Infinity (2024) - for Trombone Sextet
$20.00
Infinity is a piece for trombone ensemble (sextet) commissioned by the KC Trombone Workshop in the Spring of 2024. Infinity is dedicated to loved ones of all kinds. I am fortunate to have loving parents, an amazing sister, and a wonderful extended family, all of whom have supported me in many ways throughout my music career. The title of the piece is directly inspired by my parents, who frequently told me “I love you infinity” when I was a young child. I encourage performers to think of someone (or something) they care for deeply when playing Infinity and channel that warmth and love into the music.
Duration: Approx. 5 minutes 45 seconds
Difficulty: 2/5
Format: PDF score and parts (TTTTBB)
Copyright © 2024 Ian Lester
OVERDRIVE (2023) - for Tuba Quartet
$20.00
OVERDRIVE is an energetic work for tuba quartet commissioned by Brendan Ige and the Low Key Tuba Quartet in the Fall of 2023. The objective with OVERDRIVE was to create a challenging, engaging, and exciting new work for tuba quartet that highlights the strengths and abilities of the commissioning ensemble’s members but is also accessible to other advanced quartets.
OVERDRIVE consists of four main sections. The first “With fire” introductory segment begins with an immediately intense motive in the euphoniums before being joined by powerful, more sustained melodic content in the tubas. The second section, notated as “Mechanical”, provides an abrupt switch to machine-like motives in mixed meter and features the euphonium in two brief, distinct solos. The third “Lush” section features tuba 1 with a flowing and expressive solo mostly accompanied by euphonium 2 who traverses between the low and pedal range (A-flat 2 down to pedal A-flat) at soft dynamics. The final “Barn Burning!” section takes the introductory material and turns up the intensity meter up to 100. At a faster tempo of quarter note equals circa 156, this final segment flies by with all four parts navigating between highly technical passages and huge interjectory hits in the low/pedal registers. The piece ends with a climactic restatement of the opening motive and intense “rips” in the euphoniums and tuba 2 to a final open-fifths power chord.
Duration: Approx. 6 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 4.5/5
Format: PDF score and parts (EETT) and WAV file of a reference recording performed by the Low Key Tuba Quartet
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
First-foot (2023) - for Euphonium, Tuba, and Piano
$25.00
**Winner of the 2023 North Texas I.T.E.A. Composition Competition**
In Scottish, Northern English, and Manx folklore, the First-foot is the first person to enter one’s household on New Year’s Day and is seen as a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. First-foot was inspired by this tradition which is still practiced in Scotland, the Isle of Man, and various parts of Northern England. I appropriately began composing this piece on New Year’s Day of 2023 after stumbling across the Wikipedia page on First-footing through one of my favorite Instagram accounts, Depths of Wikipedia. I immediately knew that this work should be optimistic and exciting, reflective of my own feelings beginning the new year. Written in an ABCA form, First-foot begins with a grooving, celebratory piano motive in the right hand before being joined by an even groovier, syncopated bass line melody in the left hand. These two initial statements are the musical foundation for the entire work. The tuba and euphonium soon enter with interlocking melodic material, with each instrument taking turns having the lead and emerging from the chaotic texture. A reflective and quieter B section follows, as if one is reminiscing on the highs and lows of the previous year. An anxious, metrically unstable C section follows, with almost every measure switching meter. This segment represents the widely-known feeling of anxiety when realizing there might be financial, personal, work related, or other issues still unresolved from the previous year. However, the piece ends with a recapitulation of the optimistic A section (with slight alterations and changes), which represents setting New Year’s resolutions and improving oneself.
