Explore orchestral music
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The Boosey & Hawkes catalogue has a wide range of music for orchestra, performed around the world in concert halls and recording studios.
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Visit our News Centre for all the latest orchestral news including...
> New Shostakovich symphony edition from Boosey & Hawkes and Sikorski
> Unsuk Chin traces the history of opera in new orchestral work
> Brett Dean: Cello Concerto is Ivors best orchestral composition
> Christopher Rouse’s final symphony receives world premiere recording
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Leading composers of orchestral music include:
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Rachmaninoff's rich, Romantic scores, full of Russian colour, include Piano Concerto No.2, Symphonic Dances and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Major works worthy of exploration include the tone poem The Isle of the Dead and the choral symphony The Bells.
>Listen to Rachmaninoff's music
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His highly original ballets Petrushka and The Rite of Spring are now among the most popular of 20th century orchestral works. Scores from Stravinsky's neoclassical period include Symphony of Psalms for orchestra and choir, and smaller-scale works including the Pulcinella Suite and Apollon musagète.
>Listen to Stravinsky's music
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Copland was a total master of orchestral music, as heard in his ballet scores Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo. Other works full of American flavour include El Salon Mexico and Music for a Great City. His ever-popular Fanfare for the Common Man appears in the finale of his Symphony No.3.
>Listen to Copland's music
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Bartók's most widely performed orchestral works are the Concerto for Orchestra and virtuosic concertos that continue to attract the world's leading soloists: Piano Concerto No.3, Violin Concerto No.2 and the posthumous Viola Concerto. B&H is also the US publisher for Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, the Miraculous Mandarin Suite and the Dance Suite.
>Listen to Bartók's music
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The rhythmic energy of Bernstein's theatre works comes to the concert hall with the Candide Overture, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and the On the Town Dance Episodes. Symphonic works include Serenade for violin and orchestra and The Age of Anxiety for piano and orchestra.
>Listen to Bernstein's music
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Britten's orchestration shows clarity and colour, as heard in the Four Sea Interludes, the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and the powerful Sinfonia da Requiem. Works with string orchestra include Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, and the song cycles Serenade and Les Illuminations.
>Listen to Britten's music
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Evergreen favourites by Prokofieff include the Classical Symphony, Lieutenant Kijé and the Suite from the Love for Three Oranges. B&H also publishes in the UK and Commonwealth the ballet music from Romeo and Juliet, Symphony No.5 and Alexander Nevsky.
>Listen to Prokofieff's music
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His skills in operatic music can be heard in early 20th century scores such as Salome's Dance and the Rosenkavalier Suite, while his tone poems include Symphonia Domestica. His late flowering in the 1940s included the Four Last Songs, Metamorphosen and the Oboe Concerto.
>Listen to Strauss's music
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Also explore exciting works by B&H's leading contemporary composers who have specialised in orchestral music
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b.1947 Worcester, USA
Short Ride in a Fast Machine ... Violin Concerto ... Century Rolls ...>Listen to John Adams's music
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b.1934 Accrington, UK; d.2022, Mere, UK
The Shadow of Night ... Exody ... Deep Time ...>Listen to Harrison Birtwistle's music
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b.1908 New York City, USA; d.2012 New York City, USA
Symphonia ... Boston Concerto ... Three Illusions ...>Listen to Elliott Carter's music
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b.1980 London, UK
Masquerade ... This Midnight Hour ... DANCE ...>Listen to Anna Clyne's music
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![Sofia Gubaidulina _[Sikorski]_](/images/composer/gateway_Gubaidulina.jpg)
b.1931 Christopol, Soviet Union
Offertorium … The Light of the End … The Wrath of God …>Listen to Sofia Gubaidulina's music
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b.1958 Helsinki, Finland
Feria ... Clarinet Concerto ... Sculpture ...>Listen to Magnus Lindberg's music
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b.1959 Kilwinning, UK
The Confession of Isobel Gowdie ... Veni, Veni, Emmanuel ... Piano Concerto No.3 ...>Listen to James MacMillan's music
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b.1934 Manchester, UK; d.2016 Orkney, UK
An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise ... Trumpet Concerto ... Antarctic Symphony ...>Listen to Peter Maxwell Davies's music
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b.1964 Mexico City, Mexico
Kauyumari ... Altar de Cuerda ... Antrópolis ...>Listen to Gabriela Ortiz's music
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b.1949 Baltimore, USA; d.2019 Baltimore, USA
Trombone Concerto ... Concert de Gaudí ... Rapture ...>Listen to Christopher Rouse's music
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b.1960 Corringham, UK
From the Wreckage ... Chicago Remains ... Speranza ...
>Listen to Mark-Anthony Turnage's music -
For a fuller list of Boosey & Hawkes contemporary composers please visit our Contemporary area.
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Boosey & Hawkes has a wide selection of music suitable for performance by youth orchestras across a range of abilities. For repertoire suggestions please contact your local office: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].
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You can search our extensive catalogue of orchestral music on rental and place an online order via our Rental area. You can buy orchestral scores from our Online Shop or from your local dealer.
New Music for Orchestra
View the latest New Music for Orchestra from Boosey & Hawkes, completed or premiered between 2018 and 2022.
Publication of the Month
Benjamin Britten
Symphonic Suite from Gloriana
Study Score
This orchestral suite was extracted by Britten from his 1953 coronation opera Gloriana, taking us through the opening Tournament, Essex's haunting Second Lute Song, the vigorous Courtly Dances and the opera's moving Epilogue.