String orchestra music from very easy to advanced, built to be fun to play and sound at every level. Performed in concert halls and classrooms around the world.
Adrian plays piano on this single, released in 2023.
An introspective solo that unfolds like a prayer, inspired by 1 Peter 3:3-4. Flowing triplets and the cello’s full range, from resonant low tones to lyrical upper lines, invite performer and listener to pause and reflect.
Grade 5 · 4:18 · Performed by Hariry
A dark, vivid concert work that imagines the world after the apocalypse. Low strings set an ominous mood against high violins, while a bass drum on every downbeat adds to the haunting effect.
A rich, melodic portrait of the open ocean and its gentle breezes, built on expressive lines for every section.
A high-energy showcase for violin, cello and bass soloists, driven by a drum set groove. It opens with an emotional cello solo and even includes a short vocal line.
A high-energy city adventure with improvisatory lines and percussive effects. Written as a prelude to Street Strings.
An urban groove for strings and drum set. Players trade pizzicato and arco, lock into triplet rhythms and pass the spotlight to a short solo. Pairs naturally with High Rise, its prelude.
Commissioned for the opening of Auerbach Hall at Providence Day School and inspired by its light and architecture. Rising string lines trace a journey from quiet beginnings to soaring heights.
A warm, expressive melody in C major floating over full, colorful harmonies, written to capture life’s most tender moments and help a developing orchestra sound full.
A majestic, confident processional with well-voiced parts that let intermediate players shine.
A lively work in D major that fuses the fiddle tune “Bile ’em Cabbage Down” with fiery string lines, framing a lush, romantic middle section.
An introspective solo that unfolds like a prayer, inspired by 1 Peter 3:3-4. Flowing triplets and the instrument’s full range, from resonant low tones to lyrical upper lines, invite performer and listener to pause and reflect.
A peaceful, unhurried piece in D major that builds lyrical, expressive playing in every section while staying accessible to developing orchestras.
A mysterious, beautiful work whose shifts between pizzicato and arco create a dark yet reflective mood. Moderately challenging, but very attainable for developing players.
A tribute to bravery that moves from bold, hopeful opening calls through a reflective middle section to a resolute final refrain. Written in an approachable 6/8, with a short violin solo.
A lyrical reminder to put our phones away and truly see one another. A shimmering violin tremolo opens into rich harmonies, a poignant modulation and a tender cello solo.
An intimate, con sordino solo about the love that remains when life gets complicated. A quiet pizzicato opening gives way to warm double stops and soaring high passages before returning to stillness. For advanced high school and collegiate violinists.
An epic, cinematic work for full orchestra: brass fanfares ride over driving string rhythms, with timpani, glockenspiel and cymbals adding color. A sudden hush builds back to a full-orchestra finish, giving every section a moment to shine without overtaxing the players. A strong concert opener or closer.
A programmatic piece about a burglar sneaking around late at night, who finally gets inside without realizing the alarm is set. A mysterious staccato melody and tiptoeing pizzicato set the scene, with fun moments along the way: players look over their shoulders, whisper “shhh,” and then the alarm goes off.
Inspired by the made-up words Adrian’s two young sons used as toddlers, like “cwokwit” for chocolate and “trim trunks” for swim trunks. A playful first piece that introduces eighth notes, keeps players mostly in unison with a few spots of harmony, and includes optional lyrics students can sing, or rewrite themselves.
An energetic holiday piece that captures a child’s excitement on Christmas morning, with sleigh bell accompaniment and very accessible rhythms and harmonies.
A classical-sounding work with a full sound at the beginning level. Second violins keep time with playful staccato notes while the low strings hold the pulse with a repeating eighth-note pattern.
A peaceful, dreamy original waltz that also teaches young players how to handle fermatas.
A playful novelty piece: light pizzicato paints a little mouse scurrying around the house as the cat gives chase, only to be teased and outsmarted.
A dynamic, mysterious concert work in a minor key, with fast spiccato eighth-note figures that keep the intensity high from beginning to end.
Inspired by Waverly, a lively neighborhood in South Charlotte where homes, shops and restaurants meet in a kind of dance. Moving eighth-note lines pass from section to section like a wave at a stadium, in a light, brisk waltz built on D major and D minor.
Written for two beginning violin students: an upbeat duet with catchy rhythms, playful dynamics and comfortable finger patterns.
Commissioned by the Empire State Youth Orchestra CHIME program around the theme “Stop the Violence, Show Kindness.” Three sections move from chaos, through grief, to a triumphant call for unity and peace.
A lullaby for New York City, the city that never sleeps. Played entirely pizzicato, smooth melodic lines weave with chords for a guitar-like feel in this accessible, refreshing take on solo violin repertoire.
A fun, unconventional solo that mixes pizzicato with ukulele-style strumming.
An energetic, majestic solo in G major with vibrant double stops, framing a lyrical, introspective middle section.
Relentless, pulsing rhythms and a menacing theme in E minor, great for building staccato and spiccato bowing.
A light, sparkling number, like a summer evening stroll in the park.
A free tool from Adrian for planning and shaping a new piece of music. Use it on your own or with students who are writing their first compositions.
Download the free PDFAdrian writes about composing in North Carolina Music Educator, Spring 2026, pages 21-23.
Read it online →Adrian walks through his composing process step by step, using the Composition Mind Map.