Duration: Approx. 6 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF piano score and parts (euphonium, tuba)
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
Release the Beast! (2023) - for Trombone Sextet
$30.00
**Runner up for the 2024 International Trombone Association Composition Competition**
Release the Beast! is a programmatic work that was commissioned by the KC Trombone Workshop in early 2023. Release the Beast! portrays an apocalyptic scenario in which a gigantic creature (the titular Beast) emerges from beneath the Earth’s surface, destroying the planet as a result. The piece is in ternary form (ABA) with a brief coda at the end. Each section represents a different stage of the Beast destroying Earth:
A Section: Marked “Surging”, this portion of the work symbolizes the Beast surging up from the Earth’s core almost 2,000 miles below a high rate of speed, getting closer and closer to the surface…
B Section: Marked “Ethereal, Slowly”, the Beast has now breached the Earth’s surface and has all of humanity staring at the massive creature in shock and awe. I aimed to convey through music what it must feel like seeing something so incomprehensibly large rise from the Earth.
A Section (reprise) and Coda: This recapitulation of the original material and the “Faster” coda at the end represent the panic and chaos of people scrambling to figure out how to escape their impending doom before a powerful fff tutti B-flat in octaves signifies the final explosion of Earth.
**The extended version of Release the Beast! for trombone octet is also included. This version named the runner up for the 2024 ITA composition competition.
Sextet duration: Approx. 4 minutes 15 seconds
Octet duration: 5 minutes
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF Score and parts of both sextet and octet version and reference MP3 files of both versions:
Sextet version (4 tenors, 2 basses)
Octet version (6 tenors, 2 basses)
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
Carrickfergus (2022) - Arranged for Euphonium Trio
$15.00
A setting for three euphoniums of the Gorgeous Irish folk song of the same title. In this arrangement, the main melody gets passed around between the three performers before increasing in speed and intensity with a British Brass Band-inspired "Joyous" development section. The piece ends with an ethereal restatement of the main melody.
Duration: Approx. 4 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3)
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
Duration: Approx. 4 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3)
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
NGC 7320 (2023) - for Tuba Quartet
$20.00
NGC 7320 was written for Dr. Lee Harrelson and the UMKC Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble in early 2023. NGC 7320 is a spiral galaxy located within a group of galaxies called Stephan’s Quintet but is not considered a true member of the quintet due to it being further away than the rest of the Quintet’s galaxies. I was inspired to write this work after learning about Stephan’s quintet from my friend Evan. The piece gives NGC 7320 a personality; given its exclusion from the Quintet, it is lonely and unheard, eventually becoming angry and resentful at the other galaxies, culminating in a gigantic cosmic storm. This storyline is depicted through a slow pondering A section with SATB, choral-like melodic and harmonic writing, and an opposing aggressive, angular B section in 12/8 time with clashing harmonies, driving rhythms, and bombastic melodies.
Duration: Approx. 5-6 minutes
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF Score and parts - Tuba/Euphonium Quartet (EETT)
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS (2023) - for Euphonium Trio
$25.00
EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS is a challenging three-movement work for euphonium trio that was inspired by three European tunnels that traverse through gorgeous landscapes and scenery:
I. The Gotthard Base Tunnel (Switzerland): With a route length of 35.5 miles, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the world’s longest railway tunnel. The Gotthard Base Tunnel runs through the Swiss Alps. This magnitude and beauty of the Alps is conveyed through exciting and angular melodic and rhythmic material, mixed meter, and metric modulation.
II. Halnaker Tree Tunnel (England): While only 1.5 miles long, the Halnaker Tree Tunnel (Mill Lane) in West Sussex, England is a footpath that has sunken down over the years, leading the surrounding lines of trees to curve over the path. The resulting scenery looks like it came right out of a fairy tale. Dreamy textures and melodies and polyrhythms portray the magic of this tunnel.
III. Combe Laval (France): Combe Laval is an 18.56-mile-long road with a series of tunnels carved into the cliffs of the French Alps tucked away in Southeastern France. An energetic, polyrhythmic introduction leads into heroic solo passages and a driving finale.
Duration: Approx. 7 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty 4/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3)
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
Bull Shark Blitz (2023) - for Euphonium Trio
$15.00
Bull Shark Blitz is a brief, intermediate-level work for three euphoniums written for the Fountain of Euph trio. The piece is inspired by the true story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks, where between July 1st and 11th of 1916, five people were attacked by what is thought to possibly have been a lone bull shark. Bull Shark Blitz consists of an unrelenting underlying pulse with hints of the theme music from Jaws before ending with several surging chords.
