[[SELF LICENSED]] This list includes some important early career pieces. A few of them are available and linked to their own entries. I will eventually put many of them in a google drive folder for those curious to have a look. For now, if you want access to anything here that doesn't have a link, please contact me. Contact me, [contact form.](https://operaandbeyond.blogspot.com/) 1992 **Cue 67** Opera in One Act. Cowritten with Sandra Bernhard. Commissioned by the Virginia Opera, Peter Mark, General Director. Premiere, January 1992, Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia. This was a huge opportunity given to me by Peter Mark. The opera is a bit of a mess, but has an excerptable aria which I need to dig out and make available. 1991 [[Fanfare]]. For 4 hn., 2 tp., 3 tbn., tba., Percussion (2 Players). Commissioned by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Luke Douglas Sellars. Five performances, 1991. The score and parts are a [free download at IMSLP](https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Ching,_Michael). AT THE VIRGINIA OPERA 1989-1991 1989 **Concerto for Piano and Orchestra**. One of several attempts to write a piano concerto, which eventually came to pass in the [[Piano Concerto]] of 1997. 1989 **Sprite of Spring**. For orchestra. 2 Fl., Picc., 2 Ob., EH, 2 Cl., Bs. Cl., 2 Bn., 4 Hn., 3 Tpt., 3 Tbn, Tba., Timpani, Percussion (2 players), Harp, Piano/Celeste, Strings. Commissioned by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra with funds from the North Carolina Arts Council. Performed April 1, 1989 on symphony subscription concert, Leo Driehuys, Music Director. 1989 **To Each His Tone**. Scene for orchestra and mime. 2 Fl/Picc., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn., 4 Hn., 2 Tpt., 3 Tbn., Tuba., Harp, Strings. Performed March 11, 1989 on Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Young People's Concert, Darryl One, Conductor. BACK IN DURHAM 1985-1989 1987 **Floor Exercises: Seriocomic scenario with narration** 2 Fl., Picc., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn., 4 Hn., 3 Tpt., 3 Tbn., Tba., Timpani, Percussion (2-3 players), Harp, Strings, Solo Violin. Narration by David Manning. Commissioned by the North Carolina Amateur Sports, hosts of U.S. Olympic Festival--'87 with a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. Performed by the Arts Festival Orchestra, July 1987, Richard Luby, Violin, Bob Holliday, Narrator, Alan Neilson, Conductor. 1987 **For Liz** Piano Solo. 1986 **Delight in Disorder** Six Settings of Seventeenth Century Cavalier Poets (including Herrick, Suckling and others) for Tenor and Piano. For Tenor Paul Hartfield 1986 [[The Gathering]], Light Overture for Young Audiences ("I am an orchestra.") 2 Fl., Picc., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn., 4 Hn., 3 Tpt., 3 Tbn., Tba., Timpani, Percussion (2 players), Harp, Strings. Commissioned by Mr. Ben Gibbs for the Education Program of the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Parkhurst, Education Director and Assistant Conductor. 26 Performances 1986-87. Multiple performances by Charlotte Symphony 1988-89. Performance by North Carolina Symphony, Spring 1990, recorded for Public Television. Performances by Rochester Philharmonic 1990-91. Performance by the Pro Musica Orchestra of Bloomington, IN, 1993. Performances by the Atlanta Symphony, 1994. Performance by the North Carolina Symphony, 1996. 1986 [[String Quartet]]. Commissioned by the Department of Music of Duke University for the Ciompi Quartet through a grant from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. Premiere January 15 and 26, 1988. Additional performance November 3, 1996. Performance in Memphis, 1997. This is a [free download at IMSLP](https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Ching,_Michael). HOUSTON and MIAMI 1981-1985 1985 [[LEO]], Opera in One Cat. Libretto by Fernando Fonseca, based on a story by Cal Massey. Commissioned and first performed by the Texas Opera Theater at the One Aria Opera Festival, Houston, Texas, June 1985. Subsequent productions include Chautauqua Opera (August 1985); ARTSANGLE (South Street Theater, New York City) (Ten performances, October 1985); Texas Opera Theater Residency Troupe (Multiple performances August 1985-April 1986 including the International Children's Festival at Wolftrap, Virginia; Rutgers University (Two performances, November 1985); After Dinner Opera, New York City (Two performances, November 1986). Demo-taping grant from Minnesota Composers Forum, 1987; Concordia University, Moorhead, MN. [[LEO]] has its own page on this wiki and is still great to perform. 