new publications
Invisible Angels
NP027-2404 | SATB | 16pp | $2.65
The third and most recent of Kilstofte’s ongoing Rilke series, “Invisible Angels” transforms Rilke’s lament over grief and betrayal into a hope-filled message of defiance and resolve in the face of adversity and injustice. Dedicated to the memory of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Commissioned by the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Durham and premiered in Duke University Chapel under the direction of Rodney Wynkoop. Finalist in the Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir's Call for Compositions 2024.
Now available! Listen/Watch
Everyone's Voice
NP027-2308 | TTBB | 16pp | $2.50
ALL SALES BENEFIT UKRAINIAN RELIEF EFFORTS. Based on a text by WW1-era poet Siegfried Sassoon and completed as the recent invasion of Ukraine began, this moving work is both a paean to choral singing and a tribute to the never-ending song arising from the trenches of warfare. Commissioned by the Greenville Chorale. TTBB version commissioned by Thea Kano and the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington. Selected from nearly 500 entries in VOCORE's recent call for scores.
Available later this summer!
Here
NP027-2306 | SSA & violoncello | 10pp | $2.25
"Here" (drawn from Kilstofte’s song cycle “The White Album") features Erica Funkhouser’s touching description of the limbo state that lies at the crossroads of a vanishing past and an uncertain future. Lush harmonies swing from moment to lingering moment in this beautiful, arresting setting for women’s voices and ‘cello obbligato. Premiered by the Smith College Chamber Singers under the direction of Jonathan Hirsch.
Print version available later this summer! (Digital download now available from J.W. Pepper.)
Everyone's Voice
NP027-2203 | SATB | 16pp | $2.50
ALL SALES BENEFIT UKRAINIAN RELIEF EFFORTS. Based on a text by WW1-era poet Siegfried Sassoon and completed as the recent invasion of Ukraine began, this moving work is both a paean to choral singing and a tribute to the never-ending song arising from the trenches of warfare. Commissioned by the Greenville Chorale. Selected from nearly 500 entries in VOCORE's recent call for scores.
Now available! Listen/Watch
Enfold Us
NP010-2102 | SATB | 12pp | $2.25
Composed and premiered (virtually) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, this stunning work begins with a set of slowly rising entreaties seeking guidance and assurance from an encompassing “source of the cosmos.” Lyric lines merge with deep, resonant harmonies to describe the glories and dangers of creation, and to offer refuge and rootedness in the midst of uncertain times. Commissioned by Sweden's Petri Sångare. Finalist in Voces Caelestium's 2022 call for scores and the inaugural Festival of New American Music call for scores. "A beautiful motet." — Philip Brunelle, The American Organist
What You Dream
NP027-2211 | SATB | 12pp | $2.25
The second of Kilstofte’s Rilke settings, “What You Dream” enfolds Mitchell’s utterly lyrical translation within a serene music, evoking a world of sleep, dreams and stars. The text and the music’s gentle rocking motive are ultimately transformed into a statement of power and glory, transcendence and wonder. Commissioned by the Young Harris College Friends of the Arts and premiered by the YHC Choirs under the direction of Jeffrey Bauman.
Print version available soon!
Through the Waters
NP010-1012 | SATB/opt sop solo | 12pp | $1.85
Drawn from the oratorio “Of Rivers Within,” this simple, soaring chorale underscores the immutable promise, “I will be with you" (Isaiah 43:2-3a) and concludes with words of assurance uttered tenderly by what seems a still small voice. The stand-alone anthem can be sung by SATB choir and/or with optional soprano solo. Both versions are included. Commissioned by the Greenville Chorale.
Sol La Fanfare
NP010-1010 | SATB/opt drum kit | 16pp | $1.95
A post-minimalist exploration of solfeggio written to celebrate the inauguration of Furman University's 11th president, Rodney (“Sol-La”) Smolla. Smooth, syncopated ostinatos and repeated cells generate a series of grooves that will leave the audience head-bobbing long after the music fades to a close. Optional drum kit.
Missa L'Homme on the Range: Agnus Dei
NP010-1102 | SATBB or SATTB | 16pp | $1.95
A clever, stylistically accurate mash-up of the popular 15th-century “L’Homme armé” melody (in the upper voices) and the ever-popular “Home on the Range” (in the bass). Premiered by the San Francisco Choral Artists and dedicated to Renaissance scholars Charlotte Smith, F. Marian Walker and Glenn Watkins. “Its comic title aside, Mr. Kilstofte … captures the sound and spirit of 16th-century polyphony beautifully.” — Allan Kozinn, The New York Times
Caritas
NP010-1506 | SATB | 8pp | $2.10
Glassy harmonies shimmer in this evocative piece for a cappella choir. The use of the single Latin word "caritas" throughout creates a setting reminiscent of a tone poem about the overcoming and unifying power of love. Slowly moving harmonies create clusters and consonances that present both valuable instructional material for choral tone, balance, and blend as well as a stellar piece for a moving performance.
