David Bohn - Toy Piano - Fourth Set

A native of Wisconsin, David Bohn In his career as an organist, has given premieres of over fifty organ works. He currently resides in West Allis, Wisconsin, and is the organist and choir director at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in West Milwaukee. David Bohn is a strong advocate for both the Toy Piano and miniature forms in composition. Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame and his 100-Note Toy Piano Project exemplify his commitment and dedication to the instrument and the genre.

Concert Dates

  • December 17, 2022 - Virtual Concert Halls

15 one-minute selections for David Bohn and Toy Piano (fourth set)

  • icy banks for toy piano

    José Jesus de Azevedo Souza

    José Jesus de Azevedo Souza studied in England at the Purcell School with a scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. He then studied at the Trinity College of Music and the University of Sheffield. His music has since been performed in Europe, Asia, North and South America and

    This is one of numerous keyboard pieces for David Bohn and explores the somewhat frosty tone of the Toy Piano evoking thoughts of the icy banks of a river during the winter season. Following glistening clusters, the music proceeds dreamily with monotonously repetitive interwoven lines depicting

  • Chanson triste

    Leo Brauneiss

    Leopold Brauneiss was born 1961 in Vienna. He studied at the University of Vienna (musicology) and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (musical education, piano) and received his doctorate in musicology in 1988. Since 1990 he has taught theory of music (harmony and counterpoint, analysis, history of music) and piano at the J. M. Hauer-conservatory (now J. M. Hauer-Musikschule) Wiener Neustadt, since 2004 he has been lecturer for harmony and counterpoint at the Institute of Musicology (University of Vienna), since 2006 he has held a lectureship in harmony, counterpoint and instrumentation at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater >>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy<< in Leipzig. He wrote various articles on Pärt’s Tintinnabuli Style which have been published in different languages. His compositions have been performed by renowned artists like Gidon Kremer, Michael Kofler. Wolfang Capek, Kremerata baltica, Tonkünstler Orchester Niederösterreich.

    Just play, have fun and don't feel too sad...

  • Benediction

    Ross James Carey

    Ross James Carey is a collaborative pianist and composer. A native of New Zealand, he is currently a foreign professor in the School of Music at Sias University, Xinzheng, China. Ross enjoys exploring both short-form works and composing for toy piano alongside interests in quotation and classical-jazz crossover pieces.

    'Benediction for three octave toy piano or piano solo was composed in response to David Bohn's call for scores for toy piano, and I'm delighted he will be giving the premiere of the toy piano version today. Benediction was written on, and dedicated to, my dear friend John Sharpley as a small token of my regard for his 66th birthday in September 2021.

    The piece adopts the form of a series of chords based upon two superimposed pentatonic scales. For today's performance David will perform his own arpeggiations on some of the chords, creating textural variation as well as giving us the opportunity to hear more clearly the pentatonic pitch classes.

    The piece is called 'Benediction' as when I think of my friendship with John I think of the blessings I've received knowing him, from the gifts of his wonderful composition and performance and musings on musical practice as well as the support he has shown me over the years. He is a role model in so many ways. Thank you, John!'

  • Uno

    Carlotta Ferrari

    Carlotta Ferrari (1975) is an Italian composer who has developed a personal language that is concerned with the blend of past and present. Her compositions have been performed frequently around the world, and appear on several CDs. Her research interest lies in modal-inspired compositional techniques.

    Uno (meaning One in Italian) is a lively piece for toy piano. Its duration is one minute, and it features one finger of each hand.

  • BACH (for Jan)

    Robert Fleisher

    Robert Fleisher’s music has been heard in more than a dozen countries (on five continents), appreciatively reviewed in the Ann Arbor News, Musicworks (Canada), The New York Times, Perspectives of New Music, and The Strad (U.K), and is available on Albany, Capstone, Centaur, Navona, Petrichor, PnOVA, Sarton, and SEAMUS labels.

    BACH (for Jan), a tiny tribute to Jan Bach (1937-2020)--my greatly revered, deeply missed Northern Illinois University music theory & composition faculty colleague and dear friend--revisits the 19th-c. Welsh tune, Ymadawiad y Brenin (“The Departure of the King”), which inspired his stunning trio, Eisteddfod (1972) for flute, viola, and harp.

  • Fragments

    Niamh Gibbs

    Niamh Gibbs is violinist, pianist, composer from London. Her work focuses on pushing boundaries within music and sound to explore creative and relevant ideas. Niamh’s compositions have been featured on radio stations, in music festivals and commended in high profile music competitions including The Tune Into Nature Prize by Selfridges.

