STAGE WORKS

The Beautiful People (2026, in progress, part of “Radio Opera”) – duration 35 minutes
Chamber Opera in One Act from a story by Charles Beaumont (by permission)
(3 main roles, piano, violin, cello, clarinet)

Mimi’s Perfect Day (2022) – duration 12 minutes
Chamber Opera in One Act from an original story
(soprano, mezzo soprano, piano, violin, cello)
Commissioned by Lone Star Lyric Theater Festival

Grotto (2019) – duration 4 minutes
Music for an original ballet (vln, vcl)
Choreographed by Oliver Halkowich – Houston Ballet

The Sun and the Moon (2016) – duration 15 minutes
Music by Mary Carol Warwick, Libretto by Michael Remson
Chamber Opera for Girls Chorus  in One Act from the Korean folk tale
[soprano, mezzo-soprano, two-part girls chorus, piano, dancers)
Commissioned by Houston Girls Chorus

Three Skeleton Key (2016) – duration 42 minutes
Chamber Opera in One Act from the radio play (public domain)
[tenor, baritone, bass baritone, Pno)
Commissioned by Lone Star Lyric Theater Festival
From “Radio Opera: A Triptych”

Procession to the Club (2015) – duration 9:00
Music for an original ballet in three movements.
[cl, vln, vcl, pno]
Choreographed by Oliver Halkowich,  Houston Ballet.

Clever Gretel (2011) – duration 28:00
Chamber Opera in One Act from the story by the Brothers Grimm
[2 Sop, Bar; Pno]
Commissioned by Lone Star Lyric Theater Festival

Sorry, Wrong Number (2010) – duration 25:00
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM SORRY WRONG NUMBER
Chamber Opera in One Act from the play by Lucille Fletcher (by permission) from “Radio Opera: A Triptych” (in progress)
[2 Sop, 2 Mzo, Ten, Bar; Pno]
Commissioned by Lone Star Lyric Theater Festival
Funded in part by the Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant Program

The Breath of Life (2002, 2015, 2024) – duration two hours
Libretto Only – Music by Jefferson Todd Frazier
Chamber Opera in Two Acts from an original story
7 soloists, small choir, piano, cello, clarinet
Commissioned by the McNair Foundation and the Powell Foundation

Mary Surratt (2007) – duration 1:35:00
Grand Opera in Two Acts based on the true story
Scored for five leads (Sop, Mzo, Mzo, Ten, Bar), supporting roles, chorus and orch
Funded in part by the Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant Program

Collapsible Rhythms (2005) – duration 8:00
Music for an original ballet.
[6 mba (or electronic realization), elec vln]
Commissioned by the American Festival for the Arts and choreographed by Stanton Welch, Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet.

Sibanda: A Tale from Africa (2003)  – duration (22:00)
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM SIBANDA
Chamber/children’s opera in one act based on the Zimbabwean folk tale “A Tree to Sing To” translated by Alexander McCall Smith and published by Canongate Books (by permission).
[2 Sop, Mzo, Ten, Bar, Bas; Pno, Perc (opt)]
Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera’s “Opera New World” program in affiliation with Opera to Go and presented by the ExxonMobil Houston Grand Opera student performance series. Subsequently performed by the Abilene Collegiate Opera.

The Last Leaf (1997, revised 2003) – duration 32:00
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM THE LAST LEAF
Chamber opera in one act based on the short story by O. Henry (public domain).
[Sop, Mzo, Ten, Bar; fl, ob, cl, bsn, hrn, trom, 2perc, hp, 2vln, vla, vcl, cb]
Premiered in 1997 at the University of Houston. Excerpts performed in 2000 through the New York City Opera Showcasing American Composers series and at the American Festival for the Arts. World premiere staging at Texas Tech University Opera Theatre, 2006.

The Better Man (1992)
Chamber opera in one act based on the short story by Ray Russell (by permission).
[sop, ten, bar; pno]
Currently unavailable.

How She Comes and Goes (1989)
Chamber opera in one act from the short story by Djuna Barnes (by permission).
[sop, mzo, bar; electronic realization]
Currently unavailable.

MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS

Longing and Belonging (2012) – duration 8:00
Watch an excerpt here
Film Score for two short films by Magsamen+Hillerbrand
[vln,vla, vcl]
Commissioned by American Festival for the Arts for the Collaborations Concert series and premiered in July 2012.

SoundForge (2010) – duration 17:00
Watch the accompanying film here
“Soundscape” for installation in collaboration with metalsmith Gabriel Craig.
[perc electronic realization]
Commissioned by the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and premiered in October 2010.

SOLO & CHAMBER MUSIC

O Ignus Spiritus (2016) – duration 3:30
One movement for 2 violas or violin/viola
Inspired by a chant by Hildegarde
Premiered in Houston, 2016

Suite de Danses (2009) – duration 12:00
Three movements for mixed sextet (fl, ob, cl, vln, vcl, pno)
Written for The Nucleus Ensemble.
Premiered in Los Angeles, March 2009 and Houston, July 2009.

