Selected orchestral and brass works for Orchestral Learning & Engagement settings
“I write music that is virtuosic for the performer, whilst simultaneously being accessible for people who do not normally attend classical music concerts.”
Dr Katy Abbott
At a Glance
| Work | Year | Duration | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchestra | |||
| The Peasant Prince | 2009 | 30 mins | 5–12+ years or family concerts |
| Introduced Species | 2014 | 18 mins | 15–18 years (or wider high school) |
| Carmen Vitae: Orchestral Fanfare | 2000 | 4 mins | Side by side concerts or school concerts |
| Fast Ride In A Suave Machine | 2006 / arr. 2020 | 7 mins | Side by Side or schools concerts |
| Brass Ensemble | |||
| Punch | 2014 | 2:20 mins | Schools/Family or Touring |
| Fanfare For The Melancholy | 2021 | 4:30 mins | Schools/Family or Touring |
Perusal scores are available, Score and Parts are available for all works. Please be in contact to discuss anything, as there are multiple resources for all works.
Orchestra
The Peasant Prince
- Instrumentation
- Narr. + Orchestra: 1.1.1.1. 2.1.1.1. Timp + 2. Hp. 10.8.6.4.2 (suggested strength)
- Level of Difficulty
- Professional
- Audience
- 5 – 12 years
- Detailed Information
- katyabbott.com/portfolio-items/featured-the-peasant-prince
- Main Themes (audio)
- SoundCloud — main themes
- Score and parts available
- go.katyabbott.com/peasant-prince-orchestra
Education Resource Documents
The Peasant Prince is often programmed for a 45- 50-minute school and/or family concert. The score is both a powerful story and also, a rich resource for musical exploration for younger and older students.
Introduced Species
- Instrumentation
- Orchestra: 1.1.2 Sax.1. 1.1.1.0. Timp + 2. Hp. 10.8.6.4.2 (suggested strength)
- Level of Difficulty
- Professional
- Audience
- 15 – 18 years (12-18 years, plus
- Detailed Information
- katyabbott.com/portfolio-items/featured-introduced-species
- Main Themes (audio)
- SoundCloud — excerpts
- Score and parts available
- go.katyabbott.com/introduced-species-orchestra
Education Resource Documents
Written with secondary and youth audiences in mind. Cross-curricular possibilities with Science and Art. Even Food Tech! A 35+ resource Composer analysis, process diary and composition activities is available for free from the detailed information page. A perfect work for ‘pulling apart’ before an audience, illuminating themes, orchestral instruments and how the composer embeds conceptual frameworks.
Orchestra continued
Carmen Vitae: Orchestral Fanfare
- Instrumentation
- Large Orchestra (including opt. saxophones).
- Level of Difficulty
- University/College+
- Audio Excerpts
- SoundCloud
- Score and parts available
- Australian Music Centre
Note: A wind band edition is also available. Arranged by Paul de Cinque, 2024 (Western Australia Conservatorium of Music). Available soon.
A four-minute curtain-raiser for Side by Side concerts — such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with the Sydney Youth Orchestra — where students sit beside professional players. Celebratory, immediate, and short enough to rehearse inside a single call. It also stands on its own. Melodies are layered over each other and passed around the orchestra.
Fast Ride In A Suave Machine
- Instrumentation
- Orchestra: 3.2.3.2. 4.3.3.1. Timp + 2. 10.8.6.4.2. (arr. 2020 Stanke)
- Level of Difficulty
- University/College+
- More Information
- katyabbott.com/orchestral
- Audio Excerpts
- SoundCloud (wind symphony version)
- Video Recording
- YouTube (wind band edition)
- Score and parts available
- Australian Music Centre
Note: A wind band edition is also available. Arranged by conductor Nicholas Enrico Williams.
A syncopated, high-energy work. Also available for Wind Band.
Brass Ensemble
Punch
- Instrumentation
- Brass Ensemble + Timpani
- Level of Difficulty
- University/College+
- Detailed Information
- katyabbott.com/portfolio-items/punch-featured-work (including audio)
- Audio Recording
- Spotify
- Score and parts available
- go.katyabbott.com/punch-brass-ensemble
‘Thank you for your astonishing music. Can’t stop listening to it!’Principal Trumpet player, USA
Two minutes of brass at full tilt. A concert opener or first thing after interval or encore. Pairs well with Fanfare For The Melancholy to bookend a program. Orchestras often program Punch on regional tours, in series concerts, or in educational settings to highlight brass sections.
Fanfare For The Melancholy
- Instrumentation
- Brass Ensemble
- Level of Difficulty
- University/College+
- Recording
- Sydney Symphony Brass — SoundCloud
- Score and parts available
- go.katyabbott.com/fanfare-melancholy-brass
Note: Punch and Fanfare For The Melancholy are companion pieces and can be programmed individually or together (often at either end of a concert program or opening each half of a concert).
The reflective and rich counterweight to Punch often is programmed to open or close a concert. It has inherent energy but is more subversive in nature.
Let’s open a conversation
Please be in contact to discuss any of these works. There are multiple resources available for all of them.
Dr Katy Abbott illuminates and inspires the heart of us.
A musical master storyteller, she is forensically curious about what makes us tick, using music to tell stories of heart and courage. Her work is performed around the world, with recent highlights including her role as 2024 Composer-in-Residence for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and her acclaimed Hidden Thoughts Series.
Her orchestral and chamber works, such as The Peasant Prince, Punch and Glisten, are staples of the Australian and North American repertoire. An Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, she has released five solo albums on ABC Classics and Move Records.
- Role
- Composer, Educator, Mentor
Honorary Senior Fellow, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. - Website
- katyabbott.com
- Full catalogue
- katyabbott.com/compositions
- contact@katyabbott.com
Scores, parts, perusal scores and education resource documents for these works are available on request. Full archival or released recordings and professional video are available for most works. Please ask.