    Fragments explores the use of syncopation and disjointed rhythm in conjunction with melodic invention on the piano. The work, intended for toy piano, is intended to reflect the effect that can be achieved with two voices working both separately and in unison simultaneously and produce a piece which is unconventional.

  • Autumn Fairies

    Stephanie Henry

    Stephanie Henry is a classically trained pianist and composer from Minneapolis, MN. She performs with classical and theatrical ensembles, as well as with rock bands. She composed original works for film, musical theater, orchestras, quartets, and solo piano. Her music has been applauded for its originality and charismatic charm.

    This piece is fast, dark and whimsical. It explores the idea of Autumn fairies bringing death and decay through the colorful beauty of Autumn.

  • 28/12/21

    Oscar Johnzén

    I’m a 15-year old composer and multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. I've loved music for as long as I remember, I gradually developed a passion for contemporary music. Through composition, I want to explore the beauty of nature, and art.

    The idea for this short little piece came to me when I looked outside at the heavy snow falling in the cold Swedish winter, this in combination with the paintings of Helen Frankenthaler inspired me the write this piece.

  • Christmas Souvenir

    Serban Nichifor

    Born in Bucharest (Romania), 25.08.1954. Doctor in Musicology; U.S. Department of State IVLP grant. Prizes: Amsterdam (First Prize Gaudeamus), Tours, Evian, Atena, Toledo, Urbana-Illinois, Trento, Roma, Bydgoszcz, Hong Kong, Karlsruhe,Koln, Newtown-Wales, Birmingham-Alabama; Works: Symphonic, Vocal-Symphonic, Chamber, and Electronic Music http://www.voxnovus.com/composer/Serban_Nichifor.htm

    CHRISTMAS SOUVENIR - program notes - This music evokes a wonderful time. Serban Nichifor December 20, 2021

  • Happy Chimes

    Akmal Parwez

    While studying electronics in Tokyo, composer-vocalist Akmal Parwez studied composition with Yasushi Akutagawa and Klaus Pringsheim. After completing his university studies (BE, ME), he felt compelled to devote his life to music. In the U.S. he studied composition with Florence Jolley, Leo Kraft and Samuel Adler(MA, Queens College; PhD, Eastman).

    In anticipation of a joyful Spring-time, free from strife.

  • Nocturne ... What Do You Mean ...

    Karel Suchy

    Karel Suchy integrates musical composition and performance with photography, video and engineering design. His collaborative works include poetry and prose – both spoken and sung, visual art, music improvisation, dance and drama. He employs the creative process equally in architectural engineering design and the arts.

    A nocturne for toy piano. What do you mean …? Here is the question again. Can a toy piano convey intimacy?

  • Midnight (Toy Sonata, 2nd movement)

    Chris Tilley

    Chris Tilley (b.1970) studied composition with Luigi Zaninelli at the University of Southern Mississippi. Chris writes chamber music, solo piano music, music for dance, and many art songs, as well as original plays and musicals. His work has been performed around the US, and in several other countries.

    “Midnight” is the second movement of a short three-movement sonata for toy piano (or other keyboard instrument). In the overall structure of the sonata, it serves as a traditional lyrical second movement – a sort of melancholy song without words.

  • Boxed Reminiscence

    Jonah Vicente

    A composer and flutist, Jonah Vicente has composed, arranged, and performed music in a variety of chamber ensemble settings. He enjoys working with performers of under-explored instruments and tackling the challenge of fitting his writing to each instrument’s idiomatic quirks.

    Written for David Bohn and the Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame project. A vaguely, yet fondly held memory. A quaint little spirit in a cage, it sits neatly within its box in the corner. Yet it is a mercurial thing, flitting between feelings, surging for a moment, then fluttering away, just out of reach.

  • The Soles and Soul of the Winter Solstice

    P KELLACH WADDLE

    P. KELLACH WADDLE P. Kellach Waddle ( b.1967) enjoys an extremely busy and lauded career as a composer, solo bassist, orchestral bassist, concert curator, and writer. Among his now nearly 750 works are indeed this submitted opus, his third for toy piano.

    This pieces moody, brooding color is meant to invoke all the mixed feelings of the present when approaching our third winter of pandemic. The title reflects both my affection for alliteration and all wordplay, while also noting the unseasonable warmth much of the central US was experiencing on Dec.

  • Quick Santo Domingo

    César Zumel

    Born in Burgos, Spain. I like all kind of music, from everywhere, by everybody,…My favourite is choral one. As choir conductor I also writes music for choir, and organ is the most similar instrument to the choir. Thus, I write music for piano too.

    Born in Burgos, Spain. I like all kind of music, from everywhere, by everybody,…My favourite is choral one. As choir conductor I also writes music for choir, and organ is the most similar instrument to the choir. Thus, I write music for piano too.