Duration: Approx. 2 minutes
Difficulty 1.5/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3), reference MP3 file
Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester
CYCLES (2022) for Tuba (or Euphonium) and Vibraphone
$30.00
CYCLES is the result of a consortium for tuba and vibraphone (and a version for euphonium and vibraphone) written in memory of Dr. Doug Whitten, professor of tuba and euphonium at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. The consortium was led by tubist and former student of Doug, Johnathan De Soto Jr. CYCLES consists of two movements. The first movement, “The Gifts that Life Brings”, was inspired by the stories I was told by those who knew Doug, describing him as kind, accepting, selfless, loving, among many other things. This movement also represents Doug’s love for tuba, and music in general, by revolving around an ethereal chord progression and melody that develops and transforms over time. The second movement, “Embrace the Grind” is up-tempo and energetic, representing Doug’s love for cycling and roller derby. It also contains a slower, more flowing B section, as if momentarily stopping a cycle ride to admire the beautiful Kansan sunset.
Duration: Approx. 9 minutes
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Format:
- PDF score and parts for the tuba and vibraphone version
- PDF score and parts for the euphonium and vibraphone version
Consortium members:
Johnathan De Soto Jr. (Lead Commissioner)
Armando Alicandu, Beau Bedane, Dr. AJ Beu, Phillip Black, Josh and Lauren Calkin, Jason Casanova, Andrea Dinkel, Devon Ellicott, Nate Gay, David Kutz, Drew Leslie, Blake Lile, Christopher Lynch, Cooper Neil, Allen Parrish, Edward Shaw, Jared Sherman, Tom Stein, North Texas Chapter of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, Richard Watson, Randy Westmoreland, Catcher Whitten
Special thanks to Jim Clanton and Martin Mendez for their vibraphone knowledge and expertise.
Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester
Against All Odds (2022)- for Euphonium Trio
$20.00
Against All Odds was written for the Troubled Euphs euphonium trio in late 2022. The work was inspired by the many cases throughout history of people surviving the seemingly un-survivable. Two specific instances that came to mind were the separate stories of Kamel Abdel Rahman and Phineas Gage. Both were impaled through the head in horrific accidents yet survived against all odds.
Duration: Approx. 5 minutes
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3)
Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester
Erlkönig (2022) - Arranged for Euphonium Trio
$20.00
Franz Schubert’s well-known lied is based off of the poem Erlkönig by Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe. The story depicts a father riding through a forest on horseback carrying his son home. The son repeatedly complains of the Erlkönig or Elf King who is whispering to him, trying to take him away, but the father suggests what the son is experiencing is only the wind and “old grey willow gleaming”. By the time the father realizes what is truly happening, it is too late. The son dies in his arms, having been taken by the Erlkönig.
As a self-proclaimed fan of horror and all things spooky, I have always adored this composition for its ominous tone, story, and sound, as well as its use of text painting. Here, I have arranged Erlkönig for three euphoniums. The iconic eighth note triplets originally in the piano part representing the galloping horse are present throughout the entire work, constantly being passed around between all three euphoniums. The roles of father, son, and Erlkönig are also passed around the ensemble, with expressive markings indicating which character is speaking.
Duration: Approx. 4 minutes
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3)
Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester
LIMINAL SPACES (2022) - for Tuba/Euphonium Octet (EEEETTTT)
$30.00
**WINNER OF THE 2023 ITEA R. WINSTON MORRIS COMPOSITION AWARD**
LIMINAL SPACES is a challenging work for tuba/euphonium octet written in early 2022 for Thomas Stein and the UMKC Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble. Liminal spaces are often described as unsettling, yet nostalgic locations frozen in time that are transitions between two other places, realms, or states of being. This work consists of five distinct movements, each inspired by a specific picture (included in score) that conjures up the feeling of liminality.
