triumph (1992); Fandango; Serenade Romantic; Chronicles for solo trumpet & band; Illuminations for solo trombone & band; High Flight; Soundings; Dedication for band; The Sounding of the Call for trumpet & band
Dan Welcher: Zion (1996); Circular Marches (1997)
Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst (2002); Ghost Train Triptych (1994); Godzilla Eats Las Vegas! (1996); October (2000)
Dana Wilson: Shortcut Home (1998)
Charles Rochester Young: Tempered Steel (1997)

Transcriptions

There are thousands of transcriptions of pieces from other media (mostly orchestra) available for the concert band; however, some transcriptions are performed so often that they can be said to have achieved a place of their own in the concert band repertoire.

John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine (trans. Lawrence Odom)
Isaac Albéniz: Iberia, Book 1: III. Fête-dieu à Seville (trans. Lucien Cailliet)
Malcolm Arnold: Four Scottish Dances (trans. John Paynter); Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo (trans. John Paynter); Tam o' Shanter Overture (trans. John Paynter)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Fantasia in G Major (trans. Goldman / Leist); Fugue a la Gigue (trans. Gustav Holst); Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major (trans. John Paynter); Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (trans. Erik W. G. Leidzén or Donald Hunsberger); Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor (trans. Nicholas Falcone or Donald Hunsberger); The Art of Fugue (trans. Kenneth Amis)
Samuel Barber: First Symphony (trans. Guy Duker)
Hector Berlioz: Le corsaire, Op. 21: Overture (trans. Gunther Schuller)
Leonard Bernstein: Overture to "Candide" (trans. Walter Beeler or Clare Grundman); Slava! A Political Overture (trans. Clare Grundman); Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" (trans. Paul Lavender)
Johannes Brahms: Academic Festival Overture (trans. Mark Hindsley); Haydn Variations (trans. Mark Hindsley)
Aaron Copland: Down a Country Lane (trans. Merlin Patterson); El Salón México (trans. Mark Hindsley); Lincoln Portrait (trans. Walter Beeler); An Outdoor Overture (trans. Aaron Copland); Preamble for a Solemn Occasion (trans. Aaron Copland)
Claude Debussy: Préludes, Book 1: X. La cathédrale engloutie (trans. Merlin Patterson)
Antonín Dvořák: Carnival Overture, Op. 92 (trans. Leigh Steiger); Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, "From the New World": IV. Finale (trans. Mark Hindsley, Erik W. G. Leidzén or Weston Nicholi)
George Gershwin: Cuban Overture (trans. Dwayne S. Milburn); Prelude No. 2 in C Sharp Minor (trans. John Krance); Rhapsody in Blue (trans. Ferde Grofé, Donald Hunsberger or Tohru Takahashi)
Alberto Ginastera: Estancia Suite, Op. 8a (trans. Donald Patterson)
Percy Grainger: The Warriors (trans. Frank Pappajohn)
Ferde Grofé: Mississippi Suite, "A Journey in Tones" (trans. Don Chown)
Paul Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber (trans. Keith Wilson)
Gustav Holst: A Moorside Suite (trans. Gordon Jacob or Denis Wright); Capriccio (trans. John Boyd); The Planets (trans. George Smith probably with the collaboration of the composer)

Charles Ives: Old Home Days (trans. Jonathan Elkus); Country Band March (trans. James Sinclair); Fugue in C Minor, from String Quartet No. 1, "From the Salvation Army": I: Chorale (trans. James Sinclair); Variations on "America" (trans. William Schuman / William Rhoads)
Edward MacDowell: Woodland Sketches, Op. 51 (trans. Frank Winterbottom)
Felix Mendelssohn: Fingal's Cave Overture (trans. Julius Seredy or Frank Winterbottom)
Modest Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain (trans. William Schaefer or Mark Hindsley); Pictures at an Exhibition (trans. Mark Hindsley, Erik W. G. Leidzén or Tohru Takahashi)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Procession of the Nobles from "Mlada" (trans. Erik W. G. Leidzén); Scheherazade (trans. Mark Hindsley)
Ottorino Respighi: The Pines of Rome (trans. Guy Duker or Yoshihiro Kimura)
Gioacchino Rossini: Italian in Algiers Overture (trans. Lucien Cailliet); William Tell Overture (trans. Erik W. G. Leidzén); Tancredi Overture (trans. Leonard Falcone)
William Schuman: New England Triptych (1956)
Dmitri Shostakovich: Festive Overture (trans. Donald Hunsberger); October (trans. Preston Mitchell); Folk Dances (trans. H. Robert Reynolds); Galop from "Moscow, Cheryomushki" (trans. Donald Hunsberger)
Jean Sibelius: Finlandia (trans. Lucien Cailliet)
Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (trans. Guy Duker, Thomas Knox, or Lawrence Odom); Fireworks (trans. Mark Rogers)
Arthur Sullivan/Charles Mackerras: Pineapple Poll (trans. William J. Duthoit)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (trans. Conway Brown, Yoshihiro Kimura, Mayhew Lake or Mark Williams); Suite No. 3 in G Major (trans. Frank Winterbottom)
Richard Wagner: Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral from "Lohengrin" (trans. Lucien Cailliet); Prelude to Act III of "Lohengrin" (trans. Mark Hindsley); "Tannhauser" Overture (trans. Vincent Frank Safranek)
William Walton: Crown Imperial (trans. William J. Duthoit)
Carl Maria von Weber: Invitation to the Dance; Oberon Overture (trans. Mark Hindsley)
Giuseppe Verdi: Prelude to Act 1, La Traviata (trans. Leonard Falcone)

Recordings of concert band literature

The Klavier Wind Recording Project, begun in 1989 by Eugene Corporon while he was director of bands at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, has helped provide recordings of many of the most important and more recent pieces in the wind band literature. The recording project continues today, having followed Corporon to the University of North Texas. Still more recordings have been released by The Keystone Winds, conducted by Jack Stamp. The Keystone Winds consists of faculty, alumni and students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The Concordia University Chicago Wind Symphony, under Dr. Richard Fischer, has just released its twelfth recording of sacred wind music. Since the series began in 1991, the ensemble has made many premiere recordings of now widely known and played wind literature.

Hearts Music - CCM Wind Symphony University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MCD-780).
Made in America - CCM Wind Symphony (MCC-559)

External resources

The Wind Repertory Project

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