Click to go to: Stage/mondrama • Vocal • Large Ensemble • Small Ensemble • Misc.
Please contact me if you would like to perform something not published here.
S T A G E / M O N O D R A M A
Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus (2025), 30'
For soprano/actor and orchestra
Text by Kate Soper, Rainer Maria Rilke (abr. Soper), and various
Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic
THE HUNT (2023), 90'
Opera/music theatre for three sopranos self-accompanying on violin and ukulele
Book and music by Kate Soper with additional text by various authors
Score here, album here
(more info)
THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE (2023), 2.5 hrs with intermission
Opera for seven voices, chamber ensemble, and electronics
Book and music by Kate Soper, inspired by Le Roman de La Rose by de Loris and de Meun
Score here, album here
(more info)
HEX (2022), 15'
For two pianist/actor, one pianist/vocalist/actor, and improvising ensemble of 4+ players
Score here, watch here
IPSA DIXIT (2016), 90'
Chamber music theatre work for voice, flute, violin, and percussion
Individual movements may be performed standalone (listed separately below)
Score here, album here, watch here.
(more info)
Opera/music theatre for three sopranos and piano (three performers)
Book and music by Kate Soper with additional text by various authors
Score here, video of premiere here
(more info)
Voices from the Killing Jar (2010-12)
For soprano (doubling pc, easy clarinet, optional piano), baritone (one movement only), fl, sax (optionally doubling cl), pno (doubling easy recorder), pc, vn and electronics: texts various.
Album here, score here, scrolling score here.
Chutes and Ladders (2023)
For soprano and clarinet (20'): texts by Virgil and Kate Soper
CMA commission for the Whistling Hens duo
So Dawn Chromatically Descends to Day (2018)
For soprano/piano or soprano and piano (3.5'): texts by Fred Lerdahl and Robert Frost
Score here, video here
The Fragments of Parmenides (2018-19)
For soprano/piano or soprano and piano: texts by Parmenides, Kate Soper, and W.B. Yeats.
Score here, video here, audio here
For soprano and tape (8'): text by Kafka
Recording here, performance materials here
For soprano and percussion (14'): texts by Plato and Robert Duncan
Part 4 of IPSA DIXIT
Video here, score here.
For soprano and violin (13'): texts by Jenny Holzer, Wittgenstein, Pietro Bembo, Michael Drayton, Freud, Guido d'Arezzo, and Sarah Teasdale
Part 6 of IPSA DIXIT
Video here, score here.
For soprano and flute (13'), text by Lydia Davis
Part 2 of IPSA DIXIT
Video here, score here.
Epithets (2024)
For soprano, flute, tenor sax, piano, percussion, violin, cello and electronics (20')
Text by Homer and from the Orphic Hymns
Video here
Lady Reason Suite from The Romance of the Rose (2024)
For soprano, piano, and vocoder-controlled keyboard (20'): text by Kate Soper
(Under revision)
The Hunt: Suite (2023)
For three sopranos self-accompanying on violin and ukulele (preferred) or three sopranos, violin, and ukulele (23'): texts by H.D., Hildegard of Bingen, Pliny the Elder and Isadore of Seville
Score here
Telephone (2022)
For speaking soprano and string quartet (11'): text by Kate Soper
Commissioned by Miller Theatre for the Mission: Commission podcast
Score here, listen here
Missing Scenes (2019-21)
For soprano and large ensemble (28'): texts various
Video here, score here
I: The Wings of the Dove (text by Henry James/Soper)The Ultimate Poem is Abstract (2016)
II: The Winter's Tale (text by Shakespeare/Soper)
III: The Winter's Tale (text var. ancient Greek playwrights/Soper)
For soprano and large ensemble: text by Wallace Stevens and various
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Recording here, score here
Here Be Sirens: Suite (2015)
For three sopranos and grand piano (three performers) (25')
Perusal excerpt here, score here.
