Wind quintets, wind trios and brass quintets by difficulty

Music for winds or brass alone, from easy trios and divertimenti to the demanding twentieth-century wind quintets.

Approachable

3 pieces

Readable by most amateur players; good for a first session together.

Bach · Chorales for brass quintet

For 2 trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba. Many arrangements.

Haydn · London Trios, Hob. IV:1–4

For 2 flutes and cello. Also with violins.

Mozart · Five Divertimenti, K. 439b

For 2 clarinets and bassoon. Also for basset horns.

Intermediate

3 pieces

Needs a confident amateur on every part, and some practice beforehand.

Danzi · Wind Quintet in G minor, Op. 56 No. 2

For flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon

Farkas · Early Hungarian Dances from the 17th Century

For flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon

Gabrieli · Canzonas for brass

For 2 trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba. Many editions for four to eight brass.

Advanced

4 pieces

Standard repertoire with real technical demands. Prepare your part.

Beethoven · Trio in C, Op. 87

For 3 oboes. The third part is for cor anglais.

Ewald · Brass Quintet No. 1 in B-flat minor

For 2 trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba

Ibert · Trois pièces brèves Part by part, tips →

For flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon

Reicha · Wind Quintet in E-flat, Op. 88 No. 2

For flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon

Very demanding

2 pieces

Conservatory or professional level for at least one part.

Barber · Summer Music, Op. 31

For flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon

Nielsen · Wind Quintet, Op. 43

For flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon

How we rate difficulty

Each piece is rated by its hardest part, so a trio with an easy cello part and a very hard piano part counts as very demanding. Pieces with a link have their own page, with a level for each part and tips for reading it together. It’s our own rough guide; see the full list to filter by instrument and level together.

Find people to play them with

Add the pieces you’d like to play to your music profile, and say whether it’s just for fun or for a performance. We’ll look for players who want the same pieces at the same level. See also our notes on meeting safely.