Compositions and Performances
Chamber (3 to 4 players)
SUNSHINE CITY AND THE GREEN DEMONS, for flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon (9½ min.), 1985-1986.
• Published by Earnestly Music (of Frank E. Warren Music Service).
• Performed by the New England Reed Trio, Brookline, Massachusetts, May 1998.
• Performed at the University of Miami, April 1996.
• Performed at the College Music Society's 30th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 1987.
• Performed at the Florida State University Festival of New Music, April 1987.
SANDSONG, for double bass, accompanied by violin, viola, and cello (12 min.), 1984.
• Performed by Bertram Turetzky and members of the Memphis State University faculty at the MSU New Music Festival XIV (now the University of Memphis), February 1986.
• Performed by Timothy Cobb (double bass), Thomas DiSarlo (violin), Susan Ung (viola), and Larry Figg
(cello) on a Penn Composers’ Guild concert, Philadelphia, April 1985.
FRAGMENTS OF SAPPHO, for soprano, piccolo/alto flute, and harp (16 min.), 1982-1983.
• Performed by members of the New Music Consort (Barbara Martin—soprano, Rachel Rudich—
piccolo/alto flute, and Elizabeth Panzer—harp) at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York
City, January 1987.
• Performed on a Penn Composers’ Guild concert, Philadelphia, November 1983.
DESMODUS ON G-SHARP, for two trumpets, french horn, and trombone (7 min.), 1980-1981.
• Performed at Oberlin, May 1981.
FOUR POEMS OF E. E. CUMMINGS, for soprano, flute, alto flute, and bass clarinet (9½ min.), 1979-1980.
• Performed at Oberlin, May 1980.
STRING QUARTET, for two violins, viola, and cello (13½ min.), 1995-1996.
• First movement performed at the University of Miami, May 1996.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? (A CELL PHONE TRIO), for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and piano (3½ min.), 2020.
• Text by Skye McManus and Ruth Meyer Sacks.
• Performed by Skye McManus (soprano), Chelsea DeLorenz (mezzo-soprano), and Ruth Meyer Sacks (piano) on an Orpheus Academy of Music faculty recital, Austin, March 2020
KLEZMER-STYLE COMPOSITIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS, for the Hot Matzohs (clarinet, violin, keyboard, and percussion), 1998-2003.
• Several performances in the Pittsburgh area, 1998-2005.
Chamber (5 or more players)
LOVE OF MUSIC, for youth ensemble: voices, violins, cellos, guitars, pianos, and percussion (1½ min.), 2022.
• Commissioned by Klondike Steadman for the Twentieth Anniversary of the Orpheus Academy of Music.
• Upcoming performance by an Orpheus Academy student ensemble, Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., July 2023.
CLOUDS OF MAGELLAN, for chamber orchestra (8 min.), 1984.
• Read by the New School of Music Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia, May 1985.
SEQUENCES, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, two violins, viola, cello, and double bass (11½ min.), 1996-1997.
• Performed by the University of Miami’s Other Music Ensemble, conducted by Dennis Kam, Miami, Florida, November 1997.
ICON, for flute, clarinet, trumpet, two violins, viola, and cello (11½ min.), 1982.
• Performed on a Penn Composers’ Guild concert, Philadelphia, May 1983.
A CELEBRATION, for two french horns, electric piano, two violins, viola, cello, and double bass (9 min.), 1984.
• Musical score for the documentary film produced for the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Performed and recorded by members of the Penn Contemporary Players, conducted by Ruth Meyer, March 1984.
5:5:4:5:5, for flute, french horn, cello, percussion, harp, and piano (13½ min.), 1981.
• Performed at Oberlin, March 1982.
FOLKSONG FRENZY, for flute, violin, viola, two guitars, piano four-hands, and percussion (5 min.), 2019.
• Commissioned by the Orpheus Academy of Music.
• Performed by members of the Orpheus faculty, Austin, March 2019 and April 2023.
PRELUDE, for youth string ensemble and piano (4 min.), 2008-2009.
• Performances by The Pittsburgh Youth Pops String Ensemble, conducted by Erika Pierce, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March and April 2009.
BOTTICELLI (JUNGLE MUSIC), for tenor recorder, clarinet, cello, and two percussionists (12½ min.), 1983.
