The works below are considered appropriate for youth, community, and
non-major college orchestras by those individuals who contributed them. These
persons, mostly conductors, are all subscribers of
Orchestralist, the Internet mailing list for the orchestra professional.
The submissions have not been independently verified for appropriateness; however,
they should provide a good starting point for repertoire research.
Concertos were originally excluded from this list, since they are usually
recommended by the soloist, not the conductor looking for repertoire, however
some might be listed if they can be done by a good regular member of the orchestra.
| Composer | Work | Comments | Publisher |
| Akpobot | Three Nigerian Dances | For string orchestra and timpani |
| Albert, Adrienne | Courage | | Robert Wendel Music |
| Albinoni | Adagio in G minor | needs organ |
| Anderson, Beth | Minnesota Swale | Chamber orchestra; wind solos (hard) | beth@beand.com |
| Arnold, Malcolm | Four Scottish Dances | | Novello/Paterson |
| | Peterloo: Overture | | Faber |
| |
| Bach, C.P.E | Symphony No. 3 in C-Major, w. 182 | |
| Bach, J.S. | Little Fugue in G Minor | Arr. by Cailliet |
| | Brandenburg Concertos | |
| | Cantata No. 29: Sinfonia | solo organ |
| | Orchestral Suites | |
| Bacon, Ernst | Erie Waters, suite | | Fleisher Collection |
| | Elegie for Oboe and Strings | | Fleisher Collection |
| | The Muffin Man | | G. Schirmer |
| Bartok | Hungarian Pictures | If you have a good 1st clarinet |
| | Rumanian Dances | |
| Bathory-Kitsz, Dennis | Sourian Slide | String Orchestra | Westleaf Edition |
| Beethoven | Coriolan Overture | |
| | Creatures of Prometheus Overture | |
| | Egmont Overture | |
| | Egmont Overture | arr. by Sopkin |
| | Fidelio Overture | |
| | King Stephen Overture | |
| | Symphony no. 1 | |
| | Symphony no. 2 | |
| | Symphony no. 5 | High trombones! |
| | Symphony no. 6, i & v | Needs good horns |
| | Symphony no. 7, ii | |
| Berlioz | Damnation of Faust, selections | |
| | Marche Hongroise | |
| | Symphonie Fantastique, iv ("March to the Scaffold") | |
| Bernofsky, Lauren | Ode to a Forgotten Past | | lbernofsky@laurenbernofsky.com |
| Biber | Battaglia (strings only) | |
| Biggs, John | Little Suite | (2222,22 timp, str, 2 solo violins) 17 min. | Consort Press |
| Bizet | L'Arlesienne suites | |
| | Carmen suites | Some movements harder than others |
| | Jeux d'Enfant, Op. 22 | |
| | La jolie fille de Perth: Scenes Bohemiennes | |
| | Symphony in C, ii | |
| Borodin | On the Stepps of Central Asia | |
| | Polovtsian Dances | |
| | Symphony no. 2, i & iv | |
| | Symphony no. 3 | Movement in 5/8 |
| Brahms | Academic Festival Overture | Difficult original. See arr. by Lesem |
| | German Requiem: How lovely is Thy dwelling place | chorus |
| | Hungarian Dances (selections) | |
| | Symphony No. 2 | Difficult |
| | Tragic Overture | Difficult |
| Britten | Soirees Musicales | |
| Bruch | Swedish Dances | Like Brahms' Hungarian Dances |
| Butterworth | On the Banks of Green Willow | |
| | Two English Idylls | Chamber Orchestra |
| |
| Cage | 4'33" (orch. version) | Some arr. more difficult than others ;-) |
| Chabrier | Suite Pastorale: Danse Villegoise | |
| Cimarosa | Overture to the Secret Marriage | Good classical overture |
| Clarke, J. (arr.) | King of Denmark's March | |
| Copland | Down a Country Laney | |
| | John Henry | |
| | Our Town | Music from the motion picture |
| | Outdoor Overture | |
| | Rodeo: Dance Episodes | 2 solo violins and solo cello |
| | Shaker Variations | |
| Corelli | Christmas Concerto | Strings only |