To Music
NP008-0906 | SATB | 12pp | $2.20
Based on Stephen Mitchell’s exquisite translation of Rilke’s “An die Musik,” Kilstofte’s setting of this evocative poem emphasizes stasis, timelessness, the infinite — “Music that is in us and of us, but beyond us,” the composer says — through its sweeping lines and rich, luminous sonorities. Awarded Honorable Mention in the RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition. “[A] piece couched in gentle, strikingly beautiful chordal textures.” — Allan Kozinn, The New York Times
This Amazing Day
NP010-1009 | SATB | 8pp | $1.65
Its brevity and its expressions of thanks make this work perfect for ceremonies and formal occasions of all kinds — graduations, confirmations, installations, dedications, etc. — and to convene or close large gatherings. Commissioned to celebrate the inauguration of Rodney Smolla as Furman University's 11th president and premiered by the Furman Singers.
Come to Him
NP009-1003 | SATB/acc | 8pp | $1.85
This work’s simple invocation (based on 1 Peter 2:4-5a) makes it suitable as a call to worship, introit, gospel procession and/or choral anthem, as well as for specific observances such as confirmation, baptism, etc. — nearly any situation in which individuals are invited to gather in community. See the 5th Sunday of Easter (Year A). Written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Trinity Lutheran Church, Greenville, South Carolina.
Lulla for Christmastide
NP006-0210 | SATB | 8pp | $1.75
This perennial favorite is now back in print! Modal cadences and harmonies give the music — a simple setting of a simple song that the Virgin Mary might have sung to her newborn baby — a Renaissance quality. The second stanza hints at the incarnation through a dramatic melodic descent on the words “To visit us who were forlorn.” Awarded Honourable Mention in the Amadeus Choir’s Christmas Carol and Chanukah Song Competition.
A Prayer
NP006-0211 | SATB | 8pp | $1.65
Commissioned in honor of David Emory Shi’s inauguration as Furman University’s 10th president. The text, by John Drinkwater, seeks collective direction and resolve: “Grant us the will … the strength … the purpose … to strike the [hammer] blow.” Suitable for ceremonies and solemn occasions of all kinds — graduations, installations, confirmations, dedications, etc. — and to convene or close large civic gatherings. Premiered by the Furman Singers.
Listen/Watch (coming soon)
Oh, David
NP088-2304 | string quartet | 16pp |
Drawn from Kilstofte’s award-winning string quartet, this hypnotic piece is both a lullaby and dirge lamenting the untimely death of conductor/violist David O’Dell. A viola solo emerges from the backdrop of muted strings at the reprise — lyric, ambling, sometimes quivering — flowing quietly beneath the texture above. As this melody reaches its conclusion, the violist tunes his C string to B natural – a final nod, a last goodbye — the lowest pitch of the entire work. "The contours of Kilstofte's string writing and the quivering lamentation of the work's slow movement suggest a sound world descended from the Bartók String Quartets." — Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe
Print version available soon!
Oh, Leslie
NP027-2304 | cello/piano | 16pp |
Coming soon!
The White Album
NP010-1910 | voice/pno | 28pp | $27.95
Kilstofte's new song cycle, "The White Album," might appear to be Beatles-related (or even Didion-esque), but in reality has everything to do with the themes — love, loss, life and death — of the poems (by Americans Mark Strand, James Merrill, Linda Pastan, Erica Funkhouser and Nancy Willard) it contains, all of which make mention of the unifying color white. Commissioned by Harvard's Fromm Music Foundation and premiered by Jacquelyn Stucker and Finnegan Downie Dear at London's Royal Opera House. Also available for voice and chamber ensemble.
Ballistic Etude 3.1
Pierrot+perc | 38pp | rental
A nonstop thriller whose plot lies at the crossroads of the Orpheus legend and the Hollywood chase scene. Action starts when our hero attempts to flee on his own terms and ends up pursued, and ultimately overtaken, by a band of underworld thugs. Cast in the form of a caccia (a 14th-century hunting genre), sound-the-alarm passages alternate with others whose melodic lines nip at each other’s heels. Premiered by Igor Dronov and Moscow's Studio for New Music and dedicated to the memory of composer William Albright. Winner of Latitude 49's 2016 Call for Scores. Also available for band or wind ensemble.
The White Album
NP010-1612 | voice/Pierrot+perc | 52pp | rental
Kilstofte's new song cycle, "The White Album," might appear to be Beatles-related (or even Didion-esque), but in reality has everything to do with the themes — love, loss, life and death — of the poems (by Americans Mark Strand, James Merrill, Linda Pastan, Erica Funkhouser and Nancy Willard) it contains, all of which make mention of the unifying color white. Commissioned by Harvard's Fromm Music Foundation and premiered by Karol Bennett and the Houston-based new music collective, Musiqa. Finalist in the 2024 RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition. Also available for voice and piano.