Midnight Mass (2007) – duration 6:00
One movement for violin/viola duo.
Commissioned by Eva Cappelletti-Chao and Phillippe Chao.
Premiered in Houston, July 2007

Three Piano Miniatures (2006) – duration 5:00
Three movements for piano solo.
Commissioned by Valerie O’Toole.
Premiered in Galway, Ireland, April 2006.

Whistle Stop! (2003) – duration 6:00
One movement for solo organ with coach’s whistle.
Commissioned by Dr. Crista Miller, Eastman School of Music.
Premiered in Rochester NY, October 2003.

Five by Five (1998) – duration 4:00
One movement for woodwind quintet.
Commissioned by the American Festival for the Arts for the Meliora Winds. Premiered in Houston, July 1998.
Revised in 2012 to two movements. Premiered in Los Angeles by the West Coast Wind Quintet.

Remembrance: Nunu. (1997) – duration 7:00
One movement duo for Oboe and Vibraphone.
Premiered in Houston, April 1997.

Variations for Flute and Piano (1996)
One movement duo for flute and piano.
Premiered in Houston, April 1997.

Fanfare and Air (1996)
Solo euphonium (or bass trombone/tuba).
Premiered in Houston, April 1997.

SOLO VOCAL

Year of Song (2012)
Almost twenty new individual songs. Various vocal types with piano accompaniment. Titles Include (poets in parentheses):
But Not To Me (Sara Teasdale)
Forgetfulness (Hart Crane)
Full Moon (Vita Sackville-West)
Gifts (Sara Teasdale)
Heart of the Wood (Lady Gregory)
I Can Trust (Daniel Webster Davis)
In Just– (E.E. Cummings)
Listening (Amy Lowell)
She Will Gather Roses (Traditional Tsimshian Song)
This Living Hand (John Keats)
To All My Loved Ones (Mary Elizabeth Frye)

Songs on Sasso (2006) – duration 6:00
LISTEN TO HARVESTING THE INNER GARDEN
Two songs based on the poems of Laurence Sasso (used by permission).
Soprano solo with piano accompaniment.
Premiered in Houston, 2006.

After Whitman (2002)
Five songs with text from poetry by Walt Whitman (public domain) and Native American verses (public domain).
Baritone solo with string quintet and mallets.
Commissioned by the American Festival for the Arts.
Premiered in Houston, 2002.

Four Sandburg Settings (2001)
LISTEN TO WHITE SHOULDERS
Three songs using text from four poems by Carl Sandburg (public domain).
Soprano solo with piano.
Premiered in Houston, 2001.

Three Irish Ballads (1996)
Arrangements of Irish songs from Moores Irish Melodies (public domain).
Mezzo-soprano solo with piano.
Premiered in Houston, 2007.

Since I First Saw Him and The Descent of Winter (1989).
Soprano solo with piano.
Currently unavailable.

CHORAL

Celebration! (2004) – duration 12:00
Multi movement work for SATB, soprano soloist, flute and piano.
Commissioned and premiered by the Rhode Island College Choruses.
Poetry by Lawrence Sasso (commissioned).
Premiered Providence RI, April 2004

Chamber Music (2001) – duration 10:00
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM CHAMBER MUSIC
Multi-movement work SATB, piano and flute (oboe/clarinet substitution possible).
Text excerpted from the poems of James Joyce (public domain).
Commissioned and premiered by the Rhode Island College Choruses.
Premiered Providence RI, April 2001

Women in Praise of the Sacred (2001) – duration 10:00
Five poems for SSA.
Text taken from various poetry featured in the book Women in Praise of the Sacred (edited by Jane Hirshfeld) and used by permission.

Kyrie (1998) – duration 3:00
One movement for SATB.
Text from the Latin mass.
Premiered in Houston, 1998.

Two Psalms (1998) – duration 4:00
Two songs for TTBB.
Biblical text.
Premiered in Houston, 1998.

Lullabies of the Americas (1998) – duration 9:00
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM THE LULLABIES
Four songs for SATB.
Arranged from various lullabies from North and South American cultures.
Premiered in Houston, 1998.

Psalm 121 (1997) – duration 2:00
One movement for SATB.
Biblical text.
Commissioned by St. Martin’s Lutheran Church.
Premiered in Houston, 1997.

Fulfill Ye My Joy (1997) – duration 2:30
One movement for SATB.
Biblical text (Philippians 2:2).
Commissioned and performed by members of the Houston Choral Society.
Premiered in Houston, 1997.

Women and Love Through the Ages (1997) – duration 11:00
Five songs for SSA.
Text from various poetry. Permissions pending on all texts.
Commissioned by the University of Houston Women’s Chorus.
Premiered in Houston, 1997.

Five Poems of Djuna Barnes (1996)
Five songs for SATB (chamber choir – 3 per part).
Text from The Book of Repulsive Women by Djuna Barnes (by permission).

ORCHESTRA

Suite from “Mary Surratt” (2016) – duration 14:00
Orchestral suite from the opera by the composer.
(2-1,2-1,2,2 4,3,2,1,1 timp+3, hp, strings

Lovesong (1992) – duration 5:00
Overture for orchestra.
2,2,2,2 4,3,2,1 timp+2, strings
Score available for review