Michael Kaulkin (b. 1967) is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory having previously studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. He is active in the San Francisco Bay Area as a teacher and as a composer of works for chorus, orchestra, film and the musical stage. His music has been described as “exceptionally beautiful on many counts.” Kaulkin also happens to be the founder of Swirly Music.
“Are Friends Delight or Pain?” is a brief a cappella double-choir movement (SATB + SATB, ~1’45”) excerpted from Cycle of Friends, setting Emily Dickinson’s epigram with concentrated intensity. The entire piece rests on a single sustained E—a pedal point whose meaning keeps shifting as the harmony moves through changing modes and colors.
A lyrical meditation on friendship and loss, Cycle of Friends is a concert centerpiece with texts ranging from Sappho and Emily Dickinson to Tang-dynasty China and pre-Columbian Mexico. A soprano soloist serves as an intimate narrator, while the orchestra supplies vivid, transparent color around lyrical choral writing. Completed and premiered in 1996, a newly revised […]
Ducks in the Garden is a short a cappella piece based on a very silly poem by Will T. Laughlin. It was premiered in June, 2012 by the San Francisco Choral Artists, Magen Solomon, Artistic Director. Hear the work performed in the amusing video embedded above. Morning comes — The day is fine; Ducks in […]
Premiered in June 2018 by San Francisco Choral Artists, “Fare Ye Well My Darlin'” is a tender, dramatic arrangement of an American folksong, perhaps dating from the Civil War. A soldier bids farewell to his beloved as he leaves for war. Will he ever return? At a glance Difficulty: moderate For strong univiersity, community, or […]
Most This Amazing is a colorful, pulse-driven setting of E. E. Cummings’ well-known poem of gratitude and wonder. Two pianos and percussion add rhythmic energy, sparkle, and a magical sheen, with the choir carrying the text in broad, singable phrases. 📖 Download the Perusal Score Choose the “free perusal score” option in the shopping cart. […]
Neapolitan Carol evokes the starry night in Bethlehem, as three travelers from afar arrive to pay homage to the newborn child. Sung in the original Neapolitan, the arrangement also includes an optional English text by the composer. At a glance: SATB • piano • c. 2’15” Difficulty: easy-moderate For HS, university, community choirs Neapolitan pronunciation […]
Psalm 117 (Hallelu et Adonai) is a compact, ecstatic setting of the shortest psalm—a direct call for all peoples to praise—building to an exuberant “Halleluya!” Beyond its liturgical roots, it also works as a vivid, high-energy concert opener or closer, celebrating joy, invitation, and collective voice. At a glance SSA • piano • c. 2′ […]
Redbirds is a lyrical setting of Sara Teasdale’s poem, evoking nostalgia and wonder through a gently folk-like melody in the Mixolydian mode. The piano suggests the chirping of cardinals as the text recalls a vivid memory—sunlight, hills, and redbirds singing above the Mississippi River—ending with a touch of wistful reflection. At a glance 2 equal […]
“Song of Becoming” (2025) traces an arc through the four classical elements—Air, Earth, Fire, and Water—as symbols of transformation. Mostly sung in English, the score weaves in short phrases of original Persian as mantra-like refrains. Air opens in longing and awakening; Earth turns toward humility and groundedness; Fire burns with passion and surrender; Water dissolves, […]
A theatrical setting of Di Balade Funem Farloyrenem Shefel, a colorful allegory by Yiddish poet Itzik Manger telling the story of a shepherd boy searching high and low for his lost lamb, only to discover that he has found something more important that he didn’t know he was looking for. Follow the score with English subtitles in […]
The Noble Art of Music sets two Martin Luther quotations as a bright, uplifting choral fanfare celebrating the joy of singing. Commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Artists, it unfolds in clear panels—urgent, then stately, before opening into a broad final statement—making a crisp, welcoming opener for almost any program. “As long as we live, […]
Tumbalalayka is a rhythmic, harmonically rich setting of the beloved Yiddish folksong. The voices imitate the strumming of the balalaika in this classic riddle-courtship song—by turns playful and tender. Performed regularly by choirs around the world. It is included on French vocal quartet Quatour Aesthesis’ 2022 CD O Do Not Move. At a glance • WACDA […]
Zwei Hülshoff Lieder was commissioned by San Francisco’s LIEDER ALIVE! as part of the organization’s mission to preserve the German lieder tradition through classes, recitals and the creation of new works. It was premiered in San Francisco in January, 2015 by soprano Jessica Wan, joined by clarinetist Natalie Parker, violist Paul Yarbrough and pianist Laura Dahl. The texts […]
Originally written for the musical The Ghost of Wu, musical that tells the story of Wu Chao, the only female ruler in Chinese history, who ruled in the 8th Century, “The World Rolls On” is, quite simply, a lullaby.
A lyrical meditation on friendship and loss, Cycle of Friends is a concert centerpiece with texts ranging from Sappho and Emily Dickinson to Tang-dynasty China and pre-Columbian Mexico. A soprano soloist serves as an intimate narrator, while the orchestra supplies vivid, transparent color around lyrical choral writing. Completed and premiered in 1996, a newly revised […]
Zwei Hülshoff Lieder was commissioned by San Francisco’s LIEDER ALIVE! as part of the organization’s mission to preserve the German lieder tradition through classes, recitals and the creation of new works. It was premiered in San Francisco in January, 2015 by soprano Jessica Wan, joined by clarinetist Natalie Parker, violist Paul Yarbrough and pianist Laura Dahl. The texts […]
LYRIC SCHERZO was commissioned in its original form for flute, french horn and percussion by the San Francisco Bay Area’s Teal Crane Trio and premiered by them in 2014. As the title suggests, it is a tuneful and playful piece with a virtuosic percussion part involving constant interplay between the vibraphone and bongos and other […]
Note: The price here is for the score only. If you would like a perusal score to consider for performing the work, contact [email protected]. Letter to Hungary was premiered in Budapest, Hungary in November, 2005, by the Hungarian Chamber Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alberto Santana. The HCSO commissioned the work to open their inaugural “American […]
FANFARE was commissioned by the Washington International School, the composer’s alma mater and premiered at a gala event celebrating the school’s 40th anniversary in May, 2006. Score and parts included. Instrumentation 3 trumpets in C 1 trombone 1 bass trombone 1 tuba Timpani (3) Percussion (bass drum, suspended cymbal, snare drum, tambourine, triangle)
A lyrical meditation on friendship and loss, Cycle of Friends is a concert centerpiece with texts ranging from Sappho and Emily Dickinson to Tang-dynasty China and pre-Columbian Mexico. A soprano soloist serves as an intimate narrator, while the orchestra supplies vivid, transparent color around lyrical choral writing. Completed and premiered in 1996, a newly revised […]
Composed in the first half of 2009, City Walks is a 12-minute piece for string quartet in one movement. It is lyrical and macabre, with a fun, adrenaline-soaked extended coda. It was premiered by the Eidolon Quartet in Berkeley, California in May, 2009 and performed subsequently at the San Francisco Airport’s “You Are Hear” festival and […]
“…a valuable addition to the contemporary repertoire.” — Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine, UK Michael Kaulkin’s American Standard (9 minutes) is a single-movement showpiece that balances aching lyricism with mischievous virtuosity. The clarinet line demands agility, dramatic expression, and theatrical flair, while the piano writing provides both sparkling dialogue and driving momentum. A favorite in recital […]
