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Classical Musicians and Composers Who Embraced the Ocarina
Discover the classical repertoire of the ocarina: from the 19th-century Budrio septets to 20th-century avant-garde masterpieces by György Ligeti and Krzysztof Penderecki.
Although many people know the ocarina as a folk whistle or video game icon, the instrument has an illustrious heritage in classical concert halls, opera houses, and modern symphonic compositions.
The Italian Septet tradition: Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese
When Giuseppe Donati invented the 10-hole transverse ocarina in 1853, he envisioned it as an ensemble instrument. He built seven matched sizes corresponding to soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voice ranges. Together with fellow musicians in Budrio, he formed the Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese (GOB).
The ensemble transcribed and performed classical overtures and operatic masterpieces by Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johann Strauss. The ensemble's dazzling virtuosity, intricate counterpoint, and sweet tonal blend captivated audiences in Paris, London, and Vienna, establishing the ocarina as a genuine classical ensemble instrument.
Virtuoso showpieces: Carnival of Venice and Mosé Tapiero
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ocarina soloists toured international vaudeville and concert stages. One of the greatest virtuosos was Mosé Tapiero (1859–1940), an Italian master who made some of the earliest historical phonograph recordings of the ocarina playing rapid-fire variations on The Carnival of Venice, displaying double-tonguing, trills, and vocal-like expression.
20th-Century masterworks: Ligeti, Penderecki & beyond
Modern classical composers fell in love with the ocarina's pure, haunting timbre—its lack of high piercing overtones allows it to blend with acoustic instruments in eerie, magical ways:
- György Ligeti (1923–2006): In his groundbreaking Violin Concerto (1993), Ligeti called for four orchestral woodwind players to switch to ocarinas, producing an otherworldly, spectral microtonal atmosphere.
- Krzysztof Penderecki (1933–2020): Penderecki scored 12 ocarinas in his dramatic 1974 orchestral work The Dream of Jacob. Later, in the climax of his magnificent Symphony No. 8 (2008), he instructed a choir of 50 choristers to play ocarinas simultaneously, creating a swirling cloud of natural bird-like sound.
- Pierre Arvay (1924–1980): The French composer wrote numerous delightful concert pieces for ocarina, including Merry Ocarina, which became a beloved broadcast standard in European television and radio.
Playing classical music today
Because modern 10-hole and 12-hole ocarinas are fully chromatic, classical players routinely perform Baroque flute sonatas, Bach partitas, and romantic melodies on solo ocarina. Try starting with Beethoven's Ode to Joy or Brahms' Lullaby right here on Potato Flute!
More from the ocarina library
- How to Make a Clay Ocarina: Step-by-Step DIY GuideLearn how to make a real playing clay ocarina from scratch: pinch pot forming, carving the windway and labium cutting edge, tuning toneholes, and firing.
- A History of the Ocarina: From Ancient Vessel Flutes to BudrioExplore the fascinating 12,000-year history of the ocarina: Neolithic flutes like the Runik ocarina, Chinese xun, Mesoamerican clay instruments, and Giuseppe Donati's 1853 invention in Italy.
- How an Ocarina Works: The Acoustics of Helmholtz ResonanceUnderstand the physics of the ocarina: why hole position doesn't matter, how chamber volume sets pitch, and why breath pressure controls intonation.
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