| | Concerto Op. 6, no. 4 | Strings only, easier than Xmas Concerto |
| Corigliano, John | Elegy for Orchestra | | G. Schirmer |
| Cowell | Hymn and Fuging Tune | There are more than one of these, one is for strings |
| |
| Dankworth, J. | Tom Sawyer's Saturday | With narrator |
| Debussy | Engulfed Cathedral | Arranged from solo piano |
| | Petite Suite | Arranged from piano duet |
| Delibes | Prelude and Mazurka, from Coppelia | |
| Deussen, Nancy Bloomer | Reflections on the Hudson | | Robert Wendel Music |
| Dvorak | Suite in A, "American" | Movements 2&3 perhaps harder |
| | Czech Suite | |
| | Slavonic Dances | op. 46, No. 1&2, e.g. |
| | Symphony no. 6 | |
| | Symphony no. 8 | |
| | Symphony no. 9, i & iv | |
| |
| Elgar | Pomp and Circumstance March, nos. 2 and 4 | |
| | Severn suite | |
| Elizondo, Jose | Danzas Latinoamericanas | | elizondo@alum.mit.edu |
| | Leyenda del Quetzal y la Serpiente | | elizondo@alum.mit.edu |
| Erickson, Frank | Toccata for orchestra | composer's arr. of Toccata for band |
| |
| de Falla | El Amor Brujo | Portions |
| Faure | Dolly suite | |
| | Masques et Bergamasques suite | |
| | Pavane | chamber orchestra through horns; opt. chorus |
| | Pelleas and Melisande: Suite | |
| Flowtow | Overture to Stradella | |
| Frank, Robert | In the Upper Room | |
| |
| B. Gallupi | L'Eroe Cinese | | Ricordi |
| Gellis, Herb | Short Symphony on Eastern Modes | | Harmonic Services Group |
| Gershwin | An American in Paris, suite | arr. by Whitney |
| | Lullaby | |
| | Porgy and Bess: Medley | Chorus |
| Glazunov | Scenes de Ballet | |
| Glinka | Karaminskaja | |
| | Russlan and Ludmilla: Overture | |
| Gluck | Iphigenia in Aulus: Overture | |
| | Orpheus Overture | |
| Gould | American Salute | |
| Goldmark | Rustic Wedding Symphony | |
| Gottschalk | Souvenir de Porto Rico | |
| Gould, Morton | American Salute | |
| Gounod | Ballet Music from Faust | |
| | Funeral March of the Marionette | |
| | Petite Symphonie | Great piece for nine winds |
| Grainger | Irish Tune from County Derry | Great arrangement of "Danny Boy" |
| Gresham, Mark | The Embrace | | Lux Nova Press |
| Grieg | In Autumn, op. 11 | |
| | Norwegian Dances | |
| | Peer Gynt suites | some are difficult |
| | Sigurd Jorsalfar: Homage March | |
| | Symphonic Dances | |
| | Wedding Day at Troldhaugen | |
| Grofe | Mississippi Suite | |
| |
| Handel | Entrance of the Queen of Sheba | |
| | Messiah | Chorus |
| | Music for the Royal Fireworks | the orig. or as arr. by MacKerras for full orchestra |
| | Prelude and Fugue in D-Minor | arr. by Kindler |
| | Water Music | the orig. or as arr. by Hamilton Harty |
| Hansen | Symphony no. 2 | Difficult |
| Haydn | Creation | Chorus |
| | Symphonies | Many are playable |
| Hayman | Pops Hoe-Down | |
| Herbert, Victor | March of the Toys (Babes in Toyland) | |
| Herold | Overture to Zampa | |
| Hindemith | Einleitungsstueck and Quodlibet from Ploener Musiktag | |
| | Minimax: Repertory for Military Music Strings only. Schott ED 6734 | |
| Holst | First Suite, in E-flat | arr. by Gordon Jacobs |
| | Second Suite, in F | arr. by Adam Kent |
| Horwood, Michael | Amusement Park Suite | | Canadian Music Centre |
| Hovhannes, Alan | And God Created Great Whales, op. 229 No. 1 | | Editions Peters |
| |
| Ives | Fugue from Symphony No. 4 (adapted from String Quartet No. 1) | |
| |
| Jenkins, Karl | Palladio: Concerto Grosso for Strings | |
| Jones, Samuel | In Retrospect | |
| | Overture for a City | |
| Joplin, Scott | The Easy Winners | arr. by Schuller |
| | The Entertainers | arr. by Schuller |
| | Maple Leaf Rag | arr. by Schuller |
| |
| Kalinnikov, Vassili | Overture to Tsar Boris | | |
