Piano Compositions
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A lyrical chamber song setting a poem by Willa Cather, April Twilight combines expressive vocal writing with the intimate colors of flute and guitar or piano. The work is well suited for recital programs exploring memory, poetry, and American literary sources.
Instrumentation: voice, flute, guitar/piano
Duration: 4 minutes
Publisher: Doberman YPPAN / DO 1232 -
An advanced solo piano work inspired by the spirit of 19th-century ballades, Ballade for a Princess combines restless motivic writing with a later lyrical, romantic theme. Its dramatic pacing, contemporary harmonic color, and expressive contrast make it well suited for solo recitals and Romantic-influenced contemporary programs.
Instrumentation: piano solo
Duration: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Alymar -
One of six short works from Songs Without Words in Miniature, Beneath the Hawthorn Treereimagines Baxter’s art song material for piano alone. Its lyrical line and focused miniature form make it well suited for solo recitals, teaching settings, or performance as a standalone character piece.
Instrumentation: solo piano
Collection:Songs Without Words in Miniature -
A romantic chamber work for violin and piano, Could You Dream What I Dream transforms material from Baxter’s opera Lily into a songful instrumental dialogue. Its lyrical character and clear contemporary tonal language make it well suited for violin recital and chamber music programs.
Instrumentation: violin, piano
Duration: 6+ minutes -
A lyrical art song with text by Miesha Lowery, Crossing Over the Border reflects on movement, transition, and the courage of beginning again. Its clear vocal writing and intimate storytelling make it well suited for contemporary art song recitals and programs exploring personal journey.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Publisher: North Star Music
Text / Source: text by Miesha Lowery -
A poignant work for flute and piano, The Darkness Between Us traces an emotional arc from childhood innocence through trauma toward resilience and hope. Its expressive contemporary language and clear narrative shape make it well suited for recital programs exploring memory, conflict, healing, and dignity.
Instrumentation: flute, piano
Publisher: Alry Publications -
A simple, folk-like song from Act I, Scene I of Lily, The Date Seller appears within the opera’s tableaux vivants sequence. Sung by Marie-Lucette Fabienne as she portrays Edwin Longsden Long’s painting, the piece offers a brief moment of grace, charm, and theatrical clarity.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Original scoring: voice and orchestra
Duration: 2 minutes
Text / Source: libretto by Lisa VanAuken -
A lyrical chamber work for alto saxophone and piano, Des larmes encadrées blends blues-inflected melody, folk reference, and expressive contemporary tonality. Written for Romain Gravier, the piece treats both instruments as equal partners in a reflective, conversational recital work.
Instrumentation: alto saxophone, piano
Duration: 7 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate to upper intermediate
Publisher: ALRY Publications -
A prizewinning song cycle for voice and piano, Four Views of Love presents four contrasting romantic moods through poems by W. B. Yeats, Sara Teasdale, and Thomas Hardy. The cycle may be performed complete or excerpted individually for vocal recitals and contemporary art song programs.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Duration: 8–9 minutes
Difficulty: varies by song
Publisher: North Star Music / Alymar
Text / Source: poems by W. B. Yeats, Sara Teasdale, and Thomas Hardy -
A romantic one-movement piano trio, From the Headwaters moves from dark lyricism to a lighter, more animated middle section before returning to an expressive reprise. Dedicated to the memory of Gari Baxter, the work offers each player an active role within a clear formal design.
Instrumentation: violin, cello, piano
Duration: 9 minutes
Difficulty: Upper intermediate
Publisher: Alymar -
A tender art song for voice and guitar, Grandmother, Think Not I Forget offers a warm and intimate reflection on memory, love, and loss. Freely adapted from Willa Cather, the song is well suited for vocal recitals, memorial programs, and poetry-centered concerts.
Instrumentation: voice, piano, guitar
Duration: 3.5 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Publisher: Les Productions D’OZ
Text / Source: words by Garth Baxter and Katherine Baxter, freely adapted from a poem by Willa Cather -
A solo piano miniature from Songs Without Words in Miniature, Hearts As One translates Baxter’s art song lyricism into a warm and intimate pianistic form. Its songful melody, tonal grounding, and concise design make it effective as part of the complete set or as an individual recital piece.
