Tag: commission

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Woman Walking (2020/arr. 2023)

Soprano and piano (or mezzo-soprano, cello, and piano). 5 mins.

Watercolor painting of a city street
Painting by Nell Shaw Cohen

Soprano and piano version commissioned by Laura Strickling for The 40@40 Project.

Mezzo-soprano, cello, and piano version excerpted from Sauntering Songs: a concert-length cantata on the theme of walking, commissioned by Skylark Vocal Ensemble.

Lyrics by Megan Cohen.

The World Premiere recording of Woman Walking is featured on 40@40 released by soprano Laura Strickling (Bright Shiny Things). Available for purchase and for streaming on all major platforms. Nominated for a 2024 GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.

Perusal Score

View perusal score for soprano and piano version.

View persual score for mezzo-soprano, cello, and piano version.

Performance scores available for purchase. Please direct inquiries to Nell Shaw Cohen at nell@nellshawcohen.com.

Program Note

A portrait of a solitary woman and present-day flâneuse as she saunters on city streets, taking it all in and going nowhere in particular. Originally commissioned by Laura Strickling in a version for soprano and piano, this song was later arranged and incorporated into Sauntering Songs: a concert-length cantata on the theme of walking, commissioned by Skylark Vocal Ensemble. 

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Performance History

Soprano and piano version:

  • Laura Strickling, soprano and Daniel Schlosberg, piano; University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 3/2/22.
  • Laura Strickling, soprano and Daniel Schlosberg, piano; Thirsty Ears Festival, Chicago, IL, 8/14/22.
  • Laura Strickling, soprano and Daniel Schlosberg, piano; Baltimore Lieder Weekend, Baltimore, MD, 10/21/22.
  • Laura Strickling, soprano and Daniel Schlosberg, piano; Bargemusic, Brooklyn, NY, 4/14/23.
  • Emily Siar, soprano and Jean Anderson Collier, piano, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) National Conference, Knoxville, TN, 7/1/24.

Mezzo-soprano, cello, and piano version:

Visit the Sauntering Songs page for performance history.

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Turn and Burn (2020)

Opera in one act for 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, baritone, and bass-baritone, with electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, drum set, 2 violins, viola, cello, and double bass. 71 mins.

Libretto by Megan Cohen. Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera for HGOco’s “Song of Houston” initiative. Recipient of OPERA America Commissioning Grant for Female Composers.

Barrel racer in black and white

In Turn and Burn, small-town barrel racing champion Shayla Taylor and ambitious executive Jamie Hernandez aim for a big win at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. When an accident threatens Shayla’s career-defining race, the women discover each other’s strength in adversity. Set in a colorful world of bucking broncs and carnival rides, composer Nell Shaw Cohen and librettist Megan Cohen’s original story informed by interviews with rodeo athletes offers a feminist perspective on contemporary rodeo culture.

Performance History

Workshop at Houston Grand Opera, Houston, TX, Geoffrey Loff, Conductor; 12/09/19.

World Premiere production originally scheduled for February 2021, postponed (due to COVID-19) to 2023 .

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Blue Shadows, Silver Sunlight (2019)

SATB choir. 9 mins.

Live recording by Boston Choral Ensemble (Klo Garoute, Conductor):

Commissioned by Boston Choral Ensemble.

Any of the three movements may be programmed separately as standalone works for performance.

Perusal Score

View perusal score.

Performance score available for purchase. Please direct inquiries to Nell Shaw Cohen at nell@nellshawcohen.com.

NEW! Seeking repertoire for your choir or vocal ensemble? Check out my programming guide for choral directors.

Continue reading “Blue Shadows, Silver Sunlight (2019)”
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Transform the World with Beauty (2019)

SATB vocal ensemble (16 voices). 11 mins.


Commissioned by Skylark Vocal Ensemble. Inspired by the flowering of visual art and poetry in Victorian Britain during the 1840s-1870s.

Any of the three movements may be programmed separately as standalone works for performance.

NEW! Skylark Vocal Ensemble’s World Premiere live recording of Transform the World with Beauty (tracks 18-20, paired with Sauntering Songs) is available now on all major streaming music platforms (including Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, and Tidal). The CD will be available in October, and may be pre-ordered from Skylark. Read the digital liner notes with essays and lyrics.

Continue reading “Transform the World with Beauty (2019)”

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Dai-Shizen (Great Nature) (2014)

Flute and guitar. 10 1/2 mins.


Inspired by the woodblock prints and paintings of Japanese-American artist Chiura Obata. Commissioned by Alicia Mielke and Devin Ulibarri for the 9th Annual Boston GuitarFest 2014, “American Odyssey.” Continue reading “Dai-Shizen (Great Nature) (2014)”