Ken Benshoof

From the composer: 'These pieces [24 Preludes for Piano] were composed without interruption over several months. As a consequent they exhibit a fairly narrow range in style and expressive intent, rath...

Ken Benshoof's Rondo for Viola and Harpsichord, written in 1969 and in Benshoof's early style, nonetheless exhibits distinct facets of his later musical language - clever and rhythmically-driven ideas...

Ken Benshoof's Detours & Tangents for Cello and Piano is a collection of eleven sketches which can be performed in any order, or assembled into smaller sets: At home (musing), Out for a ride (cycling)...

Scattered throughout the piece are elements of George Gershwin's Embraceable You. They appear sometimes as fragments and at other times as harmonic progressions. The storyline structure of the piece i...

Spindrift was commissioned in 1992 by Alicia Suarez in celebration of her new piccolo and was premiered by Ms. Suarez the same year. Like many of Mr. Benshoof's other compositions, this piece contains...

Commissioned by the National Flute Association, this Concerto in Three Movements was premiered during the 44th Annual NFA Convention in San Diego, featuring Jennifer Gunn, piccolo and the Pacific Coas...

Three movements for Flute and Cello: Eye of the Hawk; Song Dog Hollow; The Clearwater (below the bridge). Commissioned by John Keegan, philosopher and fly fisherman. This piece reflects Keegan's love...

Three movements for Violin, Clarinet and Piano: Simple, Snappy, Quirky and Ramblin. Commissioned by Mark Wolbers for Alaska Pro Musica: 'In the years 1993 to 1996, I was commissioned to compose three...

in Shadow, light', commissioned by Zart Dombourian-Eby, was composed in 1997, and premiered in Chicago at the National Flute Association convention the same year. Like many of Benshoof's other composi...

BitterSweet for E-flat Clarinet and Piano by Ken Benshoof. Take a pair of themes, which are to each other as Bitter is to Sweet: The first - a whimsical, quizzical, searching Clarinet, with commentary...

Traveling Music was the first work written for the then newly-formed Kronos String Quartet. The year was 1973. It is in three movements. The first is short and sweet and its material recurs late in th...

Eight Reflections on Swing Low' for string quartet is based on the spiritual, 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.' It consists of eight short vignettes, each one about a minute in length, with parts of the ori...