• Musical score for Terrence McNally’s play, Botticelli, which was presented by Theater Lab II at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Performed and recorded by members of the Penn Composers’ Guild, November 1983.
Solo/Duo
THREE POEMS, for cello and piano (13½ min.), 2006.
• CD recording by Barbara George (cello) and Jim James (piano), September 2019.
CD title: Femme, Music by Women Composers.
• Performed by Barbara George and Jim James, as part of the Elements Concert Series, Austin, April 2019.
IN MEMORIAM, MUSIC FOR OUR TIME, for guitar solo (14 min.), 2020-2021.
• Commissioned by guitarist, Klondike Steadman, of the Orpheus Academy of Music.
• Performed by Klondike Steadman, Boston, November 2022 and Austin, January 2023.
• Published by Bergmann Edition.
FOUR IMPRESSIONS, for piano solo (17 min.), 2003-2004; revised 2020.
• Impression 1 performed at the University of Nebraska at Kearney New Music Festival IV, March 2005.
• Impression 1 performed by Liliana Maffiotte at the Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, Spain, November 2003.
MELODRAMA, for piano four-hands (4½ min.), 2019-2020.
• Performed by Ruth Meyer Sacks and Jae-Eun Baek on an Orpheus Academy of Music faculty recital, Austin, January 2020.
SIX PIECES FOR PREPARED PIANO (7 min.), 2019.
• Commissioned by the Orpheus Academy of Music as educational compositions.
PRELUDE: DARK RIVER, for piano solo (2 min.), 2019.
• Commissioned by the Orpheus Academy of Music as an educational composition.
FIVE SONGS, for violin solo (11 min.), 1984.
• Performed by Thomas DiSarlo on a Penn Composers’ Guild concert, Philadelphia, October 1984.
WHAT IS SHADOW?, for two pianos (12 min.), 1983.
• Performed by Ruth Meyer and Christian Hertzog on a Penn Composers’ Guild concert, Philadelphia, March 1984.
FIVE PAINTINGS BY GEORGIA O’KEEFFE, for piano solo (8 min.), 1981.
• Performed by Ruth Meyer at the Ethical Society Auditorium in Philadelphia and at Saint Joseph’s Church in
New York City as part of the Perpetuo Mobile concert series, November 1985.
• Performed by Ruth Meyer on a Penn Composers’ Guild concert, Fall 1982.
• Performed by Ruth Meyer at the Midwest Composers’ Symposium, Northwestern University, April 1982.
• Performed by Ruth Meyer at Oberlin, November 1981.
Orchestral/Choral
ANYTHING HELPS, for chorus and orchestra (36 min.), 2013-2024.
• Seven poems, assembled by Ruth Meyer Sacks from signs held by members of the homeless population in Austin, Texas.
FANTASY OVERTURE, for orchestra (10 min.), 2004-2006.
• Performed by the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, conducted by Bruce Lauffer, Pittsburgh, May 2006.
NOCTURNE, for orchestra (9½ min.) 2001-2003.
• Performed by the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, conducted by Bruce Lauffer, Pittsburgh, April 2004.
MI SHEBERACH (A PRAYER FOR HEALING AND PEACE), for orchestra (11½ min.), 1999-2000.
• Read by the University of Pittsburgh Orchestra, conducted by Roger Zahab, Pittsburgh, April 2001.
DRUM SYMPHONY, for orchestra (12 min.), 1994-1996.
• Performed by the South Florida Youth Symphony, conducted by Dennis Kam, University of Miami, June 1997.
AN AVALANCHE SYMPHONY, for orchestra (20 min.), 1985-1986.
SEVEN KLEZMER-STYLE ARRANGEMENTS, for clarinet and violin, accompanied by orchestra (30 min.), 2003.
• Performed by the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra and members of the Hot Matzohs (a Pittsburgh Klezmer ensemble), conducted by Bruce Lauffer, Pittsburgh, December 2003.
LET’S CELEBRATE, for chorus, string orchestra, piano, and percussion (3½ min.), 2001.
• Performed by the Washington Festival Chorale and the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, conducted by Bruce Lauffer, Pittsburgh, December 2004.
• Performed by the Quaker Valley Middle School Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Michelle Crawford, Sewickley, Pennsylvania, December 2001.