| Kimmel, Corliss | Denali Seasons | | Harmonic Services Group |
| Kodaly, Zoltan | Harry Janos: Intermezzo | |
| Korngold | Theme and Variations | |
| |
| Lamb, John David | Delights and Fancies | | dlamb@seanet.com |
| Lecuona, E. | Andalucia Suite: Andalucia, Gitanerias, Malaguena | arr. by Gould or Grofe |
| | La Comparsa | arr. by Gould |
| Levin, Andrew | Flourishing True | Chorus | alevin@clemson.edu |
| Liadov, Anatole | Eight Russian Folk Songs | Great music - no trbs |
| Liszt, Franz | Les Preludes | Difficult |
| Locke, Jessica | Reading of the Names 9/11: The Firefighters | with or without chorus |
| Lofstrom, Doug | The Woodcarver's Daughter: Suite | |
| |
| Mahler, Gustav | Blumine | |
| Marquez | Danzon No. 2 | |
| Mascagni, Pietro | Intermezzo from Cavelleria Rusticana | |
| Mendelssohn, Felix | Hebrides Overture | |
| | A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March and Nocturne | |
| | Symphony No. 5 (finale) | Some hard violin and woodwind passages |
| Milhaud, Darius | Suite Francaise | |
| Mixon, Kevin | Crescent City Collage | | Belwin |
| Monteverdi | Orfeo: Toccata and Ritornello | arr. by Peress |
| Mozart, Leopold | "Toy" Symphony | Previously attributed to Haydn |
| Mozart, W.A. | Bastien and Bastienne | Opera for 3 young voices and young orchestra |
| | Divertimento, K. 138 | Strings only; easiest of the three (K. 136 - 8) |
| | Idomeneo Overture | With various concert endings (incl. on by Reinecke) |
| | Impresario Overture | |
| | La Clemenza di Tito Overture | |
| | Magic Flute Overture | |
| | Sieben Menuette K. 65a | Strings only (Kalmus) |
| | Symphonies, in general | Many are playable |
| | Symphony no. 29 | An edition by Beecham is good for younger groups |
| Mussorgsky | Khovantchina: Introduction | |
| | Night on Bald Mountain | arr. by Carl Simpson |
| | Pictures at an Exhibition, Parts I and V | orch. by Carl Simpson |
| |
| Nicolai, Otto | Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor | |
| |
| Offenbach, Jacques | Orpheus in the Underworld: Overture | Difficult string solos |
| Ott, David | Fanfare 2000 | | Park Press |
| |
| Piston, Walter | The Incredible Flutist: Suite | | G. Schirmer |
| Prokofiev, Serge | Lt. Kije | Difficult |
| | Romeo and Juliet: Montagues and Capulets | |
| Purcell | Abdelezar: Suite | |
| | Voluntary for Two Trumpets and Orchestra | arr. by Levin |
| | The Virtuous Wife Suite | Strings only. | Schott, # 5818 |
| |
| Raff, Joachim | Sinfonietta | For woodwinds: 2222 2000 |
| Raspa, Nick | On The Lake | | njrmuse@aol.com |
| Ravel, Maurice | Pavane pour une infante defunte | |
| Re, Peter | A Festive Overture | |
| Reed, Alfred | American Sketches | Americana |
| | Festival Prelude | |
| | Greensleeves | |
| | Russian Christmas Music | (has many mistakes) |
| Reinberger, J | The Star of Bethlehem | S, B solos and chorus |
| Reznicek, E. von | Overture to Donna Diana | counting problems for winds and timpanist |
| Rimsky-Korsakoff | Fantasia on Serbian Themes, Op. 6 | |
| | Overture on Russian Themes, Op. 28 | |
| | Pan Voyevoda | Krakowiak movement hard | Breitkopf & Haertel |
| | Polonaise from La Nuit de Noel | |
| | Russian Easter Overture | Hard trombones |
| | Sadko, Op. 5, orchestral fantasy | |
| | Scheherazade | Difficult |
| | Sinfonietta on Russian Themes, Op. 31 | |
| | Symphony No. 1, in E-minor | new corrected edition available... | Harmonic Services Group |
| | Skazka (Russian Fairy Tale) | |
| Rodgers, Richard | Victory at Sea (selections) | |
| Rossini | An Italienne in Algiers: Overture | |
| | Barber of Seville: Overture | |