Duration: Approx. 10 minutes
Difficulty: 4.5/5
Format: PDF Score and parts - Tuba/Euphonium Octet (EEEETTTT)
Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester
Mental Pendulum (2022) - for Brass Trio (Trumpet in B-flat, French Horn, Trombone)
$30.00
**Winner of the 2022 UMKC Composition Competition**
Mental Pendulum was written in early 2022 for the Factory Seconds Brass Trio. Drawing inspiration from the composer's personal experience with bipolar disorder, this piece depicts the emotional instability and mood swings associated with the ailment and the struggle to manage these symptoms. The work is a cycle of five contrasting sections, each representing certain moods:
I. Hyper, Relentless
II. Calm, Reflective
III. Furious, Impulsive
IV. Distraught, Inconsolable
V. Joyous, Content
Duration: Approx. 12 minutes
Difficulty 4/5
Format: PDF Score and Parts (Trumpet in B-flat, Horn in F, Trombone)
Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester
Beautiful Destruction (2022) - for 2 Euphoniums or Trombones and Piano
$20.00
Beautiful Destruction (originally written in 2018 and heavily revised in 2022) is a programmatic work for two euphoniums or trombones and piano that attempts to show both the beautiful and destructive powers of our planet. The work consists of two movements. The first movement “Mother Nature” makes up most of the piece (about 4 minutes) and represents the overwhelming beauty of Earth with soaring melodies and calming motives, and the second, “Fury” is meant to be a brief flurry of non-stop forward momentum that conveys the chaos and devastation that can result from natural disasters through driving tempos and rhythms and frequently changing meter. Throughout the work, the two soloists and the pianist all have equally parts, trading off the soaring melodies of the first movement and the rapid-fire passages in the second movement.
Duration: Approx. 6 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 2.5/5
Format: PDF Score and Parts (2 Euphoniums or Trombones, Piano)
Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester
LAKEWAVES (2021) - for C Trumpet, Drum Set, and Piano
$20.00
LAKEWAVES was written in 2021 for the SPLICE Ensemble and was premiered in November of 2021 for the UMKC Composer's Guild Concert. Drawing inspiration from the composer's time spent at his family cottage on Lake Huron in Lexington, Michigan. The work consists of two contrasting movements, the first representing the still, clear water early in the morning via various tuplets, feathered beaming, trills, and various rising and falling musical elements. The second section portrays the rough waters and waves during a thunderstorm over the lake through driving rhythms, thunderous dynamics, and changing meters. The piece ends with a recap of the lightly flowing calm waters.
Duration: Approx. 6 minutes
Difficulty: 4/5
Format: PDF Score and Parts (Trumpet in C, Piano, Drum Set)
Copyright © 2021 Ian Lester
Summer Night, Winter Storm (2021) - for Flute, Violin, Guitar, and Euphonium
$20.00
Summer Night, Winter Storm was written for and premiered at the 2021 UMKC Composers Guild Concert by a small contemporary ensemble consisting of the following members: Giuseppe Junior Gallo-Balma Etes (flute), Michael MacLaughlin (violin), Ian Lester (euphonium), and Pat Owen-Leary (guitar).
The piece consists of two main ideas. The first is a slow plaintive section representing the charm of a breezy summer night with lush textures and interlocking rhythms creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The second idea conveys a chaotic winter snowstorm, beginning with a flurry of fugue-like passages that are interrupted by the "Summer Night" material, which refers to the "false spring" the Midwest United States often experiences. The storm then returns, growing in intensity by way of a semi-improvised guitar solo. The work ends with the blizzard reaching its maximum power. To match the dynamics of the other instruments, it is recommended that the acoustic guitar be amplified for performances of this work.
