Woodland Preludes

Woodland Preludes is a suite of piano preludes inspired by the woodlands of New England. It was commissioned by pianists Blair McMillen, Erica Sipes, and Patty Stowell. Preludes span a range of levels and are designed to be used by teaching pianists and their students. Premieres to be scheduled in 2022, and published work will be available for purchase in February 2023.

Movements

Woodland Preludes includes 12 movements each ranging from 2-5 minutes in length, and with varying levels of difficulty across the suite. Difficulty levels range from early intermediate to advanced/professional, and the suite is designed to be used by the teaching pianist.

• Spring

  • dear flower, I do not know thy name

  • fog rolling off the harbor

  • skunk cabbage funk cabbage

• Summer

  • shooting stars through a field of dew damp grass

  • poison ivy is the devil

  • woodpecker on a hollow tree

• Fall

  • moonlight falling on pine needles

  • feu de camp tournant dans l’air du soir

  • raindrops on fall leaves

• Winter

  • chickadee chatter

  • petite waterfalls from late winter ice

  • quiet summit

Program Notes

Over the past year of musical isolation being unable to play violin in orchestras and chamber groups, I’ve turned to piano more and more. I find myself returning to the some of my favorite major prelude works in the repertoire - Chopin, Debussy, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin - and I’ve found myself wanting to write my own set of preludes. Woodland Preludes draws upon my time hiking, paddling, skiing, and running through the woods of New England.

Performances & Publication

Performances by the consortium pianists will be announced here soon! Check back in early 2022.

The full suite will be available for purchase beginning in February 2023.