Works – Susan Kander

The Red Dress 2017, 11′

Susan Kander — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 21:51:07 +0000

for chamber orchestra

dedicated to Shannon Ding Shuang, with love

2 fl (2 alto fl, 1 picc.), 2 ob (1 eng. hn), 2 Bb clar, 2 bsn, 2 hn, 2 tpt, 2 trb, 2 perc, piano (celeste), strings

Listen:

Susan Kander · The Red Dress, for chamber ochestra

A dazzling, quietly complete woman enters a large, dimly lit room late in the evening, approaching midnight. People talk amongst themselves. No one sees her enter; she’s confident that way. Rather, we feel the air change; we know something happened; we all tingle a little bit. As she makes her way around the room, the lamplight catches the shiny red silk panels of her geometrically tailored dress sending shimmers of brilliance across every surface and every mind’s eye. The room – and all of us in it – are hers.

Carry My Own Suitcase 2023

Susan Kander — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 13:15:15 +0000

A chamber opera
Duration: approx. 2' 10" with intermission

Susan Kander, music
Roberta Gumbel and Susan Kander, libretto

Premiere May 29, 2026 at Buffalo Opera Unlimited

ROGER, 25, wants to be like his big brother, Billy: to see the world, be more independent, live in an apartment with fun roommates. Except Roger wants to watch Sponge Bob Square Pants and eat pizza with olives every night. Carry My Own Suitcase brings us into a family living in the kaleidoscope that is autism. A dancer and a speaking singer simultaneously portray Roger as the opera zigzags through time, space, memory and the onstage orchestra (!) in a rollercoaster of comedy, chaos, pain, passion, and most of all love.

Roles:

Acting Roger – speaking actor or singer (skilled music reading required), 25
Dancing Roger – need not look at all like Roger
Diana (Mom) – mezzo, 50s
Sam (Dad) – baritone, 50s
Billy (brother) – tenor, age 7 and 28
Laney (Billy’s girlfriend) – soprano, 20s
Neuro Specialist – soprano, 50s
Bass-baritone double cast as James – a social worker, 45-50, a slob with a golden heart, and Mr. Zingone – pizza place owner, 83

The ensemble of 11 is on stage, an organic part of the action. Additionally, five instrumentalists from the ensemble enter scenes and “play” small roles (from memory.)

2 Vln, Vc, Db, 2 Cl. (doubling Eb and bass clar), Bsn (doubling contra), Tpt, Tbn, Perc, Pno

Aria:

Trailer:

Workshop production March 2023 at University of Kansas School of Music:

Linda Brand, director (Director of Opera, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music)
Jacob Ashworth, music director (Artistic Director, Heartbeat Opera, New York)

This workshop production was supported by generous grants from National Endowment for the Arts, OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Composers: Discovery Grants program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation., and the Dean’s Discretionary Fund of the University of Kansas School of Music.

For information: susan@susankander.net; rgumbel@msn.com; tc@blackteamusic.com

Eight and Five, Mostly 2006, 13′

Susan Kander — Wed, 18 May 2022 00:53:19 +0000

capriccio for violin and chamber orchestra

Premiere 2021
Minna Pensola, violin
Antti Tikkanen, conductor
Lappeenrannan Kaupunginorkesteri

Available at Subito Music

Listen:

When I stumbled on this traditional Bulgarian melody, it called to me, saying “Let’s go for a spin!” Sometimes, girls just gotta have fun.

Etude for Two People and One Thing 2017, 7’

Susan Kander — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 19:02:32 +0000

for clarinet, Tibetan prayer stones and computer

Available from Subito Music

Watch:

And Then Not 2016, 11’

Susan Kander — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 18:57:34 +0000

In memorium Ann Benjamin Kander, 1926-2016

for clarinet and percussion

Available from Subito Music

Watch:

My Lucky 2016, 8’

Susan Kander — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 18:52:44 +0000

for solo piano

dedicated to Lee Dionne

Available from Subito Music

Listen

Performance by

Lee Dione, piano

In the seminal 20th century play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, the character Lucky enters at the end of a leash. He remains stubbornly silent, until suddenly he explodes in one of the most famous speeches in theater history. He is silent thereafter. This piece is built using the repetitive rhythmic gestures that Beckett used to build the intensely musical “Lucky’s speech”.

Works 2

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:24:27 +0000

Work 2

Works 3

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:24:03 +0000

Work 3

Works 4

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:15:20 +0000

Work 4

Works 5

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:14:48 +0000

Works 5