About the Music

We thank the composer for sharing the following program note about his work Forsaken (2026) for solo clarinet:

Forsaken, composed for solo clarinet, is a series of short movements exploring the feelings of and reactions to being left behind, isolated, or forsaken. Each movement, with the exception of the final, is confined to its own unique pitch-class register: every pitch is assigned a single octave in which it may appear for the entirety of the movement. This creates a distinct sonic space for each movement to inhabit and explore, while also imposing a sense of restriction; the feeling of being “trapped” or alone.

The movements were composed with different members of the clarinet family in mind, as shown below, but the composer also provides alternate transposed parts to allow all five movements to be played on B-flat clarinet.

1. Wandering - for Clarinet in Bb
2. Sorrowfully - for Bass Clarinet in Bb
3. Playfully - for Clarinet in Eb
4. Pensively - for Clarinet in A
5. Tranquil - for Clarinet in Bb

Solo score: 13 pages, spiral bound. Extended-range instrument NOT required for bass clarinet movement. Listen to the premiere recording:

PDF Edition

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About the Composer

Skyler Hedblom is a composer, percussionist, and music librarian whose work is shaped by a deep interest in the connection between composers, performers, and everyone involved in the process of bringing music to life. At the heart of his work is a desire to create music that connects with people, whether they are performing or listening. His music has been performed in Boston and beyond, and he is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the New England Conservatory, where he studies with Kati Agócs and Michael Gandolfi. He previously earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Puget Sound, studying with Robert Hutchinson.

Alongside his work as a composer, Skyler is an active music librarian and engraver. He has worked with organizations including Interlochen Center for the Arts, Symphony San Jose, the National Music Festival, the New England Conservatory, and the Tacoma Concert Band, and works independently as a freelance engraver and music preparer. At Interlochen, he has also taught a class on music engraving and the preparation of scores and parts.

Skyler is also an active percussionist with more than a decade of experience, performing in classical, chamber, contemporary, and pit orchestra settings. His performances have taken him throughout California and the Tacoma-Seattle region, as well as Carnegie Hall, Ireland, and the UK. He currently works as a freelance percussionist in Boston, where he is equally at home performing with NEC's Philharmonia or in the world premiere of a contemporary opera. These varied experiences as a performer inform his work as a composer, giving him a broad perspective on the ways music can be created, performed, and experienced.