“An Appalachian Wind” is a work for oboe, narrator and bluegrass. It is based on a short “Faustian Tale” by Mark Baumgartner, and was commissioned by oboist Heather Killmeyer.  In the story, two siblings (acted by the fiddle and bass performers), travel the Appalachian mountains in search of music. One of them falls in love with a mysterious oboe player, Melinda, who lives in the woods.  As he courts Melinda’s hand, she proposes a challenge: learn how to make the perfect oboe reed, and I’ll marry you.  It sounds simple — until you try. Featuring an appearance by The Devil himself.
CATEGORY	instrumental music, chamber music, flexible instrumentation
INSTRUMENTATION	oboe, narrator, bluegrass (fiddle / mandolin or banjo / bass)
DURATION	approximately 16 minutes
WORLD PREMIERE	March 27 2015 at the Appalachian Studies Conference at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN.
WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMERS	Dominic Aquilino (narrator), Heather Killmeyer (oboe), Lee Bidgood (mandolin), Ljova (fadolín), Cynthia Jean Mueller (bass)
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES	n/a
RECORDING	n/a
SCORE AVAILABILITY	All arrangements are available for sale via PDF or mail delivery; arrangements for combinations not listed above may be commissioned on request. [contact for more info]