1984 **Cocks Must Crow, Florida Folk Opera in One Act**. Based on a story by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, libretto by the composer. Workshop production by the Greater Miami Opera at the Annual Meeting of Opera America, December 1985. Reading, December 1984 by Greater Miami Opera Apprentices. Finalist, National Opera Association New Opera Competition (November 1986). I read my share of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings while in Florida and loved her work. In adapting this short story, I got to meet Norton Baskin, her husband. This is a very, very Southern folk opera, in the manner of Floyd's SUSANNAH, but comic. 1984 [[Restless Darkness]], Two Pieces for Guitar. First performed by Albert Kunze, Miami, Florida, December 1984. Subsequently performed at Houston Guitar Master Classes, July 1985. Performance in March 1993 by Timothy Olbrych, Williamsburg, VA. This will be a free download at IMSLP. 1983 [[Three Petrarch Sonnets]] for baritone and piano. First performance by Albert Kunze, Perspectus Series, Miami, Florida, 1983. 1981-83 **Songs Minus Words** for solo piano. First performed by the composer, Miami, Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, September 1984. DUKE 1976-1980 1981 **Six Haiku for Solo Voice**. First performed by the Synergic Theater, San Franciso. 1980 **Levees,** Opera in One Act. Libretto by the composer. Duke Summer Opera, June 1980. This was a great opportunity given to me by Robert Ward and Duke University. A professional, grown-up cast was brought in, including [Michael Best](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Best_(tenor)). We also did an opera by [Scott Tilley](https://www.rendlemanmusic.com/scott). The production was directed by Dr. [John Clum](https://clumtheater.blogspot.com/), a Duke English professor, director, critic, and librettist who loved and still loves opera. I say it in the mostly kindly affectionate way, that he was probably the first opera queen I'd ever met. 1980 **Past Without Presence** 2 Fl., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn., 4 Hn., 2 Tpt., 3 Tbn., 1 Tba. Percussion, Strings. Reading by North Carolina Symphony, April 1980. 1980 **Riddles Within Riddles**, Settings of Old English Riddles from the Exeter Book. Translations by Paull F. Baum. Published by Columbia University Music Press, 1984. At that time, this press was run by Jack Beeson. Although I never worked directly with him on anything except this, I got to know a lot about him through my volunteer and staff work at the [Douglas Moore Fund for American Opera](https://www.thedouglasmoorefund.org/), and his daughter,[ Miranda Beeson](https://www.mirandabeeson.com/), an extraordinary poet and intellectual property sleuth. 1979 Plite, for flute, oboe, and strings. First performed by the Duke University Symphony, December 1979. 1979 **Six Simple Settings**, for tenor, clarinet, violin, piano. Poetry of Wallace Stevens. First performed by John Hanks, November 1979. 1979 **Songs and Dances for As You Like It**. For tenor, baritone, recorder, guitar. First performed by Duke Players, October 1979. Writing music and participating as a musician in this production probably helped me catch the bug for writing for theater. The production included [Kevin Gray](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Gray_(actor)) 1978 **A Perforated Veil**. For string quartet. First performed by the Ciompi Quartet, April 1979. Subsequent performance 1981. This is probably the most difficult my music ever got and was performed splendidly by the Ciompi Quartet. 1978 **Menagerie** for flute, clarinet, percussion, two pianos, two violins, viola, violoncello, and bass. After Borges and Saint-Saens. Performed at the Aspen Music Festival, August 1978. 1978 **Four Elements** for clarinet, percussion, and piano. Dance Score for Donald Blumenfeld. First performed April 1978. 1978 **Sonata for Violin and Piano**. Requested and first performed by Giorgio Ciompi, April 1978. Subsequently performed in New York City, October 1978. This was a huge opportunity to write for Giorgio, who was a passionate musician like none I'd ever heard before. 1977 **Sonata for Piano.** First Performed by the composer, April 1977. Many subsequent performances of final movement. 1977 **Two Songs for Silvia.** For mezzo and Salvation Army Band. First performed by the Synergic Theater, February 1977. 1976 **Tropeny** for flute and percussion. Dance score performed November 1976. 1976 **Trio for clarinet, viola, and piano**. First performed by the Amabile Chamber Players, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 1976 HIGH SCHOOL 1975 **Sonata for Oboe and Piano**. First performed by John Dee at National Music Camp, August 1975. Many subsequent performances in arrangement for Violin and Piano. There are earlier works too...