20th century
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
20th century
21st century
Solo repertoire
Piccolo
Alto flute
Bass flute
Kennan Kent Wheeler
Aitken, Robert
Amirov, Fikret
Amlin, Martin
Amram, David
Andriessen, Jurriaan
Arnold, Malcolm
Arrieu, Claude
Auric, Georges
Babbit, Milton
Bacchus, Peter
Bacri, Nicolas
Baker, Michael Conway
Baksa, Robert
Barber, Samuel
Barrere, Georges
Bartók, Béla Viktor János
Baton, René-Emmanuel
Beaser, Robert
Bennet, Richard Rodney
Berg, Gunnar
Berio, Luciano
Bernofsky, Lauren
Bernstein, Leonard
Bloch, Ernest
Bolling, Claude
Bon, Maarten
Bonis, Mel
Boughton, Rutland
Boulanger, Marie-Juliette
Boulez, Pierre
Bourdin, Roger
Bournonville, Armand
Bowen, Edwin York
Bozza, Eugène Joseph
Bréville, Pierre
Brings, Allen
Brotons, Salvador
Brown, Elizabeth
Brun, Georges
Burkhard, Willy
Burton, Eldin
Büsser, Henri
Camus, Pierre
Carmichael, John
Carter, Elliott
Casella, Alfredo
Chaynes, Charles
Clarke, Ian
Colgrass, Michael
Colquhoun, Michael
Copland, Aaron
Corigliano, John
Cortese, Luigi
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Dahl, Walter Ingolf Marcus
Damase, Jean-Michel
Davidovsky, Mario
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Debussy, Claude
Del Tredici, David
DeLaney, Charles Oliver
Delerue, Georges
Denisov, Edison
Dèsbriere, Jacques
Dick, Robert
Dinicu, Grigoraș
Dodgson, Stephen
Dohnányi, Ernő
Dubois, Pierre Max
Dukas, Paul
Durey, Louis
Dutilleux, Henri
Enescu, George
Farkas, Ferenc
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Ferroud, Pierre-Octave
Flothuis, Marius
Folio, Cynthia
Foote, Arthur
Foss, Lukas
Françaix, Jean
Fukushima, Kazuo
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Gál, Hans
Gaubert, Philippe
Genzmer, Harald
George, Thom Ritter
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Glass, Philip
Glière, Reinhold
Golovin, Andrei
Gordeli, Otar
Grier, Lita
Griffes, Charles Tomlinson
Grinblat, Romuald
Grovlez, Gabriel
Guarnieri, Mozart Camargo
Gubajdulina, Sofia
Hahn, Reynaldo
Hailstork, Adolphus
Halphen, Fernand
Hanson, Howard Harold
Harberg, Amanda
Harbison, John
Harsányi, Tibor
Harty, Hamilton
Heiss, John
Heith, David
Henze, Hans-Werner
Higdon, Jennifer
Hindemith, Paul
Holliger, Heinz
Holmboe, Vagn
Honegger, Arthur
Hoover, Katherine
Hosokawa, Toshio
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Hüe, Georges Adolphe
Hurel, Philippe
Ibert, Jacques
Ichiyanagi, Toshi
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Ives, Charles
Jacob, Gordon
James, Bob
Jemnitz, Sándor
Jirák, Karel Boleslav
Jóhannsson, Magnús Blöndal
Jolivet, André
Jongen, Joseph
Karg-Elert, Sigfrid
Kay, Ulysses
Kelterborn, Rudolf
Ķeniņš, Tālivaldis
Kennan, Kent Wheeler
Kennedy, Martin
Kernis, Aaron Jay
Khachaturian, Aram
Kocsár, Miklós
Kodaly, Zoltan
Koechlin, Charles
Kornauth, Egon
Kraft, Leo
Krzywicki, Jan
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Lauber, Joseph
Lavista, Mario
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Martinů, Bohuslav
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Mower, Mike
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Offermans, Wil
Olsen, Carl Gustav Sparre
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Perle, George
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Poulenc, Francis
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Rodrigo, Joaquin
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Rotaru, Doina
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Roussel, Albert
Rutter, John
Saariaho, Kaija
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Schmidt, Ole
Schocker, Gary
Schulhoff, Erwin
Schwantner, Joseph
Sciarrino, Salvatore
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Smit, Leo
Tailleferre, Germaine
Takemitsu, Tōru
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Tansman, Alexandre
Tomasi, Henri
Tower, Joan
Uébayashi, Yuko
Varèse, Edgar
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Weinberg, Mieczysław
Wilder, Alec
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Zgraja, Krystof
Night Soliloquy for flute and piano
Night Soliloquy for flute and piano
Kent Wheeler Kennan: Night Soliloquy for flute and piano was written in 1936 and dedicated to Joseph Mariano, who was the legendary principal flautist of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and a long-time professor at the Eastman School of Music. He premiered it in 1936 at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, by Joseph Mariano with an ensemble conducted by Howard Hanson.
The piece was composed while Kennan was completing his graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music. The work reflects the "American Romantic" aesthetic championed by his mentor, Howard Hanson, characterized by lush harmonies and a focus on atmospheric, evocative moods.
1936 was the most significant year of Kennan's early career. It was the year he won the prestigious Prix de Rome, making him one of the youngest Americans to receive the honor. Night Soliloquy was composed just as he was preparing to leave for his three-year residency at the American Academy in Rome. Joseph Mariano’s specific "silvery" and flexible tone was the direct inspiration for the piece.
Following the premiere, the work, originally written for flute, strings, and piano, was taken up by major conductors, including Leopold Stokowski and Arturo Toscanini, who famously performed it with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, an incredible feat for a 23-year-old composer. Later, Kennan made a version for flute and piano, which is now one of the most popular works by Kennan.
Kennan Kent Wheeler
Kent Wheeler Kennan (1913-2003) was a highly respected American composer, educator, and author whose pedagogical texts on
orchestration and counterpoint became foundational resources for music conservatories worldwide.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kennan was raised in a family that valued academic and creative pursuits.
He studied composition at the University of Michigan and the Eastman School of Music, where he was a star pupil of Howard Hanson and Bernard Rogers. His education there was rooted in the "American Romantic" tradition, emphasizing lyrical craftsmanship and robust orchestration.
After winning the Prix de Rome in music in 1936, he spent three years in Italy, where he was further influenced by the neoclassicism and structural clarity of Italian masters like Ildebrando Pizzetti.
Kennan spent the vast majority of his career (starting in 1940, with interruptions for military service) at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as a Professor of Music Theory and Composition.
His musical style is characterized by rhythmic vitality, neoclassical clarity, and tonal accessibility. According to research on American wind literature, his music is "expertly crafted for the performer," reflecting his deep knowledge of instrumental capabilities.
Since the age of 43, he stopped composing and dedicated himself to teaching. Among his best-known works are Trumpet Sonata and Night Soliloquy for flute and piano.