Instrumentation: solo piano
Collection:Songs Without Words in Miniature -
An aria from Act II, Scene I of Lily, How Can These Hands reveals Lily’s humiliation and vulnerability as she is forced into work for which she is unprepared. The aria combines lyrical vocal writing with dramatic sensitivity and emotional honesty.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Original scoring: voice and orchestra
Duration: 4.5 minutes
Text / Source: libretto by Lisa VanAuken
View Work -
An aria from the final scene of Lily, How Strange to Think shows Lily preparing to announce her engagement to Gus while reflecting on class, circumstance, and compromise. The music contrasts outward elegance with inward unease, calling for poise, introspection, and dramatic nuance.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Original scoring: voice and orchestra
Duration: 5+ minutes
Text / Source: libretto by Lisa VanAuken -
An ultra-romantic excerpt from Act I, Scene II of Lily, I Have Said I Love You / I Dare Not Dream moves from Selden’s declaration of love into an intimate duet with Lily. The music offers lyrical vocal writing, expressive pacing, and a dramatic progression from private longing to shared confession.
Instrumentation: tenor, soprano, piano
Original scoring: voices and orchestra
Duration: 6 minutes
Text / Source: libretto by Lisa VanAuken -
A deeply romantic aria from the final scene of Lily, I Shall Forever Love You gives Selden a moment of anguish, devotion, and wounded recognition after learning of Lily’s engagement to Gus. The aria calls for passionate lyricism, emotional restraint, and dramatic nobility.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Original scoring: voice and orchestra
Arrangement: piano version available
Text / Source: libretto by Lisa VanAuken -
An aria from Act I, Scene I of Lily, I Will Always Be Beholden reveals Lily’s charm, vulnerability, and dependence on others to maintain her social standing. Written in a traditional operatic style, the piece offers lyrical vocal writing within a clear dramatic and formal design.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Original scoring: voice and orchestra
Arrangement: arranged for voice and piano
Text / Source: libretto by Lisa VanAuken -
A lively chamber work for woodwind quintet and piano, A Jagged Path draws on two themes from Baxter’s opera Lily. Rhythmically energetic and colorfully scored, the piece offers a recital-friendly blend of lyrical material, contemporary tonal language, and clear ensemble writing.
Instrumentation: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, piano
Duration: approximately 7 minutes
Publisher: ALRY Publications -
A playful solo piano miniature from Songs Without Words in Miniature, The Little Flirt offers a lighter, more characterful contrast within the set. Its clear melodic writing, compact design, and graceful wit make it well suited for recitals, encores, or performance as part of the complete cycle.
Instrumentation: solo piano
Collection:Songs Without Words in Miniature -
An aria from near the end of Act I of Lily, Long Ago captures Lily at an emotional turning point as she longs for an earlier, more secure life. The music combines nostalgia, fear, and tenderness within an elegant lyrical vocal line.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Original scoring: voice and orchestra
Duration: 5 minutes
Text / Source: libretto by Lisa VanAuken -
A concise art song setting a poem by Sara Teasdale, The Long Hill reflects on the quiet realization that one cannot always meet one’s own expectations. Its ternary form, lyrical vocal line, and intimate piano writing make it well suited for contemporary art song recitals.
Instrumentation: female voice, piano
Duration: 2.5 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Publisher: Alymar
Text / Source: poem by Sara Teasdale -
A simple solo song from The Battle Cry / A Tragedy, The Man He Killed sets Thomas Hardy’s stark reflection on war and shared humanity. Written for baritone or tenor and piano, the song’s restrained directness allows the poem’s irony and quiet sadness to speak clearly.
Instrumentation: baritone or tenor, piano
Duration: 1.5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Text / Source: poem by Thomas Hardy -
A reflective solo piano miniature from Songs Without Words in Miniature, The Night Grew Cold Without carries the expressive imprint of Baxter’s art song writing into a lyrical pianistic setting. Its jazz-tinged romantic color makes it well suited for recitals exploring contemporary songful piano music.
Instrumentation: solo piano
Collection:Songs Without Words in Miniature -
A powerful art song addressing mental health, inner struggle, and the pressure to appear “normal,” Pretend gives voice to private suffering behind an outward mask. Its lyrical vocal writing and intimate piano part make it well suited for contemporary art song programs and recitals centered on vulnerability and resilience.
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Duration: 2.5 minutes
Publisher: North Star Music LLC
Text / Source: words by Marguerite -
A dramatic solo piano work for advanced performers, Resistance moves from atonal tension toward a strongly tonal conclusion. Related to classical sonata form, the piece combines chromatic drive, angular passagework, and moments of expansive lyricism within a clear emotional arc.
Category: Piano
Instrumentation: piano solo
Duration: 6 minutes
Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Alymar -
A highly romantic solo piano work in the style of a Chopin nocturne, Romance Without Words / Romance sans paroles draws its themes from Act I, Scene II of Lily. The piece transforms operatic material into an intimate, recital-friendly work requiring expressive rubato, tonal depth, and lyrical phrasing.
