Cobalt Blue for Flute (with Piccolo) and piano is performed by Olivia Odhiambo, a flute student at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina. Olivia is one of the consortium members that helped support the creation of Cobalt Blue. She is joined by Muriel Balzer on piano.
April 12, 2026
4pm EST
Department of Music

Cobalt Blue for Flute (with Piccolo) and Piano (version also available with Wind Symphony) is inspired by the beauty and unique landscape of Long Beach, California, with the solo flute (with piccolo) as our guide through its sights and sounds. The journey begins at the striking Walter Pyramid (I. The Great Pyramid), a cobalt-blue landmark rising 18 stories above the city on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. As the flute soars above, the Cobalt Blue theme emerges, weaving throughout the piece.

Moving through the city’s roads and highways, we arrive at the Grand Prix of Long Beach (II. The Grand Prix), where a rhythmic groove captures the speed and excitement of the race. As cars zip by, the Cobalt Blue theme returns in a dreamlike, slow-motion moment before accelerating toward the finish line.

Leaving the race behind, we head to the beach, where the sound of the wind evokes the ocean breeze (III. Western Sandpipers at the water’s edge). The piccolo sings the calls of Western Sandpipers in a solo cadenza using several transcribed Western Sandpiper songs and playing in the surf – running, darting, and soaring into the sky. Sunlight sparkles on the water as the solo piccolo gives us a bird’s-eye view of the water and sand below.

In majestic flight, we fly over the Long Beach harbor, glimpsing the Queen Mary with her iconic red and black stacks (IV. Majestic flight over the Queen Mary).

As birds dive and glide above, we await the deep, resounding blast of her 55Hz typhoon whistle. The journey concludes back at the Great Pyramid, bringing our musical exploration full circle.

Commissioned by flutist Dr. Jenni Olson and a consortium of ensembles and individuals, the world premiere of the Wind Symphony version was performed by Dr. Olson as soloist and the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Jermie Arnold on March 8, 2025 at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach, California. She premiered the piano version at CSULB on September 7, 2025.