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Compositions
Thank you for your interest in my music! Please email me at lisa@lisabost.com with inquiries related to my work as a composer.
My performing rights organization is Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI).
Chromaworks Press Music Publishing Company
Chromaworks Press is the music publishing company owned and operated by Lisa Bost-Sandberg. Specializing in new music for flute and often utilizing extended techniques, her compositions also include solo and chamber works for other winds, brass, strings, and percussion.
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the stirring stillness will be available for purchase soon - please email me at lisa@lisabost.com with inquiries.
Composed: 2025
Medium: soprano and fixed media
Duration: 5:16
Dedication: Anne Christopherson
Program Note
In 2006, I was still new to composition when I wrote a solo alto flute work titled when it rains / the river stands still. In it I explored singing and playing simultaneously, as I was writing the piece to premiere on my Master’s degree recital, and the alto flute fits my vocal range more agreeably than the C flute. Additionally, Theobald Boehm, the inventor of the alto flute, wrote "Because of the great facility for modulation of the full, sonorous tones of this flute, it is adapted to music in the song style, and for accompanying a soprano voice."
When a colleague presented me with the opportunity to write my first vocal work, I returned to Boehm’s words and decided to write for soprano and fixed media, creating the electronics track entirely using samples from my recording of when it rains—thus accompanying a soprano voice with the alto flute.
The title when it rains / the river stands still is a two-line poem I wrote to evoke a moment that included a stunning view of the Iowa River in a rainfall. It is a vivid and beautiful memory for me. Working on the stirring stillness brought me back to that moment in time as well as to equally evocative memories of writing when it rains. I decided to utilize syllables rather than text to revel in the intangibility and subtlety of such memories.
the stirring stillness was commissioned by Dr. Anne Christopherson as part of her “Legacy” project, supported by a University of North Dakota College of Arts & Sciences Artist & Humanities Scholarship Grant. I extend my thanks to UND for their support of this project and to Anne for fascinating conversations about voice classifications, vocal technique, and vowel selection.
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Heron will be available for purchase soon - please email me at lisa@lisabost.com with inquiries.
Composed: 2024
Medium: solo bass clarinet
Duration: c. 5:00
Dedication: Jeremy Wohletz
Program Note
Heron for solo bass clarinet was composed in the spring of 2024 at the request of Jeremy Wohletz. The sense of motion became particularly relevant as I worked: feeling time suspend and then release, subtle phrases that wander, gestures that wind up or unravel. As the materials developed, the title Heron entered my mind, as I remembered time spent with my family at Holter Lake along the Missouri River near Helena in my home state of Montana. Great blue heron inhabited the area, and we saw them regularly. A heron’s presence was unparagoned. Stately and solitary, it would often stand in patient stillness, but would strike with unexpected speed to seize its prey. It would wade with deliberate steps and fly with slow, pulsing wingbeats—the impressive contradiction of a massive form soaring effortlessly across the big sky.
World Premiere
January 10, 2025 - International Clarinet Association Low Clarinet Festival (Glendale, Arizona)
Jeremy Wohletz, bass clarinet
$19.95
Composed: 2023
Medium: solo piano
Duration: c. 8:00
Dedication: in memory
This work was jointly commissioned in 2023 by the North Dakota Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association and was premiered on June 7, 2023, at the NDMTA Conference in Dickinson, North Dakota.
The premiere was performed by Éva Polgár, who provided thoughtful assistance throughout the workshopping process.
$24.95
Composed: 2021
Medium: flute quartet
Duration: c. 7:00
Dedication: Elizabeth Robinson
Finalist in the 2022 National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition, Flute Quartets Category
Program Notes
Starlings are sociable birds native to or naturalized throughout much of the world. Though some, such as the Bali myna, are critically endangered, others are highly common (and even considered to be invasive pests). Three aspects of starlings—their feathers, their flocking behaviors, and their calls—served as a point of departure for this piece through subtle shimmers, staggered harmonies, shifting textures, dynamic contrasts, and birdsong-like phrases.
Though species vary greatly in appearance, many possess plumage with a beautiful iridescent metallic sheen. Starling’s vocalizations are diverse; they can be raucous and are known for their mimicry, which may include the calls of other birds, patterns of human speech, or even city noises. Their flocking behaviors are particularly fascinating, as huge groups of starlings will form murmurations, most often at dusk before roosting for the night. In a murmuration, hundreds or even thousands of starlings swoop through the sky forming an awe-inspiring, shape-shifting mass that is intricate and dynamic.
