Chameleon Lament - SOLO OB(PN)

Chameleon Lament
for solo oboe, doubling piano
by Alyssa Morris (b. 1984) - American composer and oboist

ABOUT THE MUSIC:

Chameleon Lament is a soliloquy for oboe and piano, the oboist performing both roles synchronously. This movement was conceptualized in 2020/ 2021. In Chameleon Lament, the oboist carries the role of both performers, representing the times we feel we carry the responsibilities and the burdens of the world on our shoulders alone.

Chameleon Lament was premiered at the 2021 International Double Reed Virtual Symposium during the Covid-19 pandemic. The movement is now part of a larger song cycle for oboe and piano called Songs of Solitude, a song cycle that was commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University and premiered by oboist Katherine Needleman in 2023.

Many thanks to the Barlow Endowment, to Katherine Needleman, and to the many people who by purchasing a “pre-order” PDF of Chameleon Lament are sponsors of the 2024 Kansas State University Wildcat Oboe Day with guest artist Katherine Needleman! Wildcat Oboe Day 2024 events will be held on the evening of Saturday, February 24 and throughout the day on Sunday, February 25, 2024 in the Purple Masque Theatre at Kansas State University. It is a free event, and all oboists from beginners to professionals are invited! The theme of Wildcat Oboe Day 2024 is Celebrating Women in the Arts. Details and registration for the event will be coming soon via social media and email.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER:

Alyssa Morris is Associate Professor of Oboe/ Music Theory at Kansas State University, principal oboist of the Topeka Symphony and Chamber Orchestra of the Smoky Valley, and founding member of AGLOW Trio. She has performed in venues throughout the US, Europe, Thailand, and New Zealand. She was concerto soloist at the Kennedy Center, and recitalist at the 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2023 International Double Reed Conventions.  Her solo albums, “A Higher Place” and "Ruminations" were hailed by American Record Guide as “gorgeous and thoughtful” and by Fanfare Magazine as "pure gold.” In their 2023 album, AGLOW was applauded by Fanfare for their “arresting unity,” giving “performances that shimmer with energy.”  Alyssa is a 2021 American Prize (AP) finalist in performance, and AGLOW is a 2022 AP Finalist in Chamber Music.  Alyssa teaches oboe and composition master classes throughout the United States and abroad.

American Record Guide writes that Alyssa’s compositions have “charm and substance.”  She is a two-time International Barlow Composition Commission Winner, and was ROCO’s 2020-2021 Composer-In-Residence.  Alyssa has been commissioned to compose for Carolyn Hove (English horn, LA Phil), the US Air Force WWQ, the Richmond Symphony, cellist Andres Diaz, Katherine Needleman (principal oboist, BSO), Egide Duo, and more.  Alyssa’s music has been presented at the conventions of IDRS, NFA, ICA, CMS, NACWPI, the World Flutes Festival, Japan Oboe Society, and SCI. Alyssa’s works were required pieces for the IDRS Young Artist Competition, the International Virtual Oboe Competition, the Spanish Double Reed Society Young Artist Competition, and recommended works on the Australian Music Examinations Board.