Duration: Approx. 8 minutes 15 seconds
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Format: PDF Score and Parts (Flute, Euphonium or Trombone, Violin, Acoustic Guitar)
Copyright © 2021 Ian Lester
Two Vignettes for String Quartet (2021)
$25.00
Two Vignettes consists of two distinct, programmatic movements. The first movement "Memories Lost" dives into the mind of an individual suffering from dementia, gradually losing the memories they cherish the most. It begins with a still, barren landscape, as if a memory has already begun to fade. The first violin then provides the main thematic material while the remaining three voices ominously haunt from below. After an emotional climax, the movement ends where it began, with faded memories. The second movement "Demon Dance" is an aggressive, angular, rapid-fire dance drawing inspiration from the second movement of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8. Constantly spinning between unison and syncopated rhythms, and jagged, virtuosic passages passed between the four voices, "Demon Dance" is a continuous burst of deranged energy.
Duration: Approx. 8 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF Score and Parts (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello)
Copyright © 2021 Ian Lester
Bullet Train (2021) - for Euphonium Trio
$20.00
The bullet train system, or Shinkansen, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan first opening in 1964. With a maximum operating speed of 200 mph, and even faster speeds achieved in test runs, bullet trains are certainly an impressive example of technological advancements and innovation of transportation. Bullet Train for euphonium trio begins with a sparsely orchestrated introduction, representing the train sitting idle at the station. The momentum quickly picks up in pace with polyrhythms and interlocking melodic lines. The fast tempo and driving nature of the piece continue non-stop all the way until the final chord.
Duration: Approx. 4 minutes
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3)
Copyright © 2021 Ian Lester
INFERNO (2020) - for Brass Quintet
$15.00
INFERNO is a brief, fast-paced work for brass quintet inspired by the terrifying speed in which fire can spread and become an uncontrollable blaze. The piece begins by introducing the main motive of three quarter notes and two eighth notes in the tuba, with the other parts gradually adding in syncopated rhythms and melodic material. The blazing main thematic material is interrupted two times by two different chorale sections, which represent the natural beauty of fire. After a last statement of the A material, the piece ends triumphantly. The fire has finally been extinguished.
Duration: 3 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 2.5/5
Format: PDF Score and Parts (Trumpet in B-flat 1, Trumpet in B-flat 2, French Horn in F, Trombone, Tuba)
Copyright © 2020 Ian Lester
Fanfare for the Isolated Human (2020) - for 6 Trumpets in B-flat and 1 Bass Trumpet in B-flat
$20.00
Fanfare for the Isolated Human is a work for trumpet septet that was commissioned in early December of 2020 by Jennifer Oliverio for the Oakland University trumpet studio. At the time of composing this work, the COVID-19 Pandemic was still raging throughout the world with tragic outcomes such as death, prolonged illness, financial hardship, and much more. For musicians and other artists, live performances were limited, and at times, even non-existent. This work is in a basic ABCA form, each section defined by a certain pandemic-related scenario or thought (i.e. the grocery store frenzy of part I or the persistent question of when will things go back to normal in part III). This composition was originally meant to be played virtually, with each performer preparing their individual part with the aid of a click-track, however, this version can be performed in a live setting. With melodies and rhythmic motives constantly trading off within the ensemble, and solo passages in the bass trumpet and the top three trumpets, each of the seven performers have vital roles in bringing this work to life.
Duration: 6 minutes
Difficulty: 3/5
Format: PDF Score and Parts (6 trumpets in B-flat, 1 bass trumpet in B-flat)
Copyright © 2020 Ian Lester
It Waits Beyond the Window (2020) - for Guitar Trio
$20.00
It Waits Beyond the Window was commissioned by my good friend Shea Socrates in April of 2020 and is loosely inspired by a recurring childhood nightmare that I experienced as child. This nightmare included waking up within the dream and seeing a woman's bloody, grotesque face pressed up against the bed-side window and hearing her scream with rage at the top of her lungs until the nightmare finally ended. I musically convey common tropes of nightmares, such as trying to run away but not getting anywhere, false "wake-ups" within the dream, and a sense of calm only to be interrupted by sudden terror through a balance of consonant and dissonant harmonies, varying melodic material, a wide range of dynamics, tempos, meters, and articulations, and the use of extended techniques.
Duration: Approx. 4 minutes 30 seconds
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Format: PDF Score and parts (Guitar 1, 2, 3)
Copyright © 2020 Ian Lester