Starling was commissioned by Elizabeth Robinson.
World Premiere
April 3, 2022 - The Art Center of Highland Park, Illinois
Elizabeth Marshall, Francesca Leo, Rena Urso, and Amy Likar, flutes
Recordings
$19.95
Composed: 2021
Medium: piccolo and fixed media
Duration: 4:00
Dedication: Hal Ide and Claudia Anderson
PROGRAM NOTES
A thinner and more fractured glass ceiling is the legacy of those who came before—women who have made striking statements by bringing to life what they hear and etching away at the glass every time they do so. When hearing great (female) composers speak about their music and careers, it has resonated with me that they have been completely centered in creating their music—and the focus is on the music, without needing to contextualize it in the status of “female composers.” This project was a re-centering for me after a compositional hiatus, and, as I think about the students I guide both as creative individuals and in life, the fact that we are part of this lineage of change is relevant and meaningful.
Strikingly was commissioned by Hal Ide for Claudia Anderson’s “Glass Ceilings” commission-performance project. Anderson’s inaugural tour of “Glass Ceilings” took place in the spring of 2022 with performances at the University of North Dakota, Rice University, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Minnesota, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the University of Northern Iowa.
WORLD PREMIERE
January 15, 2022 - Guest Artist Recital, University of North Dakota
Claudia Anderson, piccolo
$5.95
Composed: 2019
Medium: solo flute with Glissando Headjoint®
Duration: c. 4:00
PROGRAM NOTE
“Cirrous” is an adjective that refers to the resemblance of cirrus clouds, which appear as thin, wispy strands, shaped by winds and residing at particularly high altitudes. This piece embraces the flexibility of the Glissando Headjoint® and invites an improvisatory approach from the performer.
Cirrous was commissioned by Robert Dick.
World Premiere
October 3, 2019 - Faculty Composers Recital, University of North Dakota
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, flute with Glissando Headjoint®
Learn more about the Glissando Headjoint®
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Chroma will be available for purchase soon - please email me at lisa@lisabost.com with inquiries.
Composed: 2018
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, composer
Marjorie Schlossman, artist
MOVEMENTS
from momentum: two piccolos, c. 1:00
from tenacity (reset): bass flute and viola, c. 2:00
from transparency: multi-percussion, c. 2:45
from perception (resonance): tenor saxophone and euphonium, c. 1:15
from imagination: string quartet, c. 4:30
from sheen: flute with Glissando Headjoint® and tenor trombone, c. 3:00
from wordlessness: double bass, c. 2:00
from stillness: soprano saxophone and vibraphone, c. 2:15
ABOUT CHROMA
Chroma is a collaboration between composer Lisa Bost-Sandberg and abstract painter Marjorie Schlossman that explores the translation of abstraction between artistic mediums. Eight short movements of varied instrumentations are paired with eight paintings. The music was premiered alongside each painting at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota, in May of 2018, and this project is the subject of a short film by Mary Trunk and Caren McCaleb.
World Premiere
May 31, 2018 - Plains Art Museum (Fargo, North Dakota)
Michael Blake, percussion
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, flutes
Michael Farrick, double bass
Debora Harris, piccolo
Joel Pugh, tenor trombone and euphonium
Scott Sandberg, saxophones
Marjorie Schlossman, viola
Pelican Quartet:
Erin Larson, violin
Jenny Frissell, violin
Marjorie Schlossman, viola
John Stern, cello
$19.95
Composed: 2018
Medium: flute and piano
Duration: c. 9:30
Dedication: Hannah Porter Occeña
Finalist in the 2021 National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition, Flute and Piano (Original Works) Category
Finalist in the 2020 Flute New Music Consortium Composition Competition, Flute and Piano Category
Program Notes
In writing the whirring dusk, I was reflecting on the conflicting emotions and states of being that come with significant life experiences. Pain and joy, fragility and strength, disquiet and peace—they are visceral, they are entwined, and they evolve and transform through the moments and the months.
the whirring dusk was commissioned by Hannah Porter Occeña.