| | Semiramide: Overture | |
| | William Tell: Overture | |
| Rush, Tracey | Spirit of Freedom | | Fountain Park Music Publishing |
| |
| Saint-Saens | Carnival of the Animals | |
| | Danse Macabre | Needs good solo vn, ww and xylophonist |
| | Samson and Delilah: Bacchanale | |
| | Symphony No. 3, finale (2nd half of 2nd mvmt.) | Organ |
| Schubert | Rosamunde Overture and Ballet Music | |
| | Symphonies, except the Great C Major | |
| Schumann | Symphony No. 1, "Spring": Scherzo | |
| Scurria, Amy | Blessings of Liberty | | mail@amyscurria.com |
| Shostakovich | Ballet Suite no. 1 | Now available for rent |
| | Festive Overture | Difficult |
| Sibelius | Finlandia | |
| | Karelia Suite | |
| | Pelleas and Melisande | |
| | Spring Song, op. 16 | some transposed parts available from Harmonic Services Group |
| Sinding, Christian | Symphony No. 1, 1st mvmt. | the whole symphony "should be" doable |
| Smetana | Bartered Bride: Three Dances | |
| | Moldau | |
| Sousa | Many of the marches | e.g., El Capitan, Liberty Bell (theme from Monty Python TV show), Stars and Stripes Forever, Washington Post |
| Spohr, Ludwig | Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra | |
| | Symphony No. 3 | |
| Still, William Grant | Symphony No. 1, Afro-American | |
| Strauss, Johann Jr. | Anna's Polka | |
| | Artist's Life, Op. 316 | |
| | Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 316 | |
| | Delirious Waltz | |
| | Emperor Waltz, Op. 437 | |
| | Perpetuum mobile | |
| | Pizzicato Polka | |
| | Roses from the South | |
| | Tales from the Vienna Woods | |
| | Thunder & Lightning Polka | |
| | Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op. 214 | |
| | Thunder & Lightning Polka | |
| | Vienna Blood, Op. 354 | |
| | Vienna Bonbons, Op. 307 | |
| | Voices of Spring | opt. soprano |
| | Suggestion: polkas are easier than the waltzes | |
| Strauss, Johann Sr. | Radetzky March | |
| Stravinsky | Firebird: Berceuse and Finale | |
| | Suites for Small Orchestra | | Chester Novello |
| Sullivan | H.M.S. Pinafore: Overture | |
| | Pirates of Penzance: Overture | |
| Suolahti, H. | Sinfonia Piccola | |
| |
| Tchaikovsky | Capriccio Italien | |
| | Marche Slave | |
| | Nutcracker Suite, selections | Some are playable |
| | Polonaise from Eugene Onegin | |
| | Suite no. 4 ("Mozartiana") | |
| | Swan Lake: Suite | some parts are playable |
| | Symphony No. 2 | |
| Thomson, V. | Suite from The River | | Peermusic |
| Torelli | Christmas Concerto | Strings only |
| |
| Vaughan Williams | English Folk Song Suite | arr by Gordon Jacobs |
| | Prelude to "49th Parallel" | |
| Verdi | Aida: Hymn and Triumphal March | |
| | La Traviata: Prelude to Acts I and II | |
| | Nabucco Overture | |
| Vivaldi | Concerto in Sol Minore "Per L'Orchestra di Dresda", F.XII No.3 | features 2 fl, 2 ob, 2 bsn, vln | Ricordi Volume 25 |
| | Sinfonia in Si Minore "Al Santo Sepolchro", F.XI no.7 | no organ or hpschd. Only 6 min. | Ricordi Volume 22 |
| |
| Wagner | Die Meistersinger: Prelude | |
| | Siegfried Idyll | Difficult |
| | Tannhauser: Arrival of the Guests at Wartburg | |
| Walton | Crown Imperial March | Arr by Stone |
| Warlock | Capriol Suite | Strings only (1926) or full orchestra (1928) |
| Warshauer, Meira | Beyond the Horizon | | Kol Meira Publications |
| | Like Streams in the Desert | Difficult |
| Webber | Phantom of the Opera | Custer arrangement |
| Weber | Invitation to the Dance | arr. Berlioz |
| Wendel, Bob | Commemoration | | Robert Wendel Music |
| Whitfield, Ralph W. Jr. | Adagio and Allegro | | www.internetpro.net/~ralphw/aa_prem.html |
| Wolking, Henry | Symphony No. 2 | Difficult |