Inner Voices
NP010-2003a | oboe solo | 8pp | $16.95
Commissioned in memory of renowned oboist and pedagogue John Mack, the work's title hints at the way influential teachers can shape their students' internal dialogues. Cast in two movements, the first (Ricercare doloroso) employs a searching motive generated from the dates of Mack's tenure with the Cleveland Orchestra; the second (Turkey Trot) is a hilarious romp inspired by the legendary story of the dancing turkey. Premiered by Petrea Warneck at the IDRS National Conference. Texas Prescribed Music List (Grade 1).
Inner Voices
NP010-2003b | Eb or Bb sax solo | 8pp | $16.95
Commissioned in memory of renowned oboist and pedagogue John Mack, the work's title hints at the way influential teachers can shape their students' internal dialogues. Cast in two movements, the first (Ricercare doloroso) employs a searching motive generated from the dates of Mack's tenure with the Cleveland Orchestra; the second (Turkey Trot) is a hilarious romp inspired by the legendary story of the dancing turkey.
Sentinels
NP010-2004a | trumpet duet | 4pp | $14.95
A solemn fanfare inspired by the mensural advances of the early Renaissance and the terrifying events of 9/11. As the composer states, "The image ever-imposed before my mind's eye was that of two towering, isolated individuals — shadow figures in some tragic sense — no doubt invoked by the attacks on the World Trade Center." "An excellent short work for two trumpets. Look no further for a concert opener or fanfare … for civic type events." — Luis Engelke, International Trumpet Guild Journal / "Sentinels … is extremely well done. Repeated hearings reveal something new and fresh." — Douglas Wilson, International Trumpet Guild Journal
Sonata
NP037-0006a | alto sax/piano | 60pp | $33.95 (set)
Now a staple of contemporary saxophone repertoire, the four movements of Kilstofte's Sonata imply a Baroque sensibility served with a [post-]modern twist. Its infamous Recitative (featuring metronome obbligato, prepared piano, slap-tongue effects and "Rapstimme") will have your listeners bustin' a move. A tour-de-force for the advanced player. Commissioned by the Ambassador Duo and premiered at the XI World Saxophone Congress.
You [unfolding]
NP010-1912a | cello solo | 8pp | $18.95
Written for and dedicated to the composer's wife, this deeply moving solo work depicts the gradual unfolding of personality occurring during and through their exchange of handwritten letters. Cast in expanding variations form, the piece is infused with the lyricism and polyphonic spirit of Bach's cello suites. Commissioned by Theodore Antoniou and Boston's Alea III.
You [unfolding]
NP010-1912b | violin solo | 8pp | $18.95
Written for and dedicated to the composer's wife, this deeply moving solo work depicts the gradual unfolding of personality occurring during and through their exchange of handwritten letters. Cast in expanding variations form, the piece is infused with the lyricism and polyphonic spirit of Bach's solo sonatas and partitas. Commissioned by Theodore Antoniou and Boston's Alea III. Now available for violin solo.
You [unfolding]
NP010-1912c | viola solo | 8pp | $18.95
Written for and dedicated to the composer's wife, this deeply moving solo work depicts the gradual unfolding of personality occurring during and through their exchange of handwritten letters. Cast in expanding variations form, the piece is infused with the lyricism and polyphonic spirit of Bach's cello suites. Commissioned by Theodore Antoniou and Boston's Alea III. Now available for viola solo.
Recurring Dreams: Variations for Orchestra
3333/4331/timp/3perc/hp/pno/strings | 68pp | rental
Inspired by dreams of discovering ever-larger spaces in his cramped Ann Arbor apartment, this powerful work features eight REM-related variations framed by an introductory berceuse and closing slumber song. Winner of the ASCAP Foundation’s Rudolf Nissim Award and the Louisville Orchestra Composition Competition. “Kilstofte writes in an accessible but aggressive style, his Romantic-tinged harmonies undergirded by a tough, square-cut neominimalist rhythmic pulse. All I wanted was to hear it again." — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
Zero to 60
3333/4331/timp/3perc/hp/pno/strings | 48pp | rental
This exciting opener has been described as "a 'Short Ride in a Fast Machine’ meets NASCAR.” Commissioned by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra to celebrate its 60th anniversary, the work also salutes the Upstate’s long association with the automobile, from moonshine runners to Michelin. A rumbling, roaring “hot mess” from start — "Flat out, with fifths of fury" — to finish. Available soon for band!
Ballistic Etude 3.0
Wind ensemble | 60pp | rental
A nonstop thriller whose plot lies at the crossroads of the Orpheus legend and the Hollywood chase scene. Action starts when our hero attempts to flee on his own terms and ends up pursued, and ultimately overtaken, by a band of underworld thugs. Cast in the form of a caccia (a 14th-century hunting genre), sound-the-alarm passages alternate with others whose melodic lines nip at each other’s heels. Winner of Coups de Vents’ Prix Henri Selmer-Paris. Commissioned by the University of Michigan Symphony Band and dedicated to the memory of composer William Albright. Also available for chamber ensemble.
Listen