World Premiere
May 6, 2018 - Recital (Port Jefferson, New York)
Hannah Porter Occeña, flute and Emely Phelps, piano
Recordings
Confluence - Hannah Porter Occeña, 2021
$19.95
Composed: 2017
Medium: piccolo/flute/alto flute (one player); vibraphone, crotales
Duration: c. 9:00
Dedication: Rachel and Brian Nozny
Winner in the 2021 National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition, Mixed Duets Category
Program Notes
For many, the word “leaves” first brings to mind the foliage of a plant, but it is also a rather poetic term for the pages of a book or of music. The two sides of a plant leaf display two aspects of life—the aesthetic boldly-colored front that reaches toward the light and the utilitarian back of mottled colors and tactile veins. Leaves of music or words mirror this, as turning a page may reveal a completely different character, challenge, or sense of being. Two sides of a leaf are related, connected—but projecting a different sense of purpose or perspective.
Leaves was commissioned by Brian Nozny as part of a surprise 10th wedding anniversary present for his wife, Rachel, and I could not have been more honored to be part of this special project!
World Premiere
August 12, 2018 - National Flute Association Convention (Orlando, Florida)
Rachel Nozny, flute and Brian Nozny, percussion
$17.95
Composed: 2017
Medium: solo flute
Duration: c. 4:00
Dedication: Loren Been
PROGRAM NOTE
Snowblink was commissioned by Loren Been, who performed the world premiere on her senior recital at the University of Kentucky. Due to Loren’s interest in the pedagogy of contemporary flute music, she requested a solo work that utilized various extended techniques (percussive sonorities, multiphonics, timbral variations, etc.) and featured other new music conventions. A “snowblink” is a white reflection or glare in the sky that appears over a snowfield.
World Premiere
April 17, 2017 - Senior Recital, University of Kentucky
Loren Been, flute
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Glint will be available for purchase soon - please email me at lisa@lisabost.com with inquiries.
Composed: 2015
Medium: solo tenor trombone
Duration: c. 10:00
Dedication: Russell Ballenger
Winner of the American Trombone Workshop 2016 National Trombone Composition Competition
Program Note
“Glint” is a beautiful and evocative word, referencing something glancing off of something else, a reflection off of a surface, a brilliant flash, or a brief and faint appearance of something. In writing this piece, I considered various ways that ideas or sounds could “glint” in a musical context, particularly utilizing the trombone’s capacity for varied timbres and microtonal flexibility.
Many thanks to Russell Ballenger for commissioning this piece as part of his final doctoral project at the University of Alabama and for providing invaluable feedback during the compositional process.
World Premiere
September 29, 2015 - Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra Rush Hour Concert Series (Bismarck, North Dakota)
Russell Ballenger, tenor trombone
$0.00
Composed: 2013
Medium: two flutes
Duration: c. 8:00
Dedication: Wayla Chambo
World Premiere
August 9, 2013 - National Flute Association Convention (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Wayla Chambo and Lisa Bost-Sandberg, flutes
$17.95
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
Composed: 2012
Medium: solo alto saxophone
Duration: c. 5:00
Dedication: Scott Sandberg
World Premiere
July 14, 2012 - World Saxophone Congress, the University of St. Andrews (St. Andrews, Scotland)
Scott Sandberg, alto saxophone
$0.00
Composed: 2013
Medium: string quartet
Duration: c. 6:00
Program Notes
Glacial is in two primary sections. The first is a gradual but extended transformation, and out of this musical foundation appear aural shimmers and cracks that range from subtle to aggressive in nature. The shorter second section serves as a counterbalance to the earlier material, related but contrasting in terms of space and character. While not intended to be representational, the piece reflects aspects of a glacier—the movement, the shimmers and cracks. While glacial motion is slow, its impact is huge and dynamic.
World Premiere
March 25, 2013 - Spectrum Concert, the University of North Texas (Denton, Texas)
Frederick D. McKee, violin; Zo Manfredi, violin; Lacey Kesterke, viola; Ilia De La Rosa, cello
$0.00
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
Composed: 2011
Medium: solo tenor trombone and trombone octet
Duration: c. 10:00
Dedication: Brian Conklin and Slide Show
Program Notes
Beyond Within was inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s highly influential book Point and Line to Plane, which he wrote to articulate the theoretical concerns of painting, an action he deemed necessary for continued advancement of the art. He discusses the art elements, the point being the “proto-element” of painting through “intense self-contained repose” and the line being “inwardly animated tension created by movement”—essentially the interruption of a point’s repose due to a force causing motion upon it. Kandinsky’s descriptions are dynamic and deeply entwined with both nature and other art forms; his direct and indirect parallels to music are both eloquent and striking.
