Step into the refined musical world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when intimate salon performances and virtuosic soloists captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

​

Salon Solos highlights solo wind music from an era of remarkable transformation—spanning the elegance of Romantic parlor music to the bold, energetic sounds that would soon give rise to ragtime and early jazz. Between the 1880s and 1920s, solo music for wind instruments flourished as composers and performers embraced expressive lyricism, technical brilliance, and new instrumental colors.

Early selections reflect the popularity of Romantic-era salon pieces, including lyrical ballads and operatic transcriptions designed for intimate gatherings and small concert halls. As the turn of the century approached, American band music surged in popularity, led by John Philip Sousa, whose marches elevated soloists—particularly cornet, baritone, and trombone—to celebrity status through dazzling featured passages.

​

The program also explores the stylistic shift of the early 20th century, when ragtime rhythms, blues inflections, and emerging jazz influences began shaping solo writing. New instruments rose to prominence, including the saxophone, while composers experimented with expressive tone color, freer phrasing, and descriptive “light music” that reflected the rapidly changing modern world.

Salon Solos offers a richly varied portrait of an age when wind musicians were at the center of musical innovation. Heard today in an intimate chamber setting, these solos capture the elegance, virtuosity, and creative energy that bridged the Romantic tradition and the dawn of America’s modern musical voice.