Metaphysics (2016)
For voice, flute, violin, and percussion: text by Aristotle (adapted Soper)
Part 5 of IPSA DIXIT
Video here, score here
Rhetoric (2015)
For voice, flute, violin, and percussion (15'): text by Aristotle (adapted Soper)>
Part 3 of IPSA DIXIT
Video here, score here
Poetics (2015)
For voice, flute, violin, and percussion (13'): text by Aristotle (adapted Soper) and Sophocles
Part 1 of IPSA DIXIT
Video here, score here
Nadja (2013-15)
For soprano and string quartet (24'): texts by Tennyson, Ovid, and Andre Breton
Recording here, score here, video here
Now is Forever: I. Orpheus and Eurydice (2012)
Version for soprano and chamber orchestra: text by Jorie Graham
Score here, click below to listen (excerpt):
Now is Forever: I. Orpheus and Eurydice (2012)
Original version for soprano and orchestra
Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra
For Soprano, Mezzo, cl, tpt, pno, pc, vn, vla, vc, cb (25'): text by Christian Bök
Commissioned by Carnegie Hall
Recording here, score here
Door, 2007
For soprano, flt, sax, electric gtr, accordion (10'): text by Martha Collins
Recording here, score here.
Songs for Nobody, 2006
For solo SSA (9'): text by Thomas Merton
Commissioned by the Museum of Biblical Art
Score here, recording here
What You Think of In the City, 2002
For baritone, vla, vc (12'): text by Frank O'Hara
L A R G E E N S E M B L E
The Door in the Wall (2011, rev. 2012)
Flt, ob, 2 cl, bn, hn, tpt, tn, pno, 2 perc, 2 vn, vla, vc, cb
What Makes it Go, 2010 (mixed ensemble version)
Flt, ob, 2 cl, bn, hn, tpt, tn, pno, perc, 2 vn, vla, vc, cb (7")
Flt, cl, bn, 2 hn, 3 vn, 3 vla, 2 vc, 2 cb (6.5")
Commissioned by The Knights
Commissioned by The Knights
12 strings (3-3-3-3) (13')
For symphonic wind band (8')
Commissioned by the Boston University Tanglewood Institute
Flt, cl, 2 sax, hn, tpt, tbone, electric gtr, accordion, pc, vn, vla, vc, cb (11')
Didicas, 2006
Score here
Brass Septet (3')
Crosshatch, 2005
Flt, cl, hn, tpt, tbone, pc, vn, vla, vc, cb (10')
S M A L L E N S E M B L E
For solo cello (10')
Commissioned by the I&I Foundation
Video here, score here.
OTOTOI (2015, rev. 2017, 2023)
For two tenor saxophones
Commissioned by Ogni Suono Duo
Recording here, score here
In the Reign of Harad IV (2013, rev.2018)
For percussion trio
Commissioned by Line Upon Line
Score here, contact me for performance
For piano four hands and 2 percussionists (16.5')
Commissioned by Yarn/Wire
Listen here, score here.
Commissioned by The Kenners
For alto sax and accordion (10')
Listen:
Into that World Inverted, 2006, rev. 2010
For horn and piano (7')
Score available on PSNY here.
Listen:
Purl, 2006
For flute and percussion
Score available on PSNY here.
Listen:
M I S C
ClearVoice (2021)
Fiction with accompanying audio track
Published in McSweeney's Quarterly Issue no. 64, the "audio issue"
Read/listen here, video version here
Unwritten Operas (May - June 2020)
Music video series on literature and music ("New Music Reading Rainbow")
Youtube playlist here
Persons (2020)
Short film (7.5') with original music and script: video here
On Breath (2020)
Short film (2.5'), original music, texts various: video here
Circuit Breaker, 2010 (5')
For bass trombone and orchestra (unperformed)
Score here
Five One-Liners, (2003)
Tape (text by William Matthews)
I. How Careful Fire Can Be
Back in the day, I was a singer songwriter:
(more of that stuff here)
©2025 Kate Soper