The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival invited an eclectic group of twelve composers to write one variation each on the theme of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations. No one variation exceeds 4 minutes. The great pianist Gilbert Kalish then arranged the collection for its debut as a whole work, adding Bach's theme to the beginning and to the end, and inserting Bach's Variation 13 in the middle. However, Kalish clearly states it is up to the pianist to decide how to perform these works, whether as a whole or specific movement(s) only. Contributing composers include C. Curtis-Smith, Jennifer Higdon, Mischa Sarche Zupko, Stanley Walden, Bright Sheng, Derek Bermel, David Del Tredici, Fred Lerdahl, William Bolcom, Lukas Foss, Ralf Gothoni and Fred Hersch. 66 pages.

New York, New York: C. F. Peters Corporation ©2007

Pianist Guy Livingston invited dozens of composers to provide him with a composition of 60 seconds. He then recorded them. This piano solo by William Bolcom is one of them. The tempo mark is quarter note equals 60, exactly.

New York, New York: Edward B. Marks Music Co. ©2007

The title, Abendmusik is German for "evening music." This quiet and ethereal two piano work is one movement, four pages in length, and takes approximately three minutes to play. The tempo mark reads "leisurely, clam, with great smoothness and repose." It will gently carry the listener away.

New York, NY: Edward B. Marks Music Co. ©2006

Dedicated to the memory of Darius Milhaud, this piano duet is in two short movements. Tempo marks for each are "1. Gently, not slow" and "2. Barcarolle." They are lovely and accessible compositions. The composer indicates they may be played as an introduction to another piece, or as "bookends" for a group of small works.

If you are two virtuoso keyboard players and have two pianos, a harmonium and a harpsichord at your disposal, this may be the contemporary piece for you. Written in two movements, War in Heaven and The Caves of Orcus, it is not for the faint of heart.

New York, NY: Edward B. Marks Music Co. ©2006

For solo piano. First Printing. A reflective work for solo piano written for the 70th Anniversary of the Music Library Association. The title is from Galway Kinnell's poem When One Has Lived a Long Time Alone. Duration: ca. 7'. 13 p.

New York: C. F. Peters ©2000

Commissioned jointly by the BBC and the Royal Philharmonic Society as part of their New Generation Artists scheme, this solo piano piece was premiered by Jonathan Biss on July 1st, 2003.

New York, NY: Associated Music Publishers ©2006

Carnegie Hall commissioned Dr. Chen to compose this piece for Emanuel Ax. It's a beautiful, light piece, five minutes in length, inspired by a Chinese folk ballad.

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania: Theodore Presser Company ©2007

William Bolcom is an American pianist and a prolific composer. He has won numerous prizes for his compositions, including the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for music for 12 New Etudes for Piano. Hot off the press, William Bolcom's Nine New Bagatelles for piano were commissioned by the Music Teacher's Association of California and published in 2006. This highly creative set of nine short pieces invites the piano soloist to spread interpretative wings. The composer's notes give further insight into the interpretation of these highly individual pieces. Mention of these notes during a performance will greatly pique the interest of your audience.

New York, NY: Edward B. Marks Music Co. ©2006

Behzad Ranjbaran was born in Iran, came to the United States in 1974 and now teaches on the faculty of The Juilliard School. His virtuosic Nocturne was published in 2005 and takes ten minutes to perform. It contains moments of great intrigue as well as moments of great energy. This one is an audience pleaser and would be a wonderful addition to any serious solo piano performance.

King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company ©2006