Where to Find Flute Repertoire

I don’t know about you, but I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent digging for new repertoire to play. At first I had no idea where I should even start looking. But what I’ve learned along the way is that though finding and choosing repertoire can be challenging, it can also be exciting and rewarding. My goal is that this blog will save you time when you’re looking for a new piece so you can skip the hours of searching and start practicing! 

Please note these resources are not listed in any particular order, but are all equally wonderful tools for finding repertoire. 

Flute Specific

1. The National Flute Association’s (NFA) Program Books 
   • Past program books from the NFA are one of the best sources for finding repertoire. The program books from 2006 through the most recent convention are all available to view for free online, and contain a “repertoire guide” to the pieces performed at each convention in the back. As many new works are premiered at conventions, as well as flute treasures and standards, it’s a great place to find pieces to add to your repertoire. 
   • Likewise, program booklets from regional flute organizations’ conventions can also be good sources of repertoire ideas. These are sometimes harder to access as not all are available online, but you can always reach out to the organization for a copy!
2. The NFA’s Repertoire Guide
   • Another resource the NFA’s pedagogy committee has created is a repertoire guide. Unlike the other resources in this blog, this guide has suggestions not only for solo and chamber works, but also methods, technique, and etude books – there are a total of 1407 entries!
3. Flute New Music Consortium 
   • The Flute New Music Consortium was founded with the expansion of the flute repertoire in mind. As such, they hold competitions each year in which composers submit new works for solo flute, flute and piano or electronics, and flute chamber works. They have a Google spreadsheet with a comprehensive list of their competition results here. 
4. Flute Xpansions
   • Flute Xpansions is a resource for contemporary flute playing that was created in 2015. It includes workshops, free exercises, videos, an online forum, and a repertoire database of pieces of varying levels. All of the pieces in their database include extended techniques.  
5. Virtuosa Flute Solos
   • Nicole Schaffer of Pualani Flute put together a database of 160+ flute solos by women composers ranging from the Baroque period to the present era. 
6. Tetractys
   • Tetractys is a publisher based in the UK that specializes in low flute repertoire, though they also have music for solo flute (and solo pic, alto, bass, and contra), baroque flute, and ensembles that include the flute. It was started in 2012 by one of the industry’s leading experts on low flutes, Carla Rees. 
7. Flauta Latino America
   • This website was launched in 2021 by a network of Latin American women flutists. Their first project was the creation of a catalog of over 2000 Latin American works for flute or ensembles that include the flute. The site is in Spanish, but many browsers have the ability to translate. 
8. Flute Music by Black Composers
   • This is a google spreadsheet monitored by Jennifer Parker-Harley (University of South Carolina), Nave Graham (University of Mississippi), and Philip Snyder. This living document is frequently updated, and it also has tabs for oboe and bassoon. 
9. Browse flute music dealers’ websites!
   • Flute World
   • Flute Center of New York
   • Carolyn Nussbaum 
   • Flutistry
   • Flute Specialists

Non-Flute Specific

1. IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project, also known as the Petrucci Music Library)
   • Started in 2006, IMSLP is a free online music library in which you can download compositions that are in the public domain. It boasts a total of 217,703 works, 710,928 scores, 78,650 recordings, and 26,381 composers! The link above directs you to a page in which you can select the instrument you’re looking for (i.e., alto flute, C flute, C flute arrangements, etc.).
2. Browse music dealers’ websites! Though sites are not flute-specific, they sometimes have a better selection of chamber music and arrangements for flute (especially pop arrangements).
   • Sheet Music Plus
   • ALRY Publications
   • Theodore Presser
   • Just Flutes (contrary to their name, Just Flutes also sells other woodwind instruments, accessories, and music). Note this company is based in the UK and the prices are listed in Euros. 
   • Last Resort Music 
   • There are plenty of other music dealers, but many focus on elementary band, orchestra, and choir. As such, they are not as helpful for finding flute repertoire. 🙂
3. Browse high school state solo competition lists! These lists are a great place to see what high school students are playing, what pieces incoming freshmen may be familiar with etc.
   • Florida
   • Texas
   • (There are many more of these lists out there – Florida and Texas are just two of the largest.)
4. American Composers Alliance
   • As its title suggests, the American Composers Alliance is a publisher of American compositions and has over 14,000 works by 300+ American composers in its database. 
5. Earsense
   • Earsense is a chamber music database founded by Kai Christiansen, a musicologist and software engineer. This is actually one of my favorite databases for finding music (they have flute and piano, too!) because it has so many features. You can filter by type of ensemble; click on a specific composer to see information about them and their compositions; it offers “related composers;” it has a handful of lists of “standards;” short articles on a variety of pieces…. It even has a page that lists the composers who were born and died on the date of your search. 
6. Institute for Composer Diversity 
   • This database is for chamber groups and large ensembles, but also has a ton of specific criteria you can search for!
7. No Broken Links
   • No Broken Links is a series of databases for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, and horn started in 2016 by Brandon Scott Ramsey. It specifically features solo and chamber works by minority composers. 
8. Lastly, go to concerts and recitals – they are a great place to find new repertoire. You can also access many people’s repertoire lists online to see what they have been playing! 

There are a handful of other resources out there for flute music, but I hope these few keep you occupied! If you know of any more, I’d love to add them to this list – please leave a comment or send me a DM via my socials!