One of the most exciting moments of this year’s Opening Night concert will be the Minnesota premiere of Common Ground, a vibrant new work by acclaimed American composer and oboist Alyssa Morris.

Composed in 2026, Common Ground was commissioned by the internationally acclaimed OboeBass! duo—Carrie Vecchione, oboe, and Rolf Erdahl, double bass—through a Barlow Foundation Latter-day Saints Commissioning Grant. The duo will perform the work at Northern Lights Music Festival, giving Minnesota audiences one of their very first opportunities to experience this remarkable new composition.

OboeBass! has become internationally recognized for expanding the repertoire for one of chamber music’s most distinctive instrumental pairings. Through commissions and performances of new music, the ensemble has introduced audiences to dozens of innovative works, helping establish an exciting new voice in contemporary chamber music.

In Common Ground, Morris explores the idea that despite our differences, people can find connection through shared values, cooperation, and understanding. The four movements—One Voice, Two to Tango, Three-Legged Race, and Four Corners—each begin with quotations drawn from leading American and world thinkers and traditions, providing a thoughtful framework for the music that follows.

Musically, the work is every bit as engaging as its message. Morris effortlessly weaves together elements of classical music, jazz, and tango, creating a colorful and energetic score that is both sophisticated and immediately accessible. The result is a work that is inventive, expressive, and full of rhythmic vitality.

Alyssa Morris is one of today’s leading composer-performers. In addition to serving as Assistant Professor of Oboe and Music Theory at Kansas State University, her music is performed throughout the United States and abroad, earning praise for its lyrical writing, imaginative textures, and engaging musical storytelling.

There is something uniquely exciting about hearing a new work performed by the very artists who inspired its creation. Northern Lights audiences will have the opportunity to experience not only a Minnesota premiere, but a work that celebrates collaboration, creativity, and the power of music to bring people together.

Join us for Opening Night and discover Common Ground—a fresh new voice in chamber music and a memorable beginning to the 2026 Northern Lights Music Festival season.