Upper Grade (4+) Own Choice Works By Female Composers
In association with Dr Jodie Blackshaw (NSW) and Rachel Howley (QLD), the NBCA have collated a list of works by female composers, both Australian and international, for concert bands at Grade 4+ level and above. This list is intended to be a “one-stop shop” for conductors when looking for engaging works to select as Own Choices for Australian and State Contests. In addition to the names, length, and grade level, we have included links to online scores and recordings where available so you can see and hear these wonderful pieces of music. We also hope this list will support music selection boards across the country in finding works that can be used as Test Pieces for upcoming National and State Contests.
We have focussed only on Grade 4+ works as Dr Jodie Blackshaw already has a wonderful list of Grade 1-4 works by female composers for wind band on her website that can be accessed here. The Band Association of NSW are active in promoting Australian composers and publishers and has a comprehensive list on their website for you to browse Australian content. You can access the Composer & Publisher Databases here. More generally, there are a number of web-based resources on diversity in programming for you to consider, including searching for composers by nationality and gender at The Wind Repertory Project, ColourFULL Music, and the Institute for Composer Diversity.
This list is in its infancy, and we hope it continues to grow over the coming years. If you have suggestions of works you would like to see added, please contact us at the NBCA with details of the works so we can consider them for addition. We are hoping to broaden the list as well with a list of hymns and marches by female composers as well, to provide further options for bands at contests. We hope you take the time to listen and explore these wonderful works by female composers and hope to see a range of them selected as Own Choices in the coming years.
The table is fully sortable by clicking on the column headings. A recording of each work can be obtained by clicking on the title.
Composer |
Title |
Grade |
Australian |
Length |
Order Info |
Abbott, Katy (tr. Williams, Nick) |
Fast Ride in a Suave Machine |
TBA |
Yes |
07 mins |
TBA |
Abbott, Katy |
Jumeirah Jane |
4.5 |
Yes |
03 mins |
Order Info |
Archer, Kimberly |
American Labor Songs |
5 |
No |
19 mins |
Order Info |
Archer, Kimberly |
Common Threads |
6 |
No |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Barnett, Carol |
Cyprian Suite |
4 |
No |
16 mins |
Order Info |
Barnett, Carol |
Tirana |
4 |
No |
07 mins |
Order Info |
Baugher, Grace |
Crown and Collar |
4 |
No |
06 mins |
Order Info |
Baugher, Grace |
Mirage |
4.5 |
No |
07 mins |
Order Info |
Beaugeais, Katia |
First Light at Uluru |
5 |
Yes |
12 mins |
Order Info |
Bergman, Katherine |
Dream Machine |
4 |
No |
07 mins |
Order Info |
Bergman, Katherine |
Over Wild Solitude |
4 |
No |
07 mins |
Order Info |
Blackshaw, Jodie |
Soulström |
5 |
Yes |
17 mins |
Order Info |
Blackshaw, Jodie |
Symphony No. 1: "Leunig's Prayer Book" |
5/6 |
Yes |
26 mins |
Order Info |
Blackshaw, Jodie |
Twist |
5 |
Yes |
13 mins |
Order Info |
Bozone, Judy |
Spilled Orange |
5 |
No |
11 mins |
Order Info |
Bremer, Carolyn |
Early Light |
4 |
No |
05 mins |
Order Info |
Bronnenkant, Lindsay |
Tarot |
5 |
No |
16 mins |
Order Info |
Cheney, Lisa |
Turbulence |
6 |
Yes |
06 mins |
Order Info |
Coleman, Valerie |
Roma |
5 |
No |
07 mins |
Order Info |
Eötvös, Melody |