As Kandinsky describes how all phenomena can be experienced both externally and internally, he states “The work of Art mirrors itself upon the surface of our consciousness. However, its image extends beyond, to vanish from the surface without a trace when the sensation has subsided. A certain transparent, but definite glass-like partition, abolishing direct contact from within, seems to exist here as well. Here, too, exists the possibility of entering art’s message, to participate actively, and to experience its pulsating-life with all one’s senses.”
Composed in the fall of 2011, Beyond Within was written at the request of Brian Conklin to be performed by the Dallas-based trombone ensemble Slide Show. Many thanks also go to my UNT colleagues Jeremiah Stones, Justin Condron, Carl Lundgren, Julie Gray, Chris B. Reaves, Isaac Washam, Greg Moose, Zachary Elliott, Evan Sankey, and Sean Casey for their enthusiasm about the piece and musicianship in reading and preliminary recording sessions.
World Premiere
March 5, 2012 - Spectrum/Collevoxus Concert, University of North Texas (Denton, Texas)
Carl Lundgren, solo tenor trombone; Isaac Washam, Chris B. Reaves, Zachary Steele, Greg Moose, Michelle Flowers, and Evan Sankey, tenor trombones; Jeremiah Stones and Eddie Eby, bass trombones; Justin Condron, conductor
$0.00
Composed: 2009
Medium: solo alto flute
Duration: c. 4:30
Program Notes
Bilder was written to be premiered on the 2009 rarescale Premiere Series of concerts in London. The melodic material evolves by weaving in and out of extended technique timbres. It is in a three-part form, with a relatively short contrasting section flanked by opening and closing sections of related material that is derived from the opening multiphonics and tremoli. Bilder is the Norwegian word for “photographs,” and this piece is dedicated to my family in Rindal, Norway, where the second performance took place.
World Premiere
June 27, 2009 - rarescale Premiere Series - Music for Two Alto Flutes, St. Leonard's Church (London, United Kingdom)
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, alto flute
Norway Premiere
July 3, 2009 - Rindal Museum Summer Concert, Rindal Museum (Rindal, Norway)
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, alto flute
United States Premiere
May 18, 2011 - Guest Recital, Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin)
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, alto flute
$17.95
Composed: 2008
Medium: solo flute
Duration: c. 5:45
Program Notes
Fluxion was written for and premiered at PKN Productions' UnTapped @ the Tank 2008 Concert Series in New York City. The title refers to the state of the melodic and timbral materials used in the piece. During my time in New York I was surrounded by an incredible amount of sonic experimentation by my colleagues and instructors, and this piece is very much inspired by my collaborations with these people and by the percussive timbres that the flute is capable of producing.
World Premiere
April 9, 2008 - UnTapped @ The Tank Concert Series, PKN Productions (New York, New York)
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, flute
$19.95
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
Composed: 2007 - Revised: 2009
Medium: alto saxophone and piano
Duration: c. 10:00
Dedication: Scott Sandberg
Program Notes
Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano was composed for Scott Sandberg and premiered on his faculty recital of "Saxophone Sonatas" on the 2006-2007 Voices Old and New Concert Series at the Bloomingdale School of Music in New York City. Multiphonics are an integral part of the language of the second movement, and they are contextualized within other sonic shifts, such as the use of quartertones, against a harmonically interesting but more simply set piano part. The outer movements are more traditional in presentation; the first is carried by melodic lines, and the third, the most rhythmically complex, unfolds through the evolution of thematic material.
