Hard Problems (in progress)
Evening-length solo set for voice/piano/electronics

Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus (2025), 35'
Monodrama for amplified soprano/actor and orchestra
Text by Kate Soper with additional texts by various authors
Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic
score // watch

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
Commissioned by Miller Theatre
score // album

The Romance of the Rose (2023), 2.5 hrs
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 // album

HEX (2022), 15'
Short play with music for two pianist/actors, one pianist/vocalist/actor, and improvising ensemble of 4+ players
score // watch

IPSA DIXIT (2016), 90'
Experimental music theatre for soprano, flute, violin, and percussion
Individual movements may be performed standalone (listed separately below)
score // album // watch

HERE BE SIRENS (2014), 100'
Opera/music theatre for three sopranos self-accompanying on piano
Book and music by Kate Soper with additional text by various authors
score // watch

Voices from the Killing Jar (2010-12)
Monodrama for soprano (doubling pc, easy clarinet, optional piano), baritone (one movement only), fl, sax (optionally doubling cl), pno (doubling easy recorder), pc, vn and live and fixed electronics
Texts various.
score // watch 1, 2 // album // score following

Chutes and Ladders (2024), 21'
For soprano and clarinet
Texts by Virgil and Kate Soper
Commissioned by Chamber Music America for the Whistling Hens
score // watch

The Fragments of Parmenides (2019), 20'
For soprano/piano or soprano and piano: texts by Parmenides, Kate Soper, and W.B. Yeats.
score // watch // album

So Dawn Chromatically Descends to Day (2018), 3.5’
For soprano/piano or soprano and piano
Texts by Fred Lerdahl and Robert Frost
score // watch // album

The Understanding of All Things (2013, rev. 2015, 2019), 8’
For soprano and fixed media
Text by Kafka
score // watch // album

The Crito (2012), 14’
For soprano and percussion
Texts by Plato and Robert Duncan
Part 4 of IPSA DIXIT
score // watch // album

cipher (2011), 13’
For soprano and violin
Texts by Jenny Holzer, Wittgenstein, Pietro Bembo, Michael Drayton, Freud, Guido d'Arezzo, and Sarah Teasdale
Part 6 of IPSA DIXIT
score // watch // album

Only the Words Themselves Mean What They Say (2010-2011), 13’
For soprano and flute
Text by Lydia Davis
Part 2 of IPSA DIXIT
score // watch // album

New Work (2026)
Text by Antonin Artaud
For soprano, actor, flute, clarinet, trumpet, percussion, accordion, violin and cello
Commissioned by Ensemble Télémaque

epithets (2024), 21’
For soprano, flute, tenor sax, piano, percussion, violin, cello and electronics
Also available in version with clarinet instead of tenor sax, here
Text by Homer and from the Orphic Hymns
score // watch

Lady Reason Suite from The Romance of the Rose (2024), 15’
For soprano, piano, and vocoder-controlled keyboard
Text by Kate Soper
score // watch

The Hunt: Suite (2023), 23’
For three sopranos self-accompanying on violin and ukulele (preferred)
or three sopranos, violin, and ukulele
Texts by H.D., Hildegard of Bingen, Pliny the Elder and Isadore of Seville
score

Telephone (2022), 11’
For soprano and string quartet
Text by Kate Soper
Commissioned by Miller Theatre for the Mission: Commission podcast
score // listen

Missing Scenes (2019-21), 28’
For soprano, fl, ob, cl/bass cl, alto/bari sax, hn, 2 pc, harp, pno, 2 vn, vla, vc, and fixed electronics
Texts various
score // watch // album

The Ultimate Poem is Abstract (2016), 11.5’
For soprano, fl, ob, cl, tenor sax, hn, tpt, tn, pc, pno, 2 vn, vla, vc, and bass
Text by Wallace Stevens and various
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic
score // album

Here Be Sirens: Suite (2015), 25’
For three sopranos self-accompanying on piano
Texts various
NOTE: this is not the opera "Here Be Sirens" or an excerpt of the opera. If performed, the suite must be billed specifically as "Here Be Sirens Suite" or "Suite from Here Be Sirens" and not as "Here Be Sirens."
score

Metaphysics (2016), 20’
For soprano, flute, violin, and percussion
Text by Aristotle (adapted Soper)
Part 5 of IPSA DIXIT
score // watch // album

Rhetoric (2015), 15’
For soprano, flute, violin, and percussion
Text by Aristotle (adapted Soper)
Part 3 of IPSA DIXIT
score // watch // album

Poetics (2015), 13’
For soprano, flute, violin, and percussion
Text by Aristotle (adapted Soper) and Sophocles
Part 1 of IPSA DIXIT
score // watch // album

Nadja (2013-15), 24’
For soprano and string quartet
Texts by Tennyson, Ovid, and Andre Breton
score // watch // album

Now is Forever: I. Orpheus and Eurydice (2015), 15’
Version for soprano and chamber orchestra
Text by Jorie Graham
listen (excerpt)

Now is Forever: I. Orpheus and Eurydice (2012), 15’
Original version for soprano and orchestra
Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra
contact me for score/audio

Helen Enfettered (2009), 25’
For Soprano, Mezzo, cl, tpt, pno, pc, vn, vla, vc, cb
Text by Christian Bök
Commissioned by Carnegie Hall
score // listen

Door (2007),10’
For soprano, flt, sax, electric gtr, accordion
Text by Martha Collins
score // album

Songs for Nobody (2006), 9’
For solo SSA
Text by Thomas Merton
Commissioned by the Museum of Biblical Art
score // album

The Door in the Wall (2011, rev. 2012)
Flt, ob, 2 cl, bn, hn, tpt, tn, pno, 2 perc, 2 vn, vla, vc, cb
listen (excerpt) // contact me for score

Nine Rakes (2007), 8’
For symphonic wind band
Commissioned by the Boston University Tanglewood Institute
listen // contact me for score

As the Crow Flies (2007), 11’
Flt, cl, 2 sax, hn, tpt, tbone, electric gtr, accordion, pc, vn, vla, vc, cb
listen // contact me for score

Didicas (2006), 3’
For brass septet
listen // contact me for score

ClearVoice (2021)
Fiction with accompanying audio track
Published in McSweeney's Quarterly Issue no. 64, the "audio issue"

Unwritten Operas (May - June 2020)
Music video series ("New Music Reading Rainbow")

Persons (2020), 7.5’
Short film with original music and script
watch

On Breath (2020), 2.5’
Short film, original music, texts various
watch

Circuit Breaker (2010), 5’
For bass trombone and orchestra (unperformed)
score

Five One-Liners (2003)
Tape (Text by William Matthews)
Listen: mvt. I - How Careful Fire Can Be

Back in my wayward youth, I was a singer songwriter:
listen to ophelia
more here