Two Brave Apples in Winter |
5 |
Yes |
06 mins |
Order Info |
Etezady, Roshanne |
Anahita |
5 |
No |
15 mins |
Order Info |
Etezady, Roshanne |
Milestone |
4 |
No |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Farrell, Claire L. |
From Fern Glade |
5 |
Yes |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Feery, Amanda |
Heartworm |
4 |
No |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Gardner, Alexandra |
Perseids |
4 |
No |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Giroux, Julie |
K2 |
4 |
No |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Giroux, Julie |
La Mezquita de Córdoba |
5 |
No |
12 mins |
Order Info |
Giroux, Julie |
Of Blood and Stone |
5 |
No |
10 mins |
Order Info |
Giroux, Julie |
Poseidon |
5 |
No |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Giroux, Julie |
Symphony No. 4: "Bookmarks from Japan" |
4/5/6 |
No |
20 mins |
Order Info |
Giroux, Julie |
The Speed of Heat |
6 |
No |
11 mins |
Order Info |
Greene, Joni |
Circean Waters |
6 |
No |
12 mins |
Order Info |
Greene, Joni |
Event Horizon |
5 |
No |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Greene, Joni |
The Moon Glistens |
5 |
No |
18 mins |
Order Info |
Griffin, Fran |
Port Arthur |
5 |
Yes |
20 mins |
Order Info |
Hanson, Shelley |
Islas Y Montañas |
4.5 |
No |
16 mins |
Order Info |
Harrison, Holly |
Splinter |
5 |
Yes |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Howard, Emily |
Deep Soul Diving |
4 |
No |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Jolley, Jennifer |
Motordom |
4 |
No |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Jolley, Jennifer |
Through the Looking Glass Falls |
5 |
No |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Larsen, Libby |
Concert Dances |
6 |
No |
16 mins |
Order Info |
Larsen, Libby |
Short Symphony |
6 |
No |
13 mins |
Order Info |
Larsen, Libby |
Strut |
6 |
No |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Likhuta, Catherine |
Home Away from Home |
4 |
Yes |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Likhuta, Catherine |
Me Disagrees |
5 |
Yes |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Likhuta, Catherine |
Planet B |
4 |
Yes |
07 mins |
Order Info |
Lopszyc, Eva Irene |
Winds of Love, Lands of Fire and Sea |
6 |
No |
28 mins |
Order Info |
Love, Karlin G. |
Musings on a Bach Sarabande |
4 |
Yes |
06 mins |
Order Info |
Maconchy, Elizabeth |
Music for Woodwind and Brass |
5 |
No |
10 mins |
Order Info |
McCune, Sally Lamb |
High Water Rising |
5 |
No |
09 mins |
Order Info |
McTee, Cindy |
Notezart |
5 |
No |
05 mins |
Order Info |
Murphy, Nicole |
Road Test |
4.5 |
Yes |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Murphy, Nicole |
Six |
4 |
Yes |
07 mins |
Order Info |
Nishimura, Cait |
Lake Superior Suite |
5 |
No |
19 mins |
Order Info |
Nishimura, Cait |
Night Light |
4 |
No |
11 mins |
Order Info |
Nishimura, Yukiko |
Bright Moon |
5 |
No |
13 mins |
Order Info |
Pankhurst, Lucy |
The Elder Futhark |
5 |
No |
11 mins |
TBA |
Piunno, Nicole |
Beauty Broken |
5 |
No |
10 mins |
Order Info |
Piunno, Nicole |
Catharsis |
5.5 |
No |
10 mins |
Order Info |
Piunno, Nicole |
Through Wind and Whispers |
6 |
No |
14 mins |
Order Info |
Primiani, Leanna |
Glass Ceiling |
6 |
No |
14 mins |
Order Info |
Primiani, Leanna |
Sirens |
6 |
No |
11 mins |
Order Info |
Salfelder, Kathryn |
Shadows Ablaze |
5 |
No |
08 mins |
Order Info |
Salfelder, Kathryn |
Ungrounded Base |
5 |
No |
09 mins |
Order Info |
Williams, Natalie |
Pendulum |
5 |
Yes |
07 mins |
Order Info |