From:Lily
Category: Piano
Instrumentation: piano solo
Duration: 6+ minutes
Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Alymar -
A two-movement neo-romantic work for flute and piano, The Silver Run evokes the natural beauty of Carroll County’s Silver Run area through lyrical melody, clear formal design, and contemporary harmonic color. Substantial yet accessible, it is well suited for recitals and contemporary tonal chamber programs.
Instrumentation: flute and piano
Duration: 9 minutes
Difficulty: Upper intermediate
Publisher: ALRY Publications -
A concise six-song cycle for voice and piano, Songs From Irish Poets sets poems by Cathal ó Searcaigh, Nuala O’Connor, and Gabriel Rosenstock. Commissioned by mezzo-soprano Christine Thomas-O’Meally, the cycle offers lyrical vocal writing and contemporary harmonic color in a recital-friendly format.
Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Duration: 6 minutes
Text / Source: Poems by Cathal ó Searcaigh, Nuala O’Connor, and Gabriel Rosenstock
Songs: “November 1994”; “Tattoo”; “Frida Kahlo’s Palette”; “Woman and Cosmetics”; “Insomnia”; “Music’s Path” -
A set of six short solo piano works based on Garth Baxter’s art songs, Songs Without Words in Miniature transforms vocal material into intimate, recital-friendly piano miniatures. Written for pianist Bonghee Lee, the approximately 12-minute collection may be performed complete or excerpted individually.
Instrumentation: solo piano
Duration: approximately 12 minutes
Recording:Ask of Me What the Birds Sang
Click Here to View Work -
A brief solo piano miniature from Songs Without Words in Miniature, Starry Wondrous Nights transforms one of Baxter’s art songs into a wordless meditation of stillness and expressive color. Its delicate, atmospheric texture makes it well suited for reflective recital programs.
Category: Solo Piano
Instrumentation: solo piano
From:Songs Without Words in Miniature -
A set of a cappella songs based on Renaissance poetry, Three Madrigals combines lyrical directness, clear musical architecture, and contemporary harmonic color. Commissioned by Western Maryland College, the set is well suited for chamber choirs, collegiate ensembles, and vocal groups exploring early English poetry.
Instrumentation: a cappella voices
Duration: 8 minutes
Publisher: North Star Music
Text / Source: anonymous Renaissance poems; The Silver Swan by Christopher Hatton -
A three-song set for voice and piano, Three Poems by Linda Pastan offers lyrical settings of “Self Portrait at 44,” “Marks,” and “Caroline.” With contemporary harmonic color and clear attention to text, the songs move from reflection and humor to elegiac meditation.
Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Duration: 8 minutes
Text / Source: Poems by Linda Pastan
Publisher: North Star Music, LLC
Songs: “Self Portrait at 44”; “Marks”; “Caroline” -
A set of three art songs for voice and piano, Three Poems from Edna St. Vincent Millay offers clear, lyrical settings of “Afternoon on a Hill,” “Lament,” and “Travel.” The songs may be performed individually or as a complete set, making them useful for recitals, student programs, and contemporary American art song concerts.
Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Text / Source: Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Publisher: North Star Music
Songs: “Afternoon on a Hill”; “Lament”; “Travel” -
A reflective pair of art songs, Two Songs of Reflection sets texts by William Blake and Chaim Stern. Moving from lullaby and sacred imagery to grief, memory, and bereavement, the set offers flexible scoring for voice with either guitar or piano.
Instrumentation: voice and guitar, or voice and piano
Duration: 6 minutes
Publisher: Les Productions D’OZ for voice and guitar; Doberman-Yppan for voice and piano
Text / Source: poems by William Blake and Chaim Stern
Songs:A Cradle Song; What Death Can Touch -
A short solo piano work from Songs Without Words in Miniature, We Sat Snug and Warm draws on Baxter’s art-song writing to create an intimate, lyrical miniature. Centered on melodic line and warm tone, it may be performed within the complete set or as a brief standalone recital piece.
Category: Solo Piano
From:Songs Without Words in Miniature -
A heartbreaking song for soprano or tenor and piano, A Wife in London sets Thomas Hardy’s poem of wartime loss and cruelly delayed hope. Drawn from The Battle Cry / A Tragedy, the work calls for clear narrative pacing, emotional restraint, and sensitive ensemble between singer and pianist.
From: The Battle Cry / A Tragedy
Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: high voice, piano
Voice Type: soprano or tenor
Duration: 3 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate to upper intermediate
Text / Source: Poem by Thomas Hardy
View Work -
A reflective two-movement work for clarinet and piano, Wrapped in the Wind and the Sun highlights the clarinet’s lyrical warmth within Baxter’s clear contemporary tonal language. Written for Jennifer Hughson, the piece has an intimate, cyclical design that gives performers a strong expressive arc.
Instrumentation: clarinet and piano
Publisher: ALRY Publications