World Premiere
March 23, 2007 - "Saxophone Sonatas" Faculty Recital, Voices Old and New Concert Series, Bloomingdale School of Music (New York, New York)
Scott Sandberg, alto saxophone, and Martha Locker, piano
$17.95
Composed: 2006
Medium: solo alto flute
Duration: c. 5:30
Honorable Mention in the 2021 National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition, Low Flutes Category
Program Notes
The title when it rains / the river stands still is a two-line poem I wrote to evoke a moment that included a stunning view of the Iowa River in a rainfall. Singing and playing simultaneously is explored in this work as a connection between voice and flute is particularly strong with the alto. The alto flute often fits the vocal range more agreeably than the higher-pitched concert flute, and, as Theobald Boehm wrote of his invention in The Flute and Flute Playing, "Because of the great facility for modulation of the full, sonorous tones of this flute, it is adapted to music in the song style, and for accompanying a soprano voice."
Alternate Passage
A short portion of this piece includes circular breathing. All are highly encouraged to work on developing this skill, and there is no need to shy away from performing this piece because the skill is not yet perfectly refined. While the technique will need to be strong, an occasional bump in the sound during a circular breath is permissible.
If needed, an alternate passage that does not require circular breathing is available: Download Alternate Passage
World Premiere
December 3, 2005 - NYU Master of Arts Recital, Rose Studio at Lincoln Center (New York, New York)
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, alto flute
$5.95
Composed: 2005
Medium: solo alto flute
Duration: c. 2:30
Dedication: Michael and Derri Sandberg
Program Notes
As Their Own was written for my brother-in-law’s wedding in August of 2005.
Errata
measure 14, beat 3, third 16th note: G-sharp
$17.95
Year: 2005
Medium: solo flute
Duration: c. 4:15
Program Notes
Diandya is in existence with thanks to Robert Dick. During my studies at NYU I was planning a recital of unaccompanied works, “a solo expedition,” and he encouraged me to perform something of my own—whether an improvisation, composition, or arrangement. I immediately knew that he was right, that something of my own would be fitting for the program of four important twentieth-century works (Debussy’s Syrinx, Varèse’s Density 21.5, Berio’s Sequenza I, and Dick’s Afterlight) and a new piece that I had commissioned (Evan Mazunik’s Apollo Racing Hermes), but composing was the furthest option from my mind at that time. Luckily, a few small but aptly timed events changed my thinking, and with Robert’s invaluable guidance I became a composer. “Diandya” is a made-up word.
World Premiere
April 17, 2005 - "a solo expedition" Recital, Rose Studio at Lincoln Center (New York, New York)
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, flute
Indwell will be available beginning on August 6, 2026, at the National Flute Association convention in Portland, Oregon. Carolyn Nussbaum Music Company will be carrying my music, including this piece—visit them in booth #409! I will also have copies available for purchase directly from me.
Want to pre-order?
Click the Pre-Order button below!
If you are attending the convention in Portland, use the code NFA26 at checkout to waive shipping fees. I will email in advance to coordinate pick-up opportunities!
If you are not attending the convention in Portland, all pre-orders will ship on or before August 14, 2026.
About Indwell
Composed: 2026
Medium: solo piccolo
Duration: c. 6 minutes
Attribution: Commissioned by the National Flute Association for the 2026 Piccolo Artist Competition
Dedication: Harvey Sollberger
Program Note
I love the piccolo’s beautiful voice, especially the duality of its intimate qualities yet embodiment of a fearless presence. “Indwell” means “to exist as an inner activating spirit, force, or principle,” and I offer this piece in camaraderie with all who are striving to discover more of themselves through their art.
Thank you to the National Flute Association for commissioning this work for the 2026 Piccolo Artist Competition and for the organization’s commitment to new music through its commissioning program. It is a rich legacy, and I appreciate being a part of it.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to Mary Kay Fink. It is a true honor to work with you, and I am grateful for your contributions in bringing this piece to life.
Performances at NFA
Piccolo Artist Competition Semifinals
Thursday, August 6, 2026 | 4:30-6:30 PM | C120-122
Semifinalists: Caterina Compagno, Erica Vogel, Gitte Bongaers, Giulia Bellotti, Laurine Califano, Oihana Gimenez Infante (alternates: Alba Allés Barber, Meadhbh O'Rourke)
NFA Premieres Concert
Saturday, August 8, 2026 | 12:30-1:30 PM | B110-112
Official Premiere Performance by Mary Kay Fink, piccolo
Read More
"Introducing the 2026 Competition Commissions" by Carla Rees | The Flutist Quarterly (member login required)