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Canadian Clarinet Compositions

Happy Canada Day! I’ve enjoyed my first year in this beautiful country as I complete my doctorate in Montreal. I’d like to celebrate this national holiday with a list of some works for clarinet by Canadian composers I’ve discovered during my time up north. By no means is this list comprehensive, so feel free to share your favorite Canadian clarinet compositions below!

  • Violet ArcherMoods for clarinet and alto saxophone (Archer also wrote Soliloquies for B-flat and A clarinet, along with Crossroads for solo clarinet)
  • John BeckwithFall Scene and Fair Dance for clarinet, violin, and strings
  • Alan BelkinSonata No. 2 for clarinet and piano
  • Stephen ChatmanGossamer Leaves for clarinet and piano
  • Srul Irving GlickThe Klezmer’s Wedding for violin, clarinet, and piano (Glick also wrote Suite Hébraïque No. 1 for clarinet and piano)
  • Jacques HétuClarinet Concerto, Op. 37 (Hétu also wrote a nocturne for clarinet and piano)
  • Alasdair MacLeanNature Suite for clarinet, soprano, and piano (He also wrote a beautiful piece called For clarinet and piano)
  • Leslie MannConcerto for clarinet and orchestra (Fun fact: Mann was a talented clarinetist and was principal of the Winnipeg Symphony, so he knew the instrument very well and wrote many pieces for it.)
  • Allan RaeA Road through Alberta foothills for violin, bass clarinet, and piano
  • Robert RivalSonata “Muskoka” for clarinet and piano
  • Harold WeversRhapsody for clarinet and piano

For more information on these pieces and countless others, make sure to browse the Canadian Music Center. It’s an invaluable resource to discover new composers and compositions, as well and listen to and purchase music!

2 Comments

  • ruben greenberg

    I would add Patrick Cardy, who left us all too soon. He wrote a wonderful piece for clarinet and orchestra: Virelai, I seem to recall was its title: pure lyricism. I would compare it to the the Finzi concerto, which is no mean compliment.

    • Anonymous

      Thank you for sharing this! It sounds like a lovely piece by a talented composer, and I can’t wait to give it a listen!

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