Welcome to Classical Transcriptions

About Classical Transcriptions

I have been arranging works of the masters that are in the public domain for wind ensemble SINCE 2011. It started when one of my students and I collaborated to arrange Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring for a wind ensemble. That first year’s performance was so inspiring that many of the students involved ask what was going to be written for next year’s June concert.

These arrangements have been carefully developed to play every note written by the Masters. When perusing the repertoire, take note of the use of saxes, clarinets, and flutes to cover string parts. The saxophones do a remarkable job of covering that element most times.

When performing these pieces, the students become empowered by the greatness of the works. Oftentimes, we have shared moments of illumination, awe, and wonder at the genius and beauty in its simplicity. Of course, experiencing the music of Beethoven and Brahms can be a life changing event.

There are currently 17 separate pieces available for download. The year 2020 was a difficult one for all of us. We were denied the opportunity to perform that June. For the first time, I had arranged an entire symphony, Beethoven’s 5th. I was looking forward to that